Partnerships announced at Bharat Innovates 2026 will drive mentorship, startup enablement, and industry-academia collaboration
Nice, France, June 15, 2026: London-based consumer technology unicorn, Nothing today announced the signing of two strategic Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) with the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (IIT Roorkee) and the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), during Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France.
The MoUs were signed by Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder and India President, Nothing, during Bharat Innovates 2026 with Prof. K.K. Pant (Director, IIT Roorkee) and Prof. Govindan Rangarajan (Director, Indian Institute of Science). Organised by the Ministry of Education, Government of India, Bharat Innovates 2026 is a global platform showcasing India’s most promising deep-technology startups to international investors, corporations, research institutions, and policymakers. Held ahead of the G7 Summit, the event highlights India’s growing role in shaping the future of innovation and technology on the global stage.
Speaking on the MoU, Akis Evangelidis, Co-founder and India President, Nothing said, “India’s next wave of innovation will emerge from stronger collaboration between academia, entrepreneurs, and industry. At Nothing, we’ve always believed that great ideas can come from anywhere, but they need the right ecosystem to scale. Through our partnerships with IIT Roorkee and IISc-FSID, we’re excited to contribute our experience in building global technology products while creating more opportunities for students, researchers, and startups to turn ambitious ideas into meaningful impact.”
Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science, spoke about the MoU, “IISc has a long history of fostering innovation and impact, alongside fundamental research and higher education. At the Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), IISc, we provide a unique incubation environment that nurtures deeptech startups seeking to solve problems with a global outlook. We are delighted to partner with Nothing to foster deeper interactions with industry for our startups, which will benefit enormously from the mentorship, networking, and training opportunities planned under this collaboration.”
Prof. K.K. Pant, Director, IIT Roorkee, said “The signing of this MoU with Nothing at Bharat Innovates 2026 reflects IIT Roorkee’s commitment to building strong bridges between academia and industry. By combining IIT Roorkee’s research ecosystem with Nothing’s global product development expertise, we aim to create new opportunities for innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology-led impact. Bharat Innovates provides an ideal platform to foster such collaborations and strengthen India’s position as a global hub for deep-tech innovation and talent development.”
The partnerships reflect a shared commitment to strengthening India’s innovation ecosystem by creating deeper connections between academia, startups, and industry.
As part of the collaboration with IIT Roorkee, Nothing will support student mentorship initiatives through guest lectures, case studies, and knowledge-sharing sessions focused on entrepreneurship, deep-tech innovation, product development, and electronics manufacturing. The partnership will also explore a jointly organised Industrial Design Challenge aimed at providing students and emerging innovators with hands-on exposure to consumer technology design and innovation.
Through its collaboration with IISc and Foundation for Science, Innovation and Development (FSID), Nothing will engage with startups incubated within the IISc ecosystem through mentorship, networking opportunities, startup programmes, and exploration of pilot or commercial collaborations. The partnership will also facilitate industry exposure and training initiatives for students and founders, including guest lectures and potential visits to Nothing facilities.
The partnerships reinforce Nothing’s long-term commitment to India’s innovation landscape and align with broader efforts to accelerate deep-tech entrepreneurship, research commercialisation, and global collaboration. By combining academic excellence, startup ambition, and industry expertise, the collaborations aim to equip the next generation of innovators with the resources, exposure, and mentorship needed to build globally relevant technologies.
About Nothing
Nothing is building technology for a generation who want something that challenges the status quo. Founded in London, the company is on a mission to make tech fun and inspire self-expression through award-winning products that look different, sound different and feel different. Driven by rebellious creativity, Nothing is the fastest growing smartphone and consumer audio brand globally, and the only new smartphone company to emerge in the last decade. Backed by 11,000 community investors and more than $450M from leading global investors, Nothing is re-imagining personal technology for the next generation, shaped by culture, creativity and community.
About IIT Roorkee (https://www.iitr.ac.in/):
IIT Roorkee is an institute of national importance imparting higher education in engineering, science, management, architecture & planning, and humanities & social sciences. Since its establishment in 1847, the Institute has played a vital role in providing technical human resources and know-how to the country.
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About IISc (https://www.iisc.ac.in/):
The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) was established in 1909 by a visionary partnership between the industrialist Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata, the Mysore royal family, and the Government of India. Over the last 117 years, IISc has become India’s premier institute for advanced scientific and technological research and education. Its mandate is “to provide for advanced instruction and to conduct original investigations in all branches of knowledge as are likely to promote the material and industrial welfare of India.” In 2018, IISc was selected as an Institution of Eminence (IoE) by the Government of India, and it consistently figures among the top Indian institutions in world university rankings.
