Unicorn India Ventures goes to the US
Mumbai-based deeptech venture capital firm Unicorn India Ventures announced on October 22, 2026 that it is launching operations in the United States, under the leadership of former Google executive Kishore Kanakamedala, who has joined the fund as a venture partner. For startup funding in India, the move is a strong signal that domestic deeptech capital is now mature enough to build its own bridge into the world's largest technology market.
What Kanakamedala will do
Kanakamedala will build a team of mid-to-senior-level operator-investors in the US focused on developing local ecosystems that help the fund's portfolio companies establish a presence in the country. He will also evangelise the Indian deeptech growth story and build a US investor base for Indian startups, while keeping UIV's India-based investment team plugged into global technology developments.
The firm's founder and managing partner said the US launch was the next logical step after UIV closed its third fund of ₹1,200 crore earlier this year, during which American investors showed significant interest in Indian deeptech startups. The announcement also comes shortly after UIV hit the first close of the IITM Unicorn Frontier Fund I at ₹450 crore — a ₹1,000 crore SEBI-registered alternate investment fund set up in strategic partnership with IIT Madras and IITM Research Park.
The deeptech context
UIV is an early-stage investor in Indian deeptech companies building products from strong intellectual property, with typical cheque sizes of ₹10 crore to ₹25 crore. The firm manages approximately $350 million across its funds and has backed 54 companies across semiconductors, space, defence, health, robotics and agritech, including Open Bank, Olyv, TakeMe2Space, Orbitaid, Netrasemi and Genrobotics.
"The time to invest in deeptech in India is now more than ever," Kanakamedala said, pointing to product-based companies being built out of India, a proactive government policy environment, and increasingly accessible risk capital.
Why it matters for founders
Indian deeptech funds are no longer just importing capital — they are exporting founders. For deeptech startups, a US beachhead run by an operator-investor who can open enterprise doors and co-investor networks is often the missing link between a great lab result and a global customer. If you are building in semiconductors, space or robotics, this is the ecosystem lane to start walking: build your technology readiness story now, because the co-investment capital is explicitly looking for it.