Dinesh Subburaj

DINESH SUBBURAJ STARTUP ECOSYSTEM STRATEGIST | DEEP TECH FUND & PORTFOLIO MANAGER | OPEN INNOVATION SPECIALIST  PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY  CONTACTS-| - +91-  linkedin.com/in/dinesh-subburaj  Chennai, India SKILLS &  COMPETENCIES Strategic Leadership & Innovation, Startup Investment, Fund Management, Portfolio Management, Technology Commercialization, Ecosystem Development, Stakeholder Engagement, Partnerships, Program Operations, Impact Tracking, Innovation Talent Development, Marcom, Fund Raising  KEY MILESTONES Raised INR 30 Cr Startup Fund Mobilized ₹30 Cr in grants, investments, and sponsorships to fund deep-tech and hardware startups Ecosystem Expansion Engineered Instrumental in scaling Forge from 1 centre to 8 centres across Tamil Nadu, India Open Innovation Architect Enabled 70+ startups to work with large corporates, industrial companies and MSMEs and unlocked INR 40Cr+ in work r  CERTIFICATION Embedded System Design Engineer A specialized course by Accel IT Academy focused on advanced system design & product development Strategic innovation leader with 10+ years building national-scale startup programs, deep-tech venture funds, and industrial innovation ecosystems. Raised ₹30 Cr+ in catalytic capital and enabled 300+ startups, including 135+ hardware ventures. Spearheaded Forge’s expansion into 8 innovation hubs across Tamil Nadu. Architected open innovation programs with corporates and ministries, delivering ₹46 Cr+ in pilot orders and sectoral transformation through technology commercialization. My work spans the entire value chain—from seeding, accelerating and scaling deep-tech ventures —driving enduring economic impact through technology innovation.  PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE Forge Innovation & Ventures Head - Forge.Fund Tamil Nadu, India 04/2019 - 04/2025 • Progressed from Senior Associate to AVP & Head, Forge.Fund -) • As a core member of Forge’s leadership team, I played a pivotal role in transforming it into India’s foremost industrial deep-tech startup ecosystem. I led multi-vertical innovation strategies spanning startup funding, open innovation partnerships, and institutional ecosystem expansion. • Headed the Forge.Fund, structuring and managing a blended capital pool exceeding INR 30 Cr, supporting over 100+ startups with Grants & Investments to support deep-tech product development, pilot implementation, commercialization, and scale-up • Deal Champion for 20+ investment deals with 50% of the deals were co-invested by angels & investment firms • Delivered critical programmatic interventions by enabling strategic advisory, market access support, funding pathways and industrialisation services to help startups win at every stage of the venture lifecycle - spanning innovation, production, industrialisation and commercialisation • Enable market access pathways with 20+ factories for startups to pilot & translate innovative solutions into full scale commercial deployments • Partnered with global and national stakeholders including MeitY -Govt. of India, MeitY Startup Hub, Ministry of Defence (iDEX), Department of Science & Technology, SIPCOT-Govt. of Tamil Nadu, and others to operationalize startupled technology transformation across public and private sectors • Enabled partnerships with JETRO, Chennai and Western Australian Trade Commission to enable global pathways for startups to scale in the emerging markets  CERTIFICATION  PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE High Impact Business Writing Forge Innovation & Ventures Program Manager - Forge.Ventures Certification by Coursera on executive communication, presentation and other relevant professional communication skills  LANGUAGES ENGLISH TAMIL (NATIVE) TELUGU (SPEAKING ONLY) HINDI (BEGINEER)  EXPERTISE Leadership in Innovation & Ecosystem Building Program Governance & Impact-Driven Execution Startup Investment & Venture Portfolio Leadership Corporate Innovation & Strategic Partnerships Public Sector Transformation through Open Innovation Technology Commercialization & Industrial Pilots Innovation Infrastructure & Capability Development Cross-Border Innovation & International Ecosystem Engagement  EDUCATION Anna University Master of Engineering in VLSI Design Tamil Nadu 09/2012 - 06/2014 Anna University Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communication Tamil Nadu 08/2008 - 06/2012 Tamil Nadu, India 04/2019 - 04/2025 • Designed and executed full-stack corporate open innovation programs, enabling 70+ startups to secure and execute over ₹46 Cr in pilot contracts with industrial majors such as Vedanta, Bosch, and Airbus, accelerating industrial transformation through validated startup partnerships • Built and operationalized the Open Industrial Innovation Platform, connecting enterprises seeking innovation-led transformation with startup-driven, technology-first solutions — driving measurable impact across operational efficiency, business growth, and sustainability outcomes • Developed a structured corporate innovation framework based on the COMPASS model, enabling corporates to implement Open Innovation and Corporate Venturing strategies through Startup Engagement Programs (Value Creation) and Startup Partnership Models (Value Capture), underpinned by a Portfolio Management Strategy to govern and maximize enterprise value from innovation Forge Innovation & Ventures Program Manager - Forge.Ventures Tamil Nadu, India 08/2017 - 03/2019 • Designed and institutionalized curriculum integrated talent generation & development programs including the Innovation Fellowship (ProtoSem®) and the Masters in Innovation, Entrepreneurship & Venture Building • Developed Innovation Practicum framework to enable the transition of engineers to product innovators and tech entrepreneurs. • Established Forge.Labs, India’s largest MIT-accredited fab lab network, enabling accelerated product development and pre-certification for hardware startups Kumaraguru College of Technology Assistant Professor & iQUBE Executive TamilNadu, India 04/2015 - 07/2017 • Led the convergence of teaching, mentoring, and innovation ecosystem development, bridging academic learning with real-world tech application • Served as executive member and program lead at iQube, KCT’s internal innovation centre, fostering a campus-wide culture of student-led innovation • Enabled cross-departmental collaboration, built institutional support systems, and created a structured mentoring program for aspiring student innovators • Managed the college’s project lab, providing students with technical resources, mentorship, and guidance on converting ideas into working prototypes Sri Shakthi Institute of Engineering and Technology Assistant Professor TamilNadu, India 06/2014 - 03/2015 • Delivered lectures and lab sessions in core engineering subjects with focus on applied technical learning • Served as Department Association In-charge, Career Conclave Coordinator, and Symposium Coordinator, promoting student innovation and technical excellence • Managed the Microprocessor Lab and acted as IETE Coordinator, supporting embedded systems learning and lab-based skill development