Manish Singhal is a technologist-turned-entrepreneur-turned-venture capitalist who aspires to help place India on the global DeepTech innovation map through his work at pi Ventures. With over 31 years of experience spanning diverse fields, including the development of cutting-edge technology products on a global scale, mentoring startups, investing in them, and establishing a deep tech venture fund, he brings a wealth of expertise to the table.
Manish has played a pivotal role in advancing technology in India. He contributed significantly to the development of GPS systems for the Indian Army. Furthermore, he made substantial contributions to the MPEG 4 standard, authoring a chapter that played a crucial role in its commercialization, revolutionizing digital media and communication technologies.
Actively engaged in India's startup ecosystem for the past several years, Manish founded pi Ventures in early 2016 with the vision of accelerating the growth of AI startups in India. Prior to that, he co-founded LetsVenture.com, rapidly transforming it into the premier marketplace for startups and early-stage investors in India. Preceding his involvement with LetsVenture, he served as the India country manager for Sling Media Inc, a Silicon Valley-based consumer electronics startup. During his tenure, he spearheaded the establishment of the R&D and product team in India from the ground up, ultimately achieving a successful acquisition.
On today’s episode we discuss,
The founding story of pi Ventures & its investment thesis
How pi Ventures helps Deep Tech Startups grow
Key criteria for investing in Deep Tech startups
pi Ventures seminal Deep Tech themes report - Deep Tech Shift 2026
The experience of raising an INR 702 cr fund for Deep tech, remotely during the pandemic
For episode summary & more, click here - bit.ly/dtm-mp
Links & References:
Manish Singhal - smanishsinghal (LinkedIn), @manish_saarthi (Twitter)
pi Ventures - piventures.in, LinkedIn, Twitter
Deep Tech Shift 2026 Report - Link
pi Ventures DeepTech: Emerging Frontiers Mini Blogs - Link
Pronojit Saha, DTM Podcast - pronojitsaha (LinkedIn), @pronojits (Twitter)
Show Notes:
(00:31) Founding story of Pi Ventures. What was its motivation?
(4:05) Investment Thesis and Focus Areas
(5:29) Pi Ventures: A Catalyst for Growth in Deep Tech Startups
(9:18) Key Criteria for Investing in Deep Tech Startups
(11:09) Positioning of Indian Startups in Solving Global Problems
(14:35) The Visibility of Deep Tech Startups and Media Attention in the Local Indian Perspective
(16:22) Experience of Raising the INR 700cr Second Fund for Deep Tech Startups
(19:22) Motivation behind the Deep Tech Shifts 2026 Report
(20:45) Exploring the Themes and New Thesis in the Deep Tech Industry
(25:59) The Future of Generative AI: Exploring Its Potential and Layers of Development
(29:21) "Considerations for Taking a Deep Tech Startup to Success"
(31:05) How can deep tech startups position themselves and acquire their first ten customers?
