IIT Kanpur gets 3.5 Million USD donation from Foxhog as part of CSR Program to help startups in Aerospace, Defence and agritech

A Separate Funds will also be injected from the CEO Funds as grants to the newly incubated startups at IIT Kanpur.

Foxhog CEO, Tarun Poddar visited IIT Kanpur on 11 June 2025, where he engaged with student entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures and pledged strategic support to bolster India's innovation ecosystem. The visit included an insightful presentation by Prof Deepu Philip, Professor-in-Charge (Incubation & Innovation),SIIC IIT Kanpur, highlighting SIIC's vision and milestones. During the interactions, Mr Piyush Mishra, COO and CFO of SIIC, was also present.

As part of the visit, a select group of SIIC-incubated startups presented their products and technologies, showcasing innovations in defence and aerospace, agritech, and sustainability. Mr Poddar engaged with the founders, discussing their innovations, business models, and growth strategies. In an engaging interaction with students, Mr. Poddar shared inspiring personal stories—tracing his journey from Stanford to his current role as CEO of Foxhog—and spoke about the leadership lessons that shaped him.

Regarding investment, Mr. Poddar said, "Innovation with purpose has the power to change lives and nations. We see immense potential in India's youth-led startup ecosystem, especially in critical sectors like defense, aerospace, agritech, and sustainability. Our CSR initiative at IIT Kanpur is a step towards nurturing this talent and creating meaningful social impact. I am also proud to announce that our CEO Fund, will also offer R&D grants to mission-aligned ventures."

The CSR funds will be directed towards startups working in defense and aerospace, agritech, and sustainability. Additionally, a dedicated CEO Fund operated by Mr Poddar will provide research and development grants to startups that align with Foxhog Ventures' broader social impact mission. Beyond CSR, Foxhog Ventures will explore further capital infusion through equity, debt, and convertible notes, forming part of a wider commercial investment strategy.

Prof Deepu Philip said, "At SIIC IIT Kanpur, we believe in empowering startups with the right mentorship, capital, and infrastructure mix. Foxhog Ventures' support is a strong endorsement of our mission. This partnership will amplify our efforts to translate breakthrough ideas into scalable solutions that address real-world challenges."

A formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between IIT Kanpur and Foxhog Ventures will be prepared, under which IIT Kanpur will play a key role in evaluating, mentoring, and monitoring the startups receiving support, ensuring rigorous technical due diligence and alignment with national priorities.