DTM E46. Deep Science Technology Startups - Dr. Ritu Verma, Ankur Capital

Dr. Ritu Verma is the Co-founder and Managing Partner at Ankur Capital – an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in digital & deep science technology startups. Prior to starting Ankur Capital, Ritu ran Truven, an advisory firm for venture funds looking at investments in India and SE Asia. She is passionate about bringing innovation from the lab to the market and did that for over a decade across different roles at Philips and Unilever across the globe. 

In this episode, Ritu shares her insights into the world of deep science technologies, including synthetic biology, battery chemistry, bioinformatics, and materials. She also discusses Ankur Capital's investment philosophy and how they support deep science entrepreneurs in India. Ritu highlights the importance of user research and the need to bring in business, market, and customer skills to test whether an innovation is a solution to a customer's problem. Whether you are an aspiring entrepreneur, or an investor interested in deep science startups, this podcast is a must-listen. Tune in to gain valuable insights into the world of deep science technologies and how early-stage startups can set themselves up for success.

Find the episode summary, transcript & more here - bit.ly/dtm-ritu

Show Notes:

(00:46) What motivated founding Ankur Capital's deep science technologies vertical?

(02:32) How does Ritu Verma define deep science?

(05:30) Portfolio startups that Ankur Capital has invested in, the problems they solve & their IPs

(09:30) What makes Ankur Capital one of the best places for deep science startups?

(11:15) Ritu’s top 3 advice to entrepreneurs looking to take their deep science startup from zero to one.

(14:15) How can deep science startups de-risk their long gestation periods?

(16:50) How can startup founders assess scalability potential early on?

(19:50) Ritu’s viewpoint on the prevalence and importance of doing user research in the deep tech industry.

(24:05) How to build moats in deep science products? What is ring-fencing?

(26:55) Future initiatives of Ankur Capital in deep science space.

(27:55) Future opportunities in deep science space that startups should capitalize on

— Where to find Dr. Ritu Verma:

·       LinkedIn – ritu-verma

·       Twitter – @rituverma01

— Where to find Ankur Capital:

·       LinkedIn – ankur-capital

·       Twitter – @ankurcapital

·       Web – Ankur Capital

—Where to find Pronojit Saha, DTM Podcast:

·       LinkedIn – pronojitsaha

·       Twitter – @pronojits