Capital A

Check you fit first

• Capital A backs early-stage companies in manufacturing, deep tech and climate, including advanced hardware, industrial AI, materials and clean technologies.
• It says it wants businesses that can earn revenue and last, not research alone.
• It prefers to be the first institutional investor, or to lead or co-lead a round.

How to approach

• Use the Submit Your Pitch button on the Contact page, or the Pitch link in the site menu.
• For general questions, write to hello@capital-a.vc.
• The site gives no deadline or batch dates for pitches.

Maxcel and Climathon

• Maxcel is a yearly programme for manufacturing startups. Its first edition was in 2025, and the site does not say when the next intake opens.
• Climathon is a 24-hour pitch event for climate startups, held every year since 2022 with Java Capital.

Capital A, also written Capital-A, is an early-stage venture capital fund in Bengaluru that invests in manufacturing, deep tech and climate. It was set up in 2021 by Ankit Kedia and is run by Manjushree Investment Advisory LLP as a SEBI-registered Category II alternative investment fund. It is an investor, not an incubator: it takes a stake in companies it backs rather than running a general support programme.

What it invests in

Capital A says the next few decades of growth will come from India's industrial corridors and shopfloor, and it backs founders who combine engineering, technology and process discipline. It invests in early-stage companies across manufacturing and its adjacencies, from advanced hardware and industrial AI to materials and clean technologies. It looks beyond research and design to businesses that can earn revenue and last. Its stated approach pairs early-stage speed with long-term conviction, with active board involvement.

How it works with founders

The firm says it prefers to be the first institutional investor in a company, and it also co-leads rounds or co-invests alongside others. It describes itself as hands-on: helping founders with operations, hiring and go-to-market, opening doors to investors, industry leaders and global conferences and exhibitions, and taking part in the board. The cheque size and stage are given on its about page.

Initiatives

Capital A runs two initiatives besides investing. Maxcel is its yearly acceleration programme that looks for underrated manufacturing startups, mentors them and funds them; its first edition was in 2025. Climathon is a 24-hour pitch event for climate startups that Capital A runs with Java Capital, held every year since 2022.

Portfolio

The portfolio page lists companies such as Agrileaf, Frigate, Manastu Space, Bambrew, Entuple, Leumas, Tan90, Oorja, ChargeUp, Jiraaf, Enerzi, Misochain Technologies, Quintrans and CraftifAI, along with others in logistics, insurance and software. Its portfolio page lets you filter by manufacturing, deeptech, AI or SaaS, climate and others.

Who runs it

Capital A grew out of the legacy of Manjushree Technopack, a rigid packaging manufacturer that ran over 15 manufacturing plants across India. Ankit Kedia is the founder and lead investor, and Aswani Chaitanya is a partner. Its team page also lists investment, finance, marketing and community staff and a set of advisors.

Location

The office is at Maini Sadan, 2nd Floor, 38, 7th Cross Road, Lavelle Road, Bengaluru 560001. The site has a Contact page with a Submit Your Pitch button and a general inbox at hello@capital-a.vc.