Applied Ventures invites start-ups in India to apply for the ASTRA 2022 program

Bengaluru, October 28, 2021 – Applied Ventures, LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, Inc., today announced the third cohort of the ASTRA (Applied Start-up Technology and Research Accelerator) program to collaborate with start-ups and to provide support in accelerating their innovations. This cohort will focus on start-ups in the areas of life sciences, semiconductor and display manufacturing technologies, advanced optics & photonics, resilient supply chain, sensors, advanced materials, industry 4.0, and AI hardware. ASTRA is designed to provide a platform for the selected start-ups to pitch their product/solution to the Applied Material Ventures team and business leaders. The finalists will be considered for collaboration with Applied Materials and investment from Applied Ventures.

Applications are now open and interested start-ups are invited to apply here by November 26, 2021.

Applied Materials India will act as a consultant to the selected start-ups for addressing market and technology challenges and to explore potential scale-up pathways. The selected companies will also have access to the Applied infrastructure and ecosystem connected through this engagement. Applied Materials is actively collaborating with its knowledge partners, academic and industry ecosystem to engage with the startup community.

Commenting on the third cohort of the ASTRA program, Om Nalamasu, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, Applied Materials, Inc., and President, Applied Ventures, LLC, said, “We are excited to embark on a journey with innovative start-ups in India in our joint quest to address global inflections with materials engineering solutions for the third year in a row. For Applied Ventures, the vibrant start-up ecosystem in India is an excellent opportunity to invest in and partner with innovative deep tech start-ups. The mature and growing Indian high technology and entrepreneurial landscape is a great place for us to identify new white space opportunities focused on disruptive innovation with new products and business models.”

“ASTRA plays a critical role in helping us connect with next-gen start-ups. With the third cohort, we look forward to continuing engaging with disruptive start-ups across the Materials to Systems™ stack that hold the promise of bringing breakthrough innovations to market in partnership with Applied Materials.” Anand Kamannavar, Global Head, Applied Ventures, LLC, and sponsor of ASTRA.

Adding to that, Srinivas Satya, Country President, and Managing Director, Applied Materials India Private Limited, said “The program’s ultimate success lies in fostering innovation, collaboration and entrepreneurship to nurture a vibrant start-up ecosystem. Leveraging our technology expertise in materials engineering, commercialization, and manufacturing to scale faster and higher, the previous two editions of ASTRA saw an incredible success where the benefits were beyond the financial returns. The third edition of the program hinges on the increased opportunities and aims to empower the forthcoming entrepreneurs by expediting their innovations and driving not just sustainable but equitable growth.”

Applied Materials India is strengthening the local start-up ecosystem and helping further develop the country’s abundant technical and industry expertise. Over the last two years, the company has connected with 14 start-ups working on developing differentiated solutions in semiconductors, displays, life sciences, and industrial IoT.

About Applied Ventures 

Applied Ventures, LLC, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, invests in innovative technology companies globally that promise to deliver high growth and exceptional strategic and financial returns. For more than a decade, Applied Ventures has invested in startups globally (including India) that are pioneering innovations in semiconductor and display technologies, smartphones, augmented and virtual reality, AI/ML, autonomous cars, big data, life sciences, 3D printing, Fab Automation Software, robotics, sensors, advanced materials and broader ESG (Environment, Social, Governance) sectors.

Learn more at www.appliedventures.com or follow @Applied_VC. 

About Applied Materials

Applied Materials, Inc. (Nasdaq: AMAT) is the leader in materials engineering solutions used to produce virtually every new chip and advanced display in the world. Our expertise in modifying materials at atomic levels and on an industrial scale enables customers to transform possibilities into reality. At Applied Materials, our innovations make possible a better future. Learn more at www.appliedmaterials.com.

Contact: 

Anuroopa Pereira, Applied Materials India | [email protected] 

M Sindhu | [email protected]