New Frontier Capital (“NFC”) signed a partnership agreement on December 12, 2025, with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), located in Bengaluru, India’s innovation hub, and globally renowned for its scientific and technological research, to collaborate on next-generation technology initiatives.
IISc, a national higher education institution founded in 1909 with the support of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, founder of the Tata Group, is positioned as India’s top academic University. It plays a central role in India’s manufacturing deep tech research, focusing particularly on smart manufacturing, Industry 4.0, and fostering the ecosystem for related deep tech startups.
*A commemorative bronze statue of Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata (right) stands in front of the IISc main building (left).
Currently, the Indian government is promoting deep tech research and development through a large-scale R&D initiative worth $11 billion. As part of this framework, it has established a $1 billion fund targeting investments in innovative fields such as AI, robotics, space development, cleantech, semiconductors, and quantum technology, encouraging substantial investment in deep tech startups. IISc plays a central role in this effort.
Through this partnership with IISc, NFC will promote collaboration between university-spun-off technologies and startups, particularly in deep tech, and Japanese companies. Alongside contributing to industrial development in Japan and India, NFC will strive to build a “Global Fund Platform” connecting domestic/overseas funds with universities and research institutions.
