In a major move to boost India’s startup ecosystem, Accel, the global venture capital firm, has partnered with Prosus, Europe’s leading technology investor, to expand the Atoms X founder programme. The alliance will jointly invest in early-stage startups, particularly in LeapTech companies—a segment combining science, engineering, and innovation for large-scale impact.
Under this collaboration, Prosus will match Accel’s investments in each startup, ensuring continuous support from seed to scale. The partnership marks Prosus’s first global alliance of this kind, anchored by Accel, to institutionalise backing for frontier founders building from Day Zero.
Strengthening Startup Foundations
Accel’s founder-first approach has long been known for spotting India’s most promising startups at the earliest stages. Now, paired with Prosus’s long-term commitment and global reach, the partnership brings together conviction, capital, and scale.
According to Pratik Agarwal, Partner at Accel, “This is not just two big funds co-investing. It’s a pivotal step to expand the LeapTech ecosystem. We’re seeing founders who aren’t just iterating—they’re inventing.” Agarwal added that this initiative will help such entrepreneurs scale faster with mentorship, capital, and conviction.
Accel describes LeapTech as a category that goes beyond traditional deep tech. It represents innovation that speeds up progress, combining engineering ambition and scientific breakthroughs to solve India’s large-scale challenges.
This concept mirrors India’s tech evolution—from Jio and UPI to quick commerce—where scalable innovation meets affordability and excellence. As Ashutosh Sharma, Head of India Ecosystem at Prosus, explained, “Accel is a natural partner for us. We see extraordinary potential in LeapTech founders building from science and engineering first principles to solve global problems.”
Driving India’s Next Tech Era
The alliance aims to channel capital into sectors like advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and AI-driven automation, encouraging affordable innovation with global standards. This partnership will empower Indian founders to build scalable, world-class products while maintaining accessibility—an idea rooted in India’s tradition of “affordable excellence.”
Prosus and Accel’s collaboration is also expected to serve as a blueprint for institutional partnerships, ensuring that frontier technologies receive early and consistent support.
Next Gen Startups
India’s next generation of startups is emerging at the intersection of technology, science, and social impact. These ventures focus not just on software, but on building core innovations that can solve real-world challenges—from sustainability to industrial automation.
The Accel–Prosus alliance is designed to nurture such bold founders who dream beyond digital apps. By combining Accel’s early-stage backing with Prosus’s global scale, the partnership gives young innovators access to capital, mentorship, and international networks from the very beginning.
The collaboration builds on a decade-long relationship between Accel and Prosus. Across several joint investments, both firms have maintained a high-trust partnership and a shared belief in supporting the most ambitious founders.
So far, Accel’s Atoms programme has backed more than 40 startups, with over 30 percent already securing follow-on funding from external investors. These include companies now defining categories in India’s fast-growing innovation economy.
LeapTech Ecosystem
According to data from PitchBook and Bain, startups within the LeapTech and deep technology category attracted over USD 80 billion in venture funding in 2024, with India contributing nearly 6–8 percent of global deal volume. The Accel–Prosus partnership is set to significantly boost India’s share of this global innovation pie in the years ahead.
With Accel driving early-stage conviction and Prosus offering patient global capital, this alliance marks a new era for Indian innovation—where science, technology, and entrepreneurship come together to shape the future.
Together, Accel and Prosus aim to build a robust ecosystem where India’s next wave of startups can grow from seed to global scale with the right guidance and financial support. This strategic partnership reaffirms India’s position as a launchpad for world-class technology ventures, laying the foundation for the country’s next decade of innovation.
