Accel, Prosus back six startups in new Atoms X program

Accel and Prosus have selected six startups for the first cohort of their Atoms X program, marking a joint push into frontier technologies that require longer gestation periods and deeper scientific innovation.

The cohort, drawn from more than 2,000 applications, focuses on what the firms describe as “LeapTech”, companies combining scientific research with engineering to build new infrastructure across sectors such as climate, aerospace, and healthcare.

The initiative reflects a growing appetite among global investors to back capital-intensive, long-horizon ventures from India, moving beyond the consumer internet models that have dominated venture funding over the past decade.

Under the partnership, Prosus will match Accel’s investment in each startup, providing founders with what the firms call “capital certainty” to pursue complex ideas without near-term commercial pressure. The program also offers mentorship and access to global networks.

“The quality of applications exceeded expectations,” said Pratik Agarwal, partner at Accel, noting that founders are increasingly attempting to commercialise scientific breakthroughs and build entirely new categories.

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The selected startups span a wide range of technologies. Praan is developing systems to optimise indoor air quality to near-mountain conditions. QOSMIC is working on optical communication infrastructure aimed at significantly faster satellite-to-Earth data transmission.

In healthcare, Dognosis is using dogs’ sense of smell, along with robotics and artificial intelligence, to detect multiple cancers from a person’s breath.

Meanwhile, Ethereal Exploration Guild is building reusable orbital launch vehicles designed to reduce launch costs and increase frequency of access to space.

Another startup, Ferra, is focused on guided home strength training systems aimed at aging populations. One additional company remains undisclosed and is working on brain-computer interface technology.

The launch builds on Accel’s broader Accel Atoms initiative, started in 2021, which was designed as a founder-first program backing companies at the idea or pre-seed stage with early capital, structured mentorship, and access to Accel’s global network. Unlike traditional accelerators, Atoms operates with a more flexible, non-cohort model and does not impose rigid timelines, allowing founders to build at their own pace.

Since its inception, the program has backed more than 50 startups across sectors such as SaaS, fintech, consumer internet, and developer tools. Several of these companies have gone on to raise over $300 million in follow-on funding collectively, positioning Atoms as a key feeder into Accel’s early-stage pipeline.

Atoms X represents an extension of that strategy into deep-tech and science-led ventures, where timelines are longer, technical risk is higher, and early institutional backing remains scarce.

Ashutosh Sharma, head of India ecosystem at Prosus, said the firm sees a gap not in ideas but in early-stage support for technically complex ventures. “Our role alongside Accel is to clear the path, whether that’s capital, global networks, or operational muscle, so these founders can think in decades, not quarters,” he said.