pi Ventures

Check the fit first

• pi Ventures invests in deep tech: technology with IP and a longer development cycle. If your company is mainly a business-model or distribution play, it is probably not the right door.
• It says it primarily invests at Seed and Series A, and will look at companies with no revenue if the technology foundation is strong.
• Its listed sectors include AI, ML, robotics, energy, life sciences, quantum computing, advanced materials and sustainability.
• International startups need a clear India connection.

How to approach

• There is no application form or deadline. Send your pitch deck to the inbox on its homepage FAQ, or contact the team through LinkedIn.
• It says it judges the technology, the team, market potential and fit with its thesis, then schedules further discussions if there is a fit.
• Read its sample term sheet and its published insights before you reach out.

What makes a strong pitch

• Explain why your technology is ten times better than the current approach.
• Name your IP and why it is defensible.
• Show the team's depth on the problem and a clear path to scale.

pi Ventures is a deep-tech venture capital firm based in Bengaluru. It describes itself as an early-stage fund that invests in companies building disruptive technologies to solve real-world problems, and it is run by people who were founders and operators before they became investors. Its website is piventures.in.

What pi Ventures backs

The firm defines deep tech as startups that use advanced scientific and engineering innovation to solve complex problems, usually with long development cycles and defensible intellectual property. Its stated sectors include artificial intelligence, machine learning, robotics, energy, life sciences, quantum computing, advanced materials and sustainability. Its portfolio page groups companies under aerospace, AI, automotive, communication, cryptography, cyber security, energy, life sciences, materials, quantum, robotics, semiconductors and spacetech.

Its thesis asks for ten-times differentiation from the status quo, usually through IP-led companies, and for Indian innovators solving problems that are global in scale. The firm says it backs teams that are tech-smart, business-savvy and comfortable with hard problems. Its strategy shifts with the technology: it says applied AI was the frontier during its Fund 1 deployment in 2017-18, and that today it looks at the convergence of AI, high performance compute and materials science.

Stage and how it works with founders

pi Ventures says it primarily invests at Seed and Series A. It says it is open to companies with no revenue, provided there is a strong technology foundation and a clear path to scale. It also says it will consider international startups that have a clear India connection, such as a large market opportunity, operations or strategic relevance in India.

Beyond capital, it describes a fill-in-the-blank approach: it works with founders to find where they have gaps, then helps internally or through its network. It lists customer discovery, investor connections and leadership hiring among the areas it has helped with. It publishes a sample term sheet on its website, which it describes as transparent and entrepreneur friendly.

How to pitch

There is no application form, deadline or cohort. Its homepage says to send your pitch deck to its general inbox, or to reach the team through LinkedIn. It says it evaluates the strength of the technology, the team, market potential and fit with its thesis, and that if your startup fits it will schedule further discussions. It does not publish a response time. Read its published insights, including the Deep Tech Shifts 2026 report and the Deeptech Investment Architecture series, before you write, so your deck speaks to how it thinks.

Portfolio

Companies named on its homepage and insights include Agnikul Cosmos, Pixis, Ottonomy, Locus, Quanfluence, Zero Cow Factory and Pranos. Its homepage states 25+ portfolio companies. Founders quoted on the site include the heads of Agnikul Cosmos, Wysa and Niramai.

Fund and registration

The investor relations page lists two funds, Pi Ventures Investment Trust and Pi Ventures Investment Trust II. Both are registered as Category I alternative investment funds (venture capital), with Pi Partners LLP as investment manager. Their registered office is in Whitefield, Bangalore. The page registers the first fund on 21 June 2016 and the second on 9 March 2021. The firm runs no incubation space or coworking facility.