Pioneering Sustainability and Innovation: The NOW Venture Studio Manifesto

Picture a world where technology seamlessly intertwines with sustainability, where startups harness the power of deep tech to tackle pressing environmental challenges. NOW Venture Studio stands at the forefront of this transformative journey, ushering in a new era of climate tech innovation in India.  NOW Venture Studio is a Sustainability Action Venture Studio (SAVES) dedicated to accelerating and derisking the idea-to-commercialization journey of deep tech or deep science-enabled startups that are pioneering solutions in sustainability and climate tech.

Venture Studio is a new business model and an ideal co-building partner for entrepreneurs who want to turn their ideas into scalable ventures. Early-stage deep tech founders that are developing critical sustainability and climate technologies, often struggle to move beyond the early stages due to the challenges of scaling innovative solutions in traditionally slow-to-change industries. They need a partner and a supportive ecosystem that goes beyond financial backing. Under this model, NOW Venture Studio will act as an institutional cofounder and will assist founders by providing finance, mentorship, product-market fit, access to market opportunities, corporate partnerships for prototype/solution validation, and access to climate-tech experts. 

On a global scale, startups originating from Venture Studios exhibit a 30% higher success rate than their traditional counterparts. Additionally, 84% of these studio startups successfully secure a seed round, whereas only 25-30% of traditional startups achieve the same. Furthermore, 72% of studio startups advance to Series A funding, contrasting with 42% of traditional startups.

At the helm of NOW is Gayathri Kuppendra Reddy,  an entrepreneur, trained climate leader, and active angel investor. NOW Venture Studio is a manifestation of Gayathri's mission—to build a greener, more resilient future through innovation and collaboration.NOW is led by a core team combining 40+ years of experience across startup scaling, climate entrepreneurship, innovation, SaaS, and venture capital. In the next 12-18 months, the company will invest USD 250K-500K each in 3-4 deep tech sustainability and climate tech startups. 

NOW is inviting applications from early-stage startups and aspiring entrepreneurs who are committed to solving and building for critical areas of sustainability and climate. The investment focus of NOW spans critical sectors viz Built Environment, Industrial and Supply Chain decarbonisation, Energy, EV and Mobility, Agri and Food, Circular Economy, and Low Carbon Materials. By nurturing startups in these areas, NOW aims to build category leaders and champions in sustainability and climate tech.

The rise of Venture Studios reflects a broader trend in India's startup ecosystem. Venture Studios offer a compelling solution, combining financial backing with strategic guidance tailored to specific niches. Looking ahead, NOW Venture Studio envisions a future where technology serves as a catalyst for positive change.