The inaugural edition of the Atoms Cohort 2026 sees global venture firms like Accel and Prosus select six early-stage startups in a bid to support high-risk and science-driven innovations. The six chosen companies are tackling “off-the-map” challenges, i.e., ambitious, technically complex problems in undefined or emerging markets, where traditional venture capital metrics like rapid user growth or quick revenue traction often don’t apply.
What is the Atoms Cohort 2026 all about?
Originally announced in October 2025, the Atoms program was specifically designed to support founders working on deep-tech ideas, which require years of patient research and breakthrough milestones rather than following the conventional startup playbook of fast scaling and immediate commercialisation. The Atom Cohort initiative addresses a critical gap in the Indian ecosystem, where many transformative technologies in healthcare, climate, space, and longevity struggle to attract funding due to their long development timelines and uncertain commercial pathways.
The inaugural cohort saw a great participation of various startups, with over 2,000 applications received. From this highly competitive pool, Accel and Prosus selected six ventures that promise science-led innovation tailored to India’s unique scale and needs. Both these firms are co-investing in each startup, with Prosus matching Accel’s contribution.
Investment checks range from $500,000 to $2 million per company. To support long-horizon founders, the structure includes founder-friendly terms that minimise early dilution, i.e., a portion of the capital is deferred and tied to the achievement of key technical milestones.
“More than capital, they require time to make those breakthroughs,” said Pratik Agarwal, partner at Accel. Ashutosh Sharma, head of the India ecosystem at Prosus, highlighted that these companies follow a non-linear path of growth, where progress is measured by technical advancements rather than steady user or revenue growth.
Inaugural Atoms Cohort: Which startups have been chosen
Praan
Praan is building advanced air infrastructure systems that integrate purification, real-time sensing, and automated controls to significantly improve indoor air quality — a pressing issue across India’s densely populated cities. The startup has previously raised funding from Social Impact Capital, Aera VC, Avaana Capital, and several strategic investors and family offices.
QOSMIC
QOSMIC is developing next-generation optical communication systems to enable high-bandwidth, low-latency data transfer between satellites and ground stations, addressing a major bottleneck in expanding space-based networks.
EtherealX
EtherealX is working on reusable orbital launch vehicles aimed at dramatically reducing the cost of accessing space. The company recently raised a $20.5 million Series A round led by TDK Ventures and BIG Capital, reaching an $80.5 million post-money valuation.
Dognosis
Dognosis is working on a non-invasive cancer detection platform called BreatheEasy. It harnesses dogs’ exceptional sense of smell, combined with robotics and AI, allowing patients to breathe into a specially designed mask. The captured breath sample is then analysed in a lab to identify multiple cancer-linked markers from a single test.
Ferra
Ferra is creating a smart, home-based strength-training system designed to help users maintain mobility and muscle function, especially as they age. The device automatically adjusts resistance in real time based on the user’s performance, eliminating the need for gym visits.
Stealth Startup
The sixth participant remains in stealth mode and is developing advanced brain-computer interface (BCI) technology that aims to enable direct, high-bandwidth communication between the human brain and external digital systems. This is similar to what Elon Musk’s Neuralink is doing in the West.