Bengaluru matches Silicon Valley, Tokyo on global patents: Innovation Report

Bengaluru, Nov 19 (PTI) Bengaluru’s score in the global patents metric is on par with Silicon Valley and Tokyo, underscoring its strength in IP generation and applied innovation, according to a report released at the tech summit here.

The Bengaluru Innovation Report–2025 said the city leads India in women-led start-ups, with 1,600 active ventures since 2010 that have raised USD 10 billion in funding.

Bengaluru is also now recognised as India’s AI and Quantum Computing hub, attracting global giants like OpenAI, Anthropic, and Graphcore.

The city accounted for 58 per cent of India’s AI start-up funding in the last five years and is home to USD 872 million in AI investments, leading the nation in both funding and deal count, it added.

"Bengaluru is the fifth-largest unicorn hub globally, after Silicon Valley, New York, Beijing, and London, with 53 unicorns valued at USD 192 billion. This is more than any other Indian city, and Bengaluru’s unicorns contribute 42 per cent of India’s total unicorn valuation," it further stated.

The city leads in nurturing soonicorns (start-ups with unicorn potential).

Bengaluru has 39 soonicorns, compared with 30 in Delhi-NCR and 21 in Mumbai. These high-growth start-ups have raised USD 16.3 billion, demonstrating Bengaluru’s dominance in building the next generation of global tech leaders, it added.

Releasing the report at the Bengaluru Tech Summit 2025, IT Minister Priyank Kharge said, "This captures Karnataka's journey—a story of innovation driven by vision, empowered by inclusivity, and strengthened by technology. Together, we will continue to ensure that the state not only leads India’s digital future but also sets the benchmark for innovation-led governance globally." The report noted that Bengaluru hosts 40 per cent of India’s global capability centres (GCCs), the highest in the country, and aims to double this by 2029.

Between 2020 and 2023, Bengaluru recorded the highest number of patents in India in computer science (503), electronics (473), and communication (441). Its score of 910 in the global patents metric is comparable to Silicon Valley and Tokyo, reflecting its strength in IP generation and applied innovation.

The report also highlighted efforts to boost start-ups outside Bengaluru. Over 450 "Beyond Bengaluru" start-ups have engaged in state cluster initiatives, supported by the Cluster Seed Fund and Karnataka Accelerator Network, ensuring access to capital and mentorship for non-metro ventures.

"Emerging clusters such as Mangaluru, Mysuru, and Hubballi-Dharwad are now ‘Cluster-as-a-Product’ destinations. Mangaluru, for example, saw tech firm Novigo Solutions acquired for Rs 950 crore, reflecting national and global investor confidence in non-metro start-ups," it said.

Start-ups in Bengaluru also achieved the fastest average time to exit—6.8 years—among 13 global hubs, faster than Silicon Valley (7.9 years) and Beijing (8.3 years).

"This speed reflects the maturity, investor confidence, and market readiness of Bengaluru’s ecosystem," the report added.

Since 2010, Bengaluru-based start-ups have raised USD 79 billion, accounting for 46 per cent of all venture capital deployed in India since 2016.

The 2024–25 period saw a 26 per cent rise in seed funding, with Bengaluru-based start-ups capturing 82 per cent of India’s AI application layer funding, reflecting strong investor conviction in early-stage deep-tech and AI ventures. PTI AMP SSK