IIMA Ventures has joined forces with Jaivel Aerospace to introduce a dedicated acceleration fund for early-stage startups in the aerospace and defence sectors. The initiative is designed to nurture 8–10 startups developing next-generation technologies across autonomy, advanced materials, manufacturing innovation, and secure communication systems.
As part of the collaboration, each selected startup will receive up to $400,000 in pre-seed or seed-stage funding, along with mentorship, access to development infrastructure, and integration into Jaivel’s global manufacturing ecosystem.
The partnership represents a strategic move for IIMA Ventures, which has already built a strong portfolio in deeptech and aerospace innovation. Through this new fund, the firm intends to double down on early-stage investments in frontier technologies that can transform India’s aerospace and defence landscape.
Over the years, IIMA Ventures has supported several standout ventures in the space, including Sagar Defence, ePlane, Ideaforge, and Nabhdrishti. Its broader deeptech portfolio also features Agnikul, PierSight, Galaxeye, and Bellatrix, among others.
Interestingly, the newly launched fund is not structured as an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF). Instead, it is being established using balance sheet capital from both IIMA Ventures and Jaivel Aerospace, providing greater flexibility and speed in deployment. The partners also revealed plans to expand the fund’s scale in the coming months, with discussions already underway to onboard other corporate collaborators.
Founded in 2016 by Vipul Vachhani, Jaivel Aerospace is known for driving innovation in intelligent manufacturing and product engineering, serving leading global clients such as Boeing and Rolls-Royce. The company focuses on designing advanced systems and processes that enhance the efficiency and performance of aerospace manufacturing programs.
With this partnership, IIMA Ventures and Jaivel Aerospace aim to build a robust innovation pipeline that fuels India’s ambitions in aerospace and defence technology.
By: Arushi Agarwal
