Associate Manager/ Manager – Nasscom DeepTech

Location, Department Unit and Reporting

Location: Bangalore

Department: Deeptech

Reporting To: Senior Manager

Basic Functions/ Job Responsibility

• Lead a startup acceleration program end-to-end, including startup sourcing, partner onboarding, and demo day, with a primary focus on Agri Tech, Water Tech, and Climate Tech.
• Conduct market research on emerging trends, technologies, and the competitive landscape within agri, water, and climate tech to inform program strategy, startup curation, and partnership decisions.
• Build and manage a robust pipeline of potential startups specifically for deep tech programs.
• Identify and curate startups for various sub-programs, corporate use cases, international partner programs, and flagship events.
• Manage day-to-day program operations, implementing core elements such as structured mentorship, technical workshops, and enterprise connects.
• Cultivate and manage diverse partnerships across the spectrum of venture capital, government bodies, industry leaders, and academia.
• Develop and maintain high-touch relationships with founders, mentors, and investors to support the long-term success of the cohort.
• Develop and execute comprehensive engagement strategies that align with organizational objectives for the deep tech sector.
• Monitor the progress of startup engagements with relevant stakeholders and transform data into compelling success stories.
• Actively manage the startup management portal, ensuring regular updates and encouraging regional startups to utilize the community platform.
• Work with internal teams to ensure program goals align with the broader innovation strategy and facilitate multi-departmental support for startups

Knowledge, Skills, Qualifications, Experience

• Bachelor’s or master’s degree in business, technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, or a related discipline.
• 7-8 years of experience in startup engagement, acceleration, or ecosystem partnerships, with prior experience running startup programs at Nasscom DeepTech (or a comparable deep tech accelerator) strongly preferred. Exposure to agri-tech, water-tech, climate tech, or other deep tech sectors is a plus, though not restricted to these domains.
• In-depth knowledge of the startup ecosystem, with a specific focus on the nuances of deep tech curation, evaluation, and technical validation.
• Excellent interpersonal and presentation skills, with a proven ability to convey complex technical information to diverse stakeholders.
• Strong problem-solving skills and the ability to manage sophisticated relationships with corporate and investment partners.
• A passionate advocate for innovation with a commitment to fostering startup growth and a willingness to embrace emerging industry trends.