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Once a startup gains traction in the market. It needs ample capital to scale its operations. This is where Venture Capitals come into play. They not only invest but also advise the budding startups in strategy and execution.
Startups simply cannot function if there’s isn’t enough Venture Capitalists in the industry. It is highly critical that startups receive financial funding in the early stages of their growth. Build loyalty and make profits. Once the startups can stand on their own the VCs can exit. Venture Capitalists in India are scripting a new story for the Indian economy.
Here are the top 5 VCs in India
#5 Kalaari Capital
Portfolio – 65 companies
Investment – $650 million
Type of Fund – Seed Fund, Early stage, Later Stage.
Kalaari capital has been in news recently. The Flipkart-Snapdeal merger Saga brought out the tussle between the investors. It is one indication as to how these VCs play a significant role in startups. Kalaari capital is run by Vani Kola and her husband along with other partners.
With a total investment of up to $650 million. Kalaari is a notable player. It has invested in 65 companies. Moreover, it has one IPO to its name and 5 acquisitions. Their strength lies in long term relationships with startups.
Some of the companies in their portfolio are Scoopwoop, Industrybuying.com, Active.Ai, Cashkaro and several other startups.
#4 Tiger Global
Portfolio – 18 companies
Investment – $4.4 billion
Type of Fund – Early stage, later stage, established firms.
New York headquartered hedge fund, Tiger Global is known for its big investments and bold decisions. It is one of the main investors in the tea serving cafe startup Chaayos. Its motto is to invest in startups that have the potential to scale pays off nicely. The VC has invested a nice sum of money in a lot of startups across the country. One of those big investments is in the Indian e-commerce giant Flipkart.
Apart from that its current portfolio includes firms such as Razor Pay, Credit Karma, Eventbrite, CommonFloor, Quickr etc. It also holds shares in Netflix, Facebook, Apple, Google and LinkedIn.
With over $4.4 billion assets under management. It has a positioned itself as a crouching tiger when it comes to aggressively invest in the startup ecosystem.
#3 Nexus Venture Partners
Portfolio – 77
Investment – $1.2 billion
Type of Fund – Seed Fund, Early stage, Mature Stage.
Nexus Venture Partners is known for its relationships across the Silicon Valley and Indian startup ecosystem. It invests in several upcoming startups in India and around the world. With its expertise, it guides and mentors several entrepreneurs in their respective fields.
Nexus Ventures portfolio of firms includes Shopclues, Arkit, PaySense etc.
The venture is primarily focused on Business services, AI, Consumer, Enterprise and Healthcare categories.
With a substantial investment of $1.2 billion in assets. It has a good clout over the development of startups in India and US.
#2 Helion Venture Partners
Portfolio – 67
Investment – $600 million
Type of Fund – Seed Fund, Early stage, Later Stage
Helion Ventures is a relatively new venture firm, starting its functions in 2006. The venture fund operates out of Island nation Mauritius. The venture fund is dedicated to providing financial and as well as other support to the budding entrepreneurs. It has developed a unique way of functioning in the Indian startup ecosystem.
Its main focus is e-commerce and other consumer products as well. The venture has invested up to $600 million in various startups across the world. Most of all, its investments are in Indian startups.
Some of its prominent investments are in EzeTap, YepMe, Simplilearn, redBus, MakeMyTrip etc.
#1 Sequoia Capital
Portfolio – 117
Investment – $1 billion
Type of Fund – Seed Fund, Early stage, Growth Stage, Private Equity Fund investment
Founded in 1972, Sequoia Capital is a prime venture capitalist investing in some of the leading and disrupting startups around the world. It has been very active in the Indian startup scene since the early 2000’s. It has invested up to $100 million in growth stage start-ups in India.
The number of firms under its portfolio in India stands at a staggering 117.
Some of the leading startups under its belt are Truecaller, Zomato, Byju, Oyo Rooms, nearbuy, Micromax etc.
Its main industries are e-commerce, internet, outsourcing, public sector, etc.
