BYT Capital Launches Maiden ₹180 Cr Deeptech Fund, Focuses on Space Tech, Robotics & Life Sciences

Bengaluru-based deeptech venture firm BYT Capital has launched its maiden fund with a corpus of ₹180 crore, the firm said, with more than half the amount already subscribed.

The Category-II AIF plans to back 18–20 early-stage deeptech start-ups, writing initial cheques of ₹3–6 crore and reserving roughly 55% of the corpus for follow-on investments. The fund expects to announce its first deals by the end of December.

BYT said it will focus on IP-heavy, lab-to-market innovation across space technology, life sciences, robotics and clean energy, sectors that demand longer gestation periods and specialised domain expertise. The fund is backed largely by India-focused high-net-worth individuals and family offices, signalling sustained appetite for mission-led, high-impact bets in deeptech.

Founders’ Rationale

Co-founder Amit Chand said India is “at a deep-tech inflection point,” with high-quality talent returning from global centres and research institutes increasingly open to licensing and spinouts. BYT’s approach follows a growing trend among limited partners that prefer sector-themed funds with deep thesis work rather than broad, sector-agnostic vehicles.

BYT expects to reserve the bulk of capital to support winners: roughly 55% of the corpus is earmarked for follow-on financings. Initial cheque writing will begin immediately, with the firm signalling its first closings and deployment activity by the end of December and a final close targeted by Q3 2026.

Deeptech Ecosystem

The launch comes amid a broader push to finance India’s deeptech ecosystem: other recent vehicles and institutional initiatives have been announced to back start-ups coming out of IITs, IISc and regional incubators. Policymakers and investors have been spotlighting deeptech, from aerospace to climate tech, as a priority for long-term competitiveness and national innovation.

BYT said its mandate is to back IP-driven companies that can translate lab innovations into commercial products and to provide both capital and domain support to accelerate that transition. With the first cheques expected imminently, BYT will be one to watch among a new wave of niche, thesis-driven funds focused on hard-tech entrepreneurship in India.