T-Hub partners with Pontaq

Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based innovation ecosystem enabler T-Hub announced its partnership with Pontaq, a cross border innovation fund investing in early-stage technology businesses across UK, India, USA and Canada. With this collaboration, T-Hub and Pontaq aim to support technology-driven startups and enable a holistic innovation ecosystem in the country.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between MSR (Mahankali Srinivas Rao), CEO, T-Hub and Prem Barthasarathy, Managing Partner, Pontaq. The signing took place on the sidelines of T-Hub's new innovation campus inauguration. Under this one-year agreement, T-Hub will provide office space to Pontaq at T-Hub's new building, and establish its branch in Hyderabad.

Pontaq will also be an investment partner to T-Hub in the UK-India corridor to enable startups incubated in T-Hub to expand into the UK markets. Aligning T-Hub's idea of six Ms (Mentors, Market, Motivation, Manpower, Money, and Methodologies) and 2Ps (Partnerships and Policy Advisory), the partnership will open funding avenues for Indian entrepreneurs and connect them with global talented innovators. MSR said, "We are bullish on creating a strong funding ecosystem for our entrepreneurs, and this collaboration is a testimonial. T-Hub and Pontaq are working towards the common goal of unlocking more growth and funding opportunities for startups in India as well as the UK.

This partnership will spur the next wave of leading tech companies from both regions to cater to the international markets." Prem Barthasarathy, Managing Partner, Pontaq, said, "Our two portfolio companies are to recruit up to 20 people in the first year and estimate the creation of around 5,000 local jobs in a year. At Pontaq, we have already invested in four companies within Telangana and aim to invest in at least five more companies in the state before the end of the year." T-Hub and Pontaq will take steps to expose technologies and products developed by innovative startups from both countries for cross-border innovation and deal flow. This partnership will also provide an opportunity to the investee companies of Pontaq both in India and the UK, to set up a base of operations in the state and utilise the robust ecosystem of T-Hub.