Shastra VC

Fit check first

• Stage: Shastra's own wording is early, before proof. Its portfolio is tagged pre-seed and seed. If you are well past that, it is likely not your first call.
• Sector: frontier tech (space, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, biotech, quantum, nanotechnology), climate tech, or AI-native software.
• Founder profile: the site stresses clarity of thought, conviction and drive. Technical or science-led founders are common in the portfolio.

How to reach them

• Use the "Pitch To Us" button on shastra.vc, which opens an online form (it needs a Google sign-in).
• For questions, write to investments@shastra.vc.
• The site publishes no response time and does not say how many pitches it takes, so follow up once and plan other conversations in parallel.

If you are a researcher

• The SDEX Fellowship is equity free, milestone based and lasts 16-18 weeks. The 2026 round is closed.
• Choose between the Challenge Track, which gives industry problem statements, and the Open Track, where you define the problem and milestones.
• To hear about the next cohort, use the notify link on the fellowship page.

What to prepare

• A short deck that states the technical insight and why it matters now.
• Who else is in your round, since Shastra commonly invests alongside other funds.
• What help you want beyond money: go-to-market playbooks, fundraising planning, or advisor introductions.

Shastra VC is an India-based venture capital firm that invests in frontier tech, climate tech and AI-driven software. On its own site it says it backs founders "at a stage where belief comes before proof", partnering early, when vision matters more than metrics. It reports having invested in more than 40 startups, and its portfolio page tags the rounds it joined as pre-seed or seed, usually alongside other investors. The firm's funds are registered as alternative investment funds, with the fund manager named as VVC Management LLP.

What Shastra invests in

The site groups its interest into three areas. Frontier tech covers space tech, advanced manufacturing, semiconductors, biotech, quantum computing and nanotechnology. Climate tech is described as foundational technology at the edge of science and engineering. The software area is AI-native businesses across the full stack: AI infrastructure and developer tools, vertical AI applications, horizontal platforms, cybersecurity and consumer AI. The portfolio page also shows companies in fintech, defence, logistics, health, consumer products and marketplaces, so the theme list is a guide rather than a hard fence. Partner profiles on the team page mention fintech, healthtech, SMB SaaS, enterprise SaaS, B2B commerce and the creator ecosystem as areas individual partners lead.

What founders can expect

Shastra describes three ways of working: being founder-first, staying active beyond board meetings, and bringing tested playbooks and networks. In practice it says that means honest feedback, help when a go-to-market problem or a fundraise needs hands-on work, and playbooks for go-to-market, building the organisation and fundraising, plus introductions to an extended network of advisors. Its portfolio page lists co-investors on each company, which shows the firm commonly invests in rounds with other funds.

What it looks for

The criteria on the home page are about the founder: clarity of thought, strength of conviction, and the drive to navigate uncertainty with purpose. Many portfolio companies are science-led, and the site notes patents filed and PhD scholars on founding teams, so deep technical depth is a common thread.

SDEX Fellowship

Alongside its funds, Shastra runs the Shastra Deep-tech Excellence Fellowship for researchers and deep-tech innovators. It runs for 16-18 weeks in a hybrid remote and onsite format, is milestone based and equity free, and has a Challenge Track and an Open Track. It is meant for PhD and post-doctoral researchers, students with proven research experience, engineers and researchers in academic labs, and scientist-founders. The 2026 applications are closed, and the page offers a way to be notified about the next cohort.

How to reach Shastra

The site has a "Pitch To Us" button that opens an online form, and a role inbox, investments@shastra.vc, for questions. The site does not publish a city or street address, a ticket-size range, or a promised response time, so do not assume any of these. It does not say it is open to applications on a rolling basis; treat the pitch form as the stated route in.