Tag: kalaari capital

WinZO: Revolutionizing Social Gaming with Innovation and Growth

Company Profile is an initiative by StartupTalky to publish verified information on different startups and organizations.

The Indian online gaming industry is flourishing with a wide variety of games that are letting young and old indulge in them. Among all other outdoor games including cricket, football, kabaddi, and basketball, India is also witnessing a rise in the popularity of several indoor games like ludo, pool, carrom, free fire, and more, which are also letting the gamers of India rewarded with real cash prizes among a list of other rewards.

The large youth population and the rapid penetration of the internet have made the country really witness a gaming revolution that includes fantasy sports and social gaming platforms over the past decade or so. To name one of the most popular gaming hubs in India is to talk about WinZO. The New Delhi-based social gaming platform is well-known for offering monetary benefits and prizes to players from around the country.

Founded by Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore in 2018, WinZO has been ingeniously developed as a vernacular gaming platform to tap into the Indian audiences hailing from Tier 2, 3, and 4 cities.

WinZO offers an array of popular games from PubG to cricket, rummy, and more, which make up an enviable collection of 100+ games that reward users online. Read about WinZO Games, Founders and Team, Business model, Revenue Model, Growth, Funding and Investors, Name, Tagline, Logo, Awards, Challenges, Future Plans, and more.

WinZO – Company Highlights

Startup Name	WinZO
Founders	Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore
Founded	2018
Headquarters	New Delhi, Delhi, India
Industry	ESports, Gaming
Website	www.winzogames.com

About WinZO and How it Works?
WinZO – Industry | Target Market Size
WinZO – Founders and team
WinZO – Startup Story | How was WinZO Started?
WinZO – Mission and Vision
WinZO – USP and Innovation
WinZO – Name, Tagline, and Logo
WinZO – Business Model and Revenue Model
WinZO Financials
WinZO – Startup Challenges
WinZO – Funding and Investors
WinZO – Acquisitions
WinZO – Advertisements and Campaigns
WinZO – Advisors and Mentors
WinZO – Recognition and Achievements
WinZO – Future Plans

About WinZO and How it Works?

WinZO is a microtransactions-powered vernacular entertainment platform, which has 100+ games served in 5 formats to users in 10+ regional languages. The diverse game offerings include hyper-casual games such as Candy Crush, Metro Surfer, Carrom, Chess, Ludo, and Pool to Mid-core flagship esports IPs like Free Fire.

WinZO is a member of the All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) and FICCI. It is also known as the proud sponsor of Patna Pirates, Gujarat Giants, and Bengal Warriors.

WinZO is built with the idea of emerging as the ‘Netflix of Gaming’- one platform with games to play with your friends. To boost the gaming infrastructure in the country, WinZO partners with individual, mid-size, and large global studios to bring a variety of games to its users on a single platform.

The social gaming startup also helps the developers improve their revenue by providing them with an alternative and a far more efficient model of monetization led by microtransactions rather than conventional in-app purchases and advertisements. The partner developers of WinZO have clocked 100 more revenues from their games on WinZO in India as compared to their distribution channels such as Google Play Store, Apple Store, etc.

In the short term, WinZO aspires to be the preferred platform of choice for both its stakeholders- gamers in Bharat (Tier 2 – Tier 5) and game developers. The company is always innovating and bringing products and features to empower its users and game developers.

Also, their decentralized language management portal has empowered housewives and college-going students by helping them earn up to Rs 30,000 per month, thereby letting them become financially independent. Here, they only needed to help localize their product and add languages, remotely from their homes. For game developers, WinZO has come up with the Developers’ consoles to facilitate their outreach to the company and become more entrepreneurial in game development in light of assured revenue streams of up to 100x.

In the long term, WinZO envisions serving as a one-stop platform for all mobile-first entertainment media in India and other developing markets driven by the power of communities and microtransactions.

The company is empowering all its stakeholders on multiple fronts. The primary problem that WinZO started to solve was the efficient monetization of games in developing economies where in-app purchases and advertisements do not work. Through their microtransaction model, where 200 million+ microtransactions are clocked per month, their partner studios have witnessed growth up to 100X in their revenues. Hence, the model definitely has proved to be effective.

WinZO Products/Services

WinZO is an off-Play Store app, which hosts 70+ casual to mid-core games in 5 formats and 10 Indian regional languages. The games range from rummy, pool, carrom, ludo, call break, bingo, chess, 29 card games, archery game, bubble shooter, and more.

Users here get the thrill of competition and instant gratification. It also ensures the personalization of content to serve users with relevant games based on their engagement patterns on the platform. The company is developing a community of gamers who can engage and compete with each other via features such as WinZO Versus.

To make outreach easier for the developers, they have also launched WinZO Developer Console where any developer can sign up and submit content for integration on the app. The console has garnered massive traction, with over 1,000 games being submitted from across the globe. It also provides real-time analytics related to the game for efficient monitoring of the performance and ensuring transparency. WinZO also offers WinZO store, which brings gaming coupons, Gaana coupons, Nykaa coupons, and more.

WinZO – Industry | Target Market Size

WinZO is in the Indian online gaming industry, which was projected to reach a market size of $60 billion by 2034 in a 2025 report by WinZO and IEIC. WinZO targets a user base of over 250 million registered users in India, with a focus on the “Tier 2-Tier 5” audience in smaller towns and rural areas, alongside its recent expansion into the US and other international markets. The company relied mainly on the Tier 2 cities and beyond to achieve the estimated growth.

This is because when the company scrutinized the market, they were surprised to discover that around 80% of active gamers in India are from non-metro locations. Yes, it was found out that somewhere between 40% and 60% of the overall gamer population of India are from Tier II towns and beyond. All of this helped WinZO scale fast and grow large enough to be one of the most popular gaming companies of today. The company targets the small cities of India, where the gamers’ ages range between 18 and 35 years.

WinZO – Founders and team

WinZO was co-founded by Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore.

Paavan Nanda

Paavan is an engineer from NSIT, who later went to IIM-Calcutta and to the Copenhagen Business School. He worked with Bain & Company, Abbott Labs, and Merrill Lynch before co-founding Zostel Hospitality Pvt. Ltd., which emerged with ZO Rooms, an affordable and technology-driven hostel chain. However, ZO Rooms, after a failed merger with OYO, shut down, but it failed to put a halt to the rising entrepreneurial instinct of Nanda, who then co-founded WinZO with Saumya Singh Rathore in 2018.

Saumya Singh Rathore

Saumya is the co-founder of the vernacular social gaming platform, WinZO. She has a Master’s in Psychology from The University of Manchester and eventually obtained a degree in Chartered Psychologist with the British Psychological Society. Saumya had already worked with Paavan Nanda in Zo Rooms before the duo decided to found WinZO.

WinZO, currently, is a tight-knit team of around 40 young, enthusiastic, passionate, and talented people who believe in the company’s vision and hustle together to work on the most advanced cutting-edge technologies and provide the best value to the users. When the team closed its Series A and had 5 Million+ users, it was only a 9-member team.

The work culture at WinZO is as vibrant, customer-focused, and fun as it might be imagined in a gaming venture. The team works hard at exemplary execution speed to push great new exciting features for the users and each small achievement is appreciated and celebrated. Weekly office parties and milestone celebrations also bring extra motivation and energy to the team.

“We at WinZO believe that hiring right is more effective than hiring fast – peer interviews is how you get on with the mission. It is always a great support to have a team which is self-motivated, target driven, accountable and committed to the vision. Hence, we hire the best talent with the right value alignment with the company’s core values.”, said Paavan Nanda, co-founder of WinZO.

Most of our relatively new colleagues have joined us through the recommendations from their friends already working with us as they wanted to be a part of our journey to build the Netflix of Gaming and solve some of the most challenging tech problems of the country – Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder of WinZO.

WinZO – Startup Story | How was WinZO Started?

WinZO was conceptualized after studying the revolution that affordable smartphones and Reliance Jio had created in India in 2015-16, by providing users from even the remotest corners of the country, with powerful devices and affordable high-speed internet connections. Thanks to this revolution, India became the global leader in in-game downloads.

However, there was clearly a problem of efficient monetization for games in high-potential developing markets that needed to be solved. This marked the journey of WinZO. To validate the concept, WinZO was launched as a subscription-based trivia app to monitor the user acceptance of the model.

Based on the encouraging results of this POC, they launched a micro-transaction powered vernacular hyper-casual gaming platform where users pay small sums of INR 2 – INR 25 to participate in real-time multiplayer games and win prizes from the pool of rewards set aside for them. This model had the elements of regional language, real-time competition, and affordability in consuming content yet paying for it. Together, these made WinZO an instant hit among the users of vernacular Bharat.

WinZO – Mission and Vision

WinZO focuses on competitive multiplayer gaming experiences and is charged with the mission to create a culturally relevant mobile games platform with a broad rate of adoption.

WinZO aims to lead the Indian online gaming ecosystem with an expansive influencer network that is capable of catering to 50+ million registered users of the platform.

WinZO – USP and Innovation

WinZO’s USP has always been its innovative and inclusive approach to solving real-life problems. While the intuitive approach for any gaming company would be to tap the easier metro and tier-1 audience first, WinZO saw and successfully tapped the potential of the real Bharat (Tier 2-Tier 5 towns, rural India) through its deep-down distribution strategy.

To facilitate this, they offer the support of 10+ regional Indian languages on the app. Their vision is to democratize entrepreneurship: They have decentralized language management through their portal to engage women who work from home to get a truly vernacular experience for players in Bharat.

For game developers, WinZO has helped them become more entrepreneurial in game development in light of assured and sustainable revenue streams. As many developers aren’t aware of the intricacies of this complex market, their 80% paying active user base ensures that the games are generating revenue from day 1 at no user acquisition expenses for the developers.

WinZO – Name, Tagline, and Logo

The team took ‘ZO’ from their previous venture ZO Rooms/Zostel. ZO stands for speed & energy – so it’s winning fast! Plus, when they Googled the word, they didn’t find anything, so that solved the SEO hassles with no money spent!

WinZO Logo

WinZO – Business Model and Revenue Model

As per App Annie 2018 Gaming Report, India stood highest in terms of Game downloads – at the same time in the bottom 10 for in-app purchases. The problem that WinZO is addressing is fairly simple: Bharat is in love with Gaming, but the Quality Studios/Independent developers do not see much potential in Bharat.

The WinZO Business Model is simple – Build the Gaming Ecosystem in Bharat. It aims to do that in three ways:

Provide a one-stop Game Developer Console to the Gaming Studios – where it can publish the games and earn revenues out of it.
Charge platform commission fees from all the games and share the revenue with the Game Developers via its Console.
Offer employment opportunities to students and housewives across Bharat to provide content for quizzes via its indigenous portal.

WinZO Financials

WinZO Financials	2024	2023
Operating Revenue	INR 1055 crore	INR 674 crore
Total Expenses	INR 693 crore	INR 564 crore
Profit/Loss	INR 315 crore	INR 126 crore

WinZO – Startup Challenges

The most challenging part that WinZO faced was generating the feeling of trust in the minds of the users, who were seated in the remote areas of Bharat.

“What has worked well for us is – the entire product was on beta for at least six months and we were on stealth mode. We generated lots of insights around how to build trust and the product is designed for the users of Bharat who are from tier 2/3/4 towns. We also decided to be vernacular and be transparent to our users so that it’s easy for them to build trust on the platform.”, said Paavan Nanda.

As a result, they are now available in around 12 Regional Languages and nearly 90% of their audience is from the tier 2/3/4 towns of Bharat.

A significant other challenge is profitability, which the company is yet to gain, as reported last in FY20.

WinZO Copyright Infringement

WinZO has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against gaming giant Mobile Premier League (MPL) because it thinks that the latter has copied its gaming format “World War”. World War is a game launched by WinZO in April 2020, which currently boasts around 80 million registered users. As far as reports, WinZO has already applied for a patent for the invention and copyright registration with regards to the expression of the format and trademark of World War.

It all started when WinZO discovered that MPL has allegedly copied the format and the name of the game. However, it took down the format from its platform as soon as it was informed of the same but the latter again started with “Team Clash”, which allegedly used the same format that was identical to “World War”. Besides, the notifications/popups and more that were sent to the users were also similar. Following the discovery of this new game, WinZO has already sent a legal notice to MPL, who doesn’t want to take down the format this time, as of June 4th 2022 reports.

WinZO – Funding and Investors

The company raised its seed money, an undisclosed amount from K-Start. WinZO has also set up a fund of $1.5 Million to support Game Developers in India. On July 2, 2021, WinZO announced raising an amount of $65 million on a Series C funding round led by California-based Griffin Gaming Partners. The company has raised a total of $110.5 million in its fundraising to date.

Here is the list of WinZO funding rounds:

Date	Stage	Amount	Investor
July 2, 2021	Series C	$65 million	Griffin Gaming Partners
May 3, 2021	Series B	$13 Million	–
April 9, 2021	Debt Financing	$9.5 Million	–
September 3, 2020	Series B	$18 Million	Courtside Ventures, Makers Fund
April 17, 2020	Seed Round	–	–
February 22, 2019	Series A	$5 Million	Hike, Kalaari Capital

WinZO – Acquisitions

WinZO acquired Upskillz Games in its maiden acquisition on June 21, 2022. The deal was an all-cash deal with which a majority stake in Upskillz was acquired by WinZO. Mannit Sidhu founded Upskillz Games in December 2020, which already boasts of having a month-on-month (MoM) growth rate of 75% since it started. Besides, it also had a captive user base of 1.3 mn users, along with blockchain and Web3 offerings, all of which will be added by WinZO now.

Company Name	Date	Deal Value
Upskillz Games	June 21, 2022	–

WinZO – Advertisements and Campaigns

MS Dhoni – Brand Ambassador of WinZO

In 2022, WinZO brought on MS Dhoni as its brand ambassador. Since then, the legendary cricketer has appeared in several of the brand’s ads. According to the company, having MS Dhoni as the face of the brand will boost awareness and engagement within India’s social gaming community, helping to establish social and interactive gaming. Paavan Nanda, co-founder of WinZO, said, “With MS Dhoni, we aim to bring social gaming to people across all ages and genders in this country.”

WinZO has partnered with popular YouTuber Ajey Nagar, commonly referred to as CarryMinati, to serve as its brand ambassador on January 19, 2022. After CarryMinati, WinZO trumps by choosing “BB ki vines” feat, Filmfare recipient digital sensation Bhuvan Bam as its brand ambassador, as the company PR goes dated February 15, 2022. The Vernacular Online Gaming Giant announced that this collaboration with BB will help the company create culturally relevant content that would be relatable even for the persons belonging to the remoter sections of the country.

The Indian content creator from Faridabad, who boasts of having over 34 million subscribers will now be coming up with interesting game-related content that will unique, engaging, and relatable on his streaming channel ‘Carryislive’. Furthermore, he also signed up for another solo integration on his major YouTube channel ‘CarryMinati‘ as part of this relationship. Here’s what WinZO Co-founder Saumya Singh Rathore remarked on this development,

“We are thrilled to have him on board. We collectively hope to further our vision of promoting the spirit of winning and culturally relevant content across Bharat.”

The New Delhi-based interactive social gaming company declared that it will be the official sports brand partner of the Ranveer Singh film ’83’ in December 2021.

India’s largest social gaming and entertainment platform has partnered with the Ogilvy Chairman of Global Creative and Executive Chairman Piyush Pandey to launch its multilingual brand campaign to deliver ‘winning moments’ through a relatable social platform in December 2021.

The campaign that was launched with the tagline and hashtag “Jeetne mein Kick hai” by Leo Burnett Orchard has won a creative mandate for the same, as per reports dated December 2020.

WinZO – Advisors and Mentors

Kalaari is not only an investor but a great partner who is guiding the company all along the way as they are building this for Bharat. It is very important to note that WinZO is Kalaari’s second-largest bet in gaming, second only to Dream11. The team gets to learn a lot from how Harsh managed to build a profitable venture in the Indian Startup ecosystem.

WinZO is fortunate to have had Revant Bhate & Rahul Garg come in very early to push them to build this product with a sharp focus on unit economics. A fund like Kalaari has vast exposure to what works and what doesn’t in the long term. This early understanding would help them to build sustainably.

“We also have received a huge support from Kavin Bharti Mittal who has also backed the venture. Kavin is one of the finest product experts and his insights are always critical in building WinZO as the entertainment destination for Bharat. He has tremendous experience in building and distributing Hike – a home grown tech unicorn.”, said Pavaan Nanda.

WinZO – Recognition and Achievements

WinZO received the following awards and recognitions in the past couple of years since they started their journey:

Startup of the Year – Technology by Entrepreneur India in 2019.
Inc42 Startup Watchlist: Indian Media & Entertainment Startups To Watch Out For In 2020.
SutraHR – “100” Top Startups in India in 2020.
Businessworld Techtors 2020.

WinZO – Future Plans

Digital entertainment platform WinZO has announced its official launch in the US, expanding its international footprint.

“The launch of WinZO in the US is a proud milestone for us and for India’s digital entertainment ecosystem. Our vision has always been to empower Indian game developers to reach global audiences. Entering the US, the world’s largest and most influential gaming market, is a decisive step towards that mission,” said Saumya Singh Rathore and Paavan Nanda, cofounders of WinZO.

The company also announced the launch of ZO TV, a short-video platform. “This further diversifies our content offerings and strengthens WinZO’s position as a global hub and one-stop destination for interactive entertainment,” Rathore added. WinZO’s expansion into the US is a critical part of its strategy to become the global go-to consumer technology platform for all new-age content consumption, the company said. After diversifying its formats and monetisation strategies, WinZO is now leapfrogging into geographical expansion.

FAQs

What is WinZO?

WinZO can be described as one of India’s largest social gaming and entertainment platform that was launched in 2018. WinZO offers its platform to third-party game developers who can host their games and earn up to 100X in revenue.

Is WinZO a Chinese app?

No, WinZO App is an Indian App headquartered in New Delhi, India.

What is WinZO launch date?

WinZO was launched in 2018.

Is WinZO App legal?

Yes, WinZO was founded in 2018 and is a 100% legal and genuine gaming platform that operates in most of the states in India. It is in fact counted to be one of India’s best gaming apps in the social category.

Who is the owner of WinZO?

Paavan Nanda and Saumya Singh Rathore are the Founders of WinZO.

Who is the CEO of WinZO?

Paavan Nanda is the Co-founder and CEO of WinZO.

How does WinZO make money?

WinZO makes money through in-app purchases, advertising, and partnerships with game developers and brands. Players spend money on virtual goods, while ads and brand collaborations generate additional revenue.

Is WinZO app safe?

Yes, the WinZO app is generally considered safe. The platform collaborates with the security community to ensure its services and data are protected. However, as with any app, it’s important to download it from trusted sources like Google Play or the App Store and follow security best practices.

Is WinZO gold real or fake?

WinZO is certified for Real Money Gaming, meaning it meets strict regulatory standards for financial transactions. This certification guarantees that all monetary activities on the platform, such as deposits and withdrawals, are secure and transparent.

August 28, 2025

To Launch her New business, Priyanka Gill Leaves Kalaari Capital

Priyanka Gill, a co-founder of the Good Glamm Group and a previous partner at Kalaari Capital, is launching her own business after leaving the Bengaluru-based venture capital firm. As the market for reasonably priced synthetic diamonds grows, Gill is introducing Coluxe, a lab-grown diamond (LGD) brand. This comes after a number of domestic lab-grown diamond brands recently entered the market. In May, her new venture is all set to launch its online sales, and that is followed by an introduction of a physical store. Solitaire rings, pendants, earrings, tennis bracelets, necklaces, and distinctive items will all be available at Coluxe. Because lab-grown diamonds are more affordable and of higher quality than real diamonds, they have become more and more popular worldwide.

Lab Grown Demands Getting Popular in Indian Market

According to business consultants Technopak, the market for lab-grown diamond jewellery in India was estimated to be worth $264.5 million in 2022. Sales of lab-grown diamond jewellery are anticipated to expand at a 14.8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) at the end of the following ten years, from $299.9 million in 2023 to $1.1 billion in 2033. However, the market for lab-grown diamonds has seen price adjustments due to an excess of supply. According to Gill, it is uncommon for new consumer behaviours—in this case, the switch from natural to lab-grown diamonds—to be widely adopted. “It is taking place in the fine jewellery industry,” Gill stated.

However, Gill said that rather than leveraging design and variation as a differentiator, the majority of current firms are marketing LGDs as a less expensive substitute for mined diamonds. The most startling statistic, she continued, is that only 6% of Indian gold jewellery customers really own diamonds. There is a lot of capacity for growth.

Right Time to Join the Industry

India is one of the world’s biggest consumers of gold jewellery, with more people buying the yellow metal for investment purposes and auspicious events like weddings. Only a minor portion of these purchases include diamonds. But with investor Fireside Ventures supporting lab-grown diamond company Aukera, the market has witnessed a flurry of activity. After obtaining early-stage investment to launch her business, Gill stated that she is looking to acquire a Series A round.

Gill’s Entrepreneurial Journey Till Now

In 2020, Gill established PopXo, a content community that was purchased by Good Glamm, a company supported by Prosus. She later became a co-founder of the group. At the end of 2023, Gill resigned from her position at the Good Glamm Group. She became a partner at Kalaari Capital in February 2024 and is in charge of the company’s CXXO project, which makes investments in women-led companies. Gill was not in charge of any funding rounds while she was employed at Kalaari. On January 15, she resigned from her position at Kalaari. PopXo received financial support from Kalaari Capital prior to its acquisition by the currently distressed Good Glamm, previously known as MyGlamm.

Priyanka Gill: Mission to Support Women in Business and Beyond | POPxo |

Discover the inspiring journey of Priyanka Gill, founder of POPxo and co-founder of the Good Glamm Group. Explore her path from launching a digital platform for millennial women to leading roles as CEO at Good Media Co. and in the beauty industry.

StartupTalkyShevaughn Pimenta

February 4, 2025

Top 5 Indian VC Funds That Support Women Entrepreneurs

Venture capital (VC) is crucial in financing startups and small businesses with long-term growth potential. Typically sourced from wealthy investors, investment banks, and financial institutions, VC funding offers several advantages, including no obligation for repayment even in the event of business failure. Additionally, VC firms often provide valuable networking opportunities, aiding startups in marketing and promotion efforts to establish themselves in the market.

VC investment occurs across various stages:

Pre-Seed: At this earliest stage, founders work on shaping their ideas into a viable business plan. Many seek support from business accelerators for initial funding and mentorship.

Seed Funding: This stage marks the launch of a startup’s first product. With no revenue streams, startups rely on VC funding to cover operational expenses.

Early-Stage Funding: Once a product is developed, startups require additional Capital to scale production and sales before achieving self-sustainability. This stage often involves multiple funding rounds, such as Series A and B.

Despite the potential benefits of VC funding, there exists a significant gender gap in this realm, with women-founded startups receiving disproportionately less funding compared to their male counterparts. This disparity underscores the need for dedicated women-centric VC funds, which provide access to Capital and foster supportive investor communities tailored to female founders.

These specialized VC funds are particularly timely for India as the country strives to enhance women’s workforce participation and unlock female entrepreneurs’ economic potential. By highlighting VC funds focused on supporting innovative women-led companies across high-growth sectors, this article underscores the importance of bridging the gender gap in venture capital funding and empowering female founders in India’s startup ecosystem.

StrongHer Ventures
Saha Fund
AWE Funds
Kalaari Capital
She Capital

Top 5 Women Entrepreneurs in India | Women Entrepreneurs Success Stories

StrongHer Ventures

FOUNDER	Ankita Vashistha, Avinash Vashistha, and Anubha Shrivastava
Founded	2020
Headquarteres	San Francisco, California
Investments	Myava.in, Jify.co, Basis, Owntrail.com, Gladful, Cora, ReadySet Jet, Velmeni.ai, and Meolaa
Website	www.strongher.vc

StrongHer by Arise Ventures, led by founder Ankita Vashistha, is a leading platform dedicated to empowering early-stage women entrepreneurs with essential resources such as Capital, connections, community, and coaching. Committed to fostering gender diversity and empowerment, the firm invests in women-led tech startups across three key verticals: Consumer, Climate, and Enterprise.

Driven by a passion for supporting visionary founders driving positive change, StrongHer invests in diverse ventures. The firm seeks disruptive companies in the consumer sector that redefine traditional industries and enhance people’s lifestyles. Within the B2B realm, StrongHer directs its investments toward SaaS, DeepTech, and Enterprise ventures across fintech, health tech, and cybersecurity domains, prioritizing innovation and efficiency.

With a notable track record of investments, StrongHer plays a significant role in supporting transformative ventures and driving positive impact across diverse industries.

Saha Fund

FOUNDER	Ankita Vashistha
Founded	2016
Headquarteres	Bangalore, India
Investments	Fitternity, MyAlly, LoveLocal, Shoptimize, and Joules to Watts
Website	www.sahafunds.com

Established in 2014, Saha Fund has emerged as a pioneering global gender lens fund committed to investing in companies that promote the empowerment and engagement of women. Continuously building on this esteemed legacy, the firm is dedicated to establishing a leading platform for women entrepreneurs worldwide.

Acknowledging the importance of operational expertise in scaling early-stage ventures, Saha Fund leverages its strong network and investment acumen to foster growth and success. Saha Fund is steadfast in promoting gender diversity and inclusion and leads the way in championing women-led enterprises, driving positive change in the entrepreneurial landscape.

Value of Funding of Women-Led Startups in India from 2021 to 2023

AWE Funds

FOUNDER	Seema Chaturvedi
Founded	2019
Headquarteres	Troy, United States
Investments	Freshokartz, Remedico, Velmeni, and Agam
Website	www.awefunds.com

Kalaari Capital - VC Fund Supporting Women Entrepreneurs — Kalaari Capital – VC Fund Supporting Women Entrepreneurs

AWE (Achieving Women Equity) Funds believe in HER power to transform communities, drive sustainable economic development, and deliver superior financial returns. They are an early growth venture fund investing in exceptional value-creating entrepreneurs driving innovations that promote sustainability. AWE, which is based out of the US, said that it has attracted investment support from many international and Indian institutional investors and also from high net-worth individuals.

AWE Funds has aimed to empower 30 million women to gain ‘agency’ by 2030 through a quantitative threshold-based gender lens gating criteria to invest in women-owned, led, or influenced companies. It pursues investments early in an enterprise’s lifecycle (Pre-Series A, Series A equity rounds). Additionally, it seeks to assist companies with the diverse skills of the firm’s investment professionals, strategic relationships, and its global network of executives and advisors to deliver market returns for its investors.

Kalaari Capital

FOUNDER	Vani Kola
Founded	2006
Headquarteres	Bangalore, India
Investments	Aastey, Kindlife, Samosa Party, and Creative Galileo
Website	kalaari.com

Kalaari Capital is a prominent early-stage, technology-focused venture capital firm renowned for its significant role in the Indian startup ecosystem. Founded and led by Vani Kola, a distinguished Indian venture capitalist, the firm primarily invests in Seed and Series A startups. Their mission is to empower visionary entrepreneurs to develop innovative solutions that revolutionize various aspects of Indian life, spanning work, consumption, and transactions.

Vani Kola, recognized as one of the most influential women in Indian business by Fortune India in 2014, along with Kalaari Capital, is deeply committed to fostering entrepreneurship in the digital economy. They strive to build enduring partnerships with founders, offering unwavering support as they navigate the challenges of building thriving enterprises.

In line with their commitment to gender diversity and empowerment, Kalaari Capital launched the CXXO initiative in 2021. Rooted in Capital, community, and coaching principles, CXXO aims to empower female founders and CEOs in India, enabling them to shape the nation’s digital landscape and drive exponential economic growth.

Beyond providing Capital, Kalaari Capital offers invaluable domain expertise, access to resources, and strategic guidance to the companies it supports. By nurturing disruptive entrepreneurs early, the firm lays the groundwork for their long-term success and impact in the market.

She Capital

FOUNDER	Anisha Singh
Founded	2018
Headquarteres	Delhi, India
Investments	Clovia, Samosa Singh, ELEV8, and Spark Studio
Website	shecapital.vc

Established in 2018, She Capital is a pioneering diversity-focused venture fund dedicated to transforming India’s startup ecosystem by providing financial support to female entrepreneurs. Anisha Singh founded She Capital as a unifying force for female founders through its “Together” community, fostering collaboration and support among its members.

Driven to empower the next generation of exceptional female-led businesses, She Capital extends financing to early-stage startups across all industries. A centerpiece of its mission is the “Together” event hosted by She Capital, which catalyzes collaboration and innovation among outstanding founders. With its vibrant atmosphere and picturesque setting, the event serves as a beacon for bright minds, paving the way for female founders in unconventional fields.

At the heart of the “Together” event are insightful discussions led by seasoned entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, investors, and thought leaders in futuristic technologies and AI. Through these engagements, She Capital remains steadfast in its commitment to championing female entrepreneurship and driving positive change in the startup landscape.

Conclusion

In summary, the landscape of venture capital funding for female entrepreneurs in India is experiencing a significant shift. The rise of specialized VC funds dedicated to supporting women-led startups reflects an increasing acknowledgment of female founders’ immense potential and capabilities.

These funds go beyond just providing financial support, offering valuable resources such as mentorship, networking opportunities, and tailored support systems to address the unique challenges faced by women in entrepreneurship. With a surge in capital investment in these initiatives and a heightened awareness of the importance of diversity in the startup ecosystem, India is on track to develop a more inclusive and dynamic entrepreneurial landscape.

FAQs

What are the main stages of venture capital (VC) investment?

The main stages of VC investment are Pre-Seed, Seed Funding, and Early-Stage Funding.

What are the key advantages of VC funding for startups?

VC funding offers no obligation for repayment even in business failure. It also provides valuable networking opportunities to aid startups’ marketing and promotion.

What is the gender gap in VC funding, and how are specialized women-centric VC funds addressing it?

Women-founded startups receive disproportionately less VC funding than male counterparts. Women-centric funds provide access to capital and supportive communities for female founders.

What are the key focus areas and investment strategies of some of the women-centric VC funds mentioned?

Women-centric VC funds have different key focus areas and investment strategies. For example, StrongHer invests in women-led tech startups, Saha is a global gender lens fund, AWE focuses on sustainability-driven innovations, Kalaari’s CXXO empowers female founders, and She Capital supports early-stage female-led startups.

September 12, 2024

Top 10 Venture Capital Firms in India | Best Active VC Firms

Startup companies need a certain amount of investment for growth. Wealthy investors like to invest their capital in businesses with long-term growth in view. This capital is known as venture capital and the investors are called venture capitalists. The venture capital investment is made when a venture capitalist buys shares of companies and becomes a financial partner of their business.

The data recorded at the end of Q3 2019 states that the top 10 most active Venture Capital firms in India alone contribute to 32% of the total deal count in the startup ecosystem. The Venture Capital investment is often termed as risk capital or patient capital. This is because most VC investing capitals or rather a majority of them harbor tremendous risks of parting from the money invested if the venture doesn’t succeed. Besides, the capital coming from venture capital firms or VC funds usually needs a medium to long-term period for the investments to fructify.

The Indian startups secured over $12.1 billion from the venture capital funds in the first 6 months of 2021, which is $1 billion more than the overall funding that they received last year. Venture Capital (VC) investment in India more than doubled from its previous quarterly high of $6.7 billion in Q2 2021 to $14.4 billion during Q3 2021, according to a recent report by KPMG.

In the year 2021, the Indian startups have successfully managed to mop up $36 bn worth of funds and most of them came from the VC funding for startups and private equity investments, which increased by 3X from the earlier year. These funds are not only helping the startups find it easier to raise funds but are also adding gear to the Indian startup ecosystem, thereby making it a prominent and growing entity in the global landscape.

Citing information from Venture Intelligence, the total investments in the first half of 2023 stood at $3.8 billion, which is divergent from the substantial figure of $18.4 billion seen previously.

Top VC Firms in India –

Peak XV Partners
Accel
Blume Ventures
Elevation Capital
Tiger Global Management
Kalaari Capital
Matrix Partners
Nexus Venture Partners
Indian Angel Network
Omidyar Indian Network

Features of Venture Capital Investments
Methods of Venture Capital Financing

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Peak XV Partners

VC Firm	Peak XV Partners
Founder	Donald T. Valentine (Sequoia Capital)
Founded in	2000
Deals	415
Notable Investments	JustDial, Knowlarity, Practo, iYogi, bankbazaar.com
Key Sectors	Fintech & Enterprisetech
Stage	Early Stage Venture, Late Stage Venture, Seed
Website	Peakxv.com

Sequoia India & Southeast Asia has undergone a rebranding process and emerged as Peak XV Partners. Sequoia Capital the parent organization of Peak XV Partners is an American venture capital firm, headquartered in Menlo Park, California. Sequoia invests in both public and private companies. Sequoia Capital has invested in over 1000 companies since 1972, the list of which includes big names like Apple, Google, Oracle, Nvidia, Github, and more. It is mainly focused on the technology industry. Peak XV Partners has invested in companies such as JustDial, Knowlarity, Practo, iYogi, and bankbazaar.com. It has assets worth $5.4 billion under management in India and it is spread across seven funds.

Every six months, Sequoia shortlists 15 to 20 startups for each cohort and provides a capital investment of $1 Million to $2 Million with participation from other investors.

About Venture Capital

Accel

VC Firm	Accel
Founder	Jim Swartz, Arthur Patterson
Founded in	1983
Deals	322
Notable Investments	Freshworks, Swiggy, BlackBuck, Bounce, BookMyShow, Flipkart
Key Sectors	Enterprisetech
Stage	Early Stage Venture, Late Stage Venture, Seed
Website	Accel.com

Accel, formerly known as Accel Partners, is an American venture capital firm based out of Palo Alto, California, US. The company has its offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco along with operating funds in India, China, and London. Some of the major companies that Accel has funded over the years are Facebook, Flipkart, Atlassian, Slack, Spotify, Etsy, and more.

Accel currently has assets of more than $1.6 billion under management. It has closed nearly six funds in India. The company’s portfolio of funding Indian businesses includes names like Flipkart, Swiggy, Blackbuck, Cure.fit, and more. The firm’s growth capital investments focus on more developed companies that require a larger amount of capital to expand their business.

Accel secured a substantial sum of $650 million in 2022 for its seventh fund, known as Accel India VII. This fund supported early-stage startups in both India and Southeast Asia.

During the first quarter of 2023, the VC firm actively engaged in 12 investment deals with promising startups. Among the recipients of their investments were Zypp Electric, Kratos Studios, Rigi, and Brick&Bolt. Notably, Accel took part in a total of 48 investment deals over the course of 2022.

Accel is a venture capital firm that concentrates on the following technology sectors: Consumer, Infrastructure, Media, Mobile, SaaS, Security, Customer care services, Enterprise software, and E-commerce.

Blume Ventures

VC Firm	Blume Ventures
Founder	Karthik Reddy and Sanjay Nath
Founded in	2010
Deals	228
Notable Investments	Dunzo, Unacademy, Instamojo, Procol, HealthAssure, Milkbasket
Key Sectors	Fintech & Enterprisetech
Stage	Early Stage Venture, Seed
Website	Blume.vc

Blume Ventures is an early-stage and seed-stage venture fund that has its headquarters in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The company was founded in 2010 as a venture capitalist firm that aims to improve startup financing in India. Blume Ventures primarily focuses on tech companies. The company launched its first micro-VC fund in 2011, becoming the first institutionalized early-stage investor at that time.

Blume Ventures raised a $41 Million opportunity fund in 2020, which was one of the largest domestic opportunity funds among the Indian venture capital funds designed to invest in best-performing portfolio companies. From this fund, Blume has invested in Series B to D rounds in firms like Unacademy and Servify. The company had nearly three other funds the last one was $102 Million before the COVID-19 pandemic in India. The VC firm has nearly $225 Million in total capital under management. Blume Ventures boasts of managing capital amounting to more than $280 million and has backed 150+ startups.

During the year 2022, the venture capital fund successfully concluded a funding round, securing a total of $250 million for its operations. This enabled them to support 31 Indian startups, notable among them being Lambdatest, Pixxel, and Jai Kishan, an agritech startup.

During the first quarter of 2023, Blume Ventures engaged in funding rounds for 20 startups, providing investments to notable companies including ApnaKlub, Virohan, ElectricPe, and Aerem.

Elevation Capital

VC Firm	Elevation Capital
Founder	Andrew Yan
Founded in	2001
Deals	170
Notable Investments	Capital Float, Firstcry, Swiggy, IndustryBuying, Aye Finance, Rivigo, Cleartax
Key Sectors	Fintech
Stage	Stage Agnostic, Private Equity
Website	Elevationcapital.com

SAIF Partners rebranded as Elevation Capital on October 20, 2020, is a stage and sector-agnostic private equity firm in Asia. The firm is headquartered in Gurugram, Haryana, India, and aims to make minor investments in seed-stage, early-stage, and later-stage companies. Elevation Capital (formerly known as SAIF Partners) was started as Softbank Asia Infrastructure Fund (SAIF) in 2001 with a $400 Million fund where Cisco Systems and Softbank Group were the sole limited partner.

When Elevation Capital started as SAIF Partners, it was headquartered in Hong Kong and was focused on China, India, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. In India, the venture capital firm has offices in Bengaluru and Gurugram. Elevation Capital had already invested in the early stages of companies like FirstCry, Just Dial, MakeMyTrip, Meesho, Paytm, ShareChat, Swiggy, and more. The firm has doubled its investment in Indian firms in 2020 into new segments like edtech, health tech enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS), entertainment, and direct-to-consumer startups.

Tiger Global Management

VC Firm	Tiger Global Management
Founder	Chase Coleman III
Founded in	2001
Deals	221
Notable Investments	Urban Company, Flipkart, Moglix, OPEN, Ninjacart, Razorpay
Key Sectors	Fintech
Stage	Growth, Late Stage, Private Equity, Post- IPO
Website	Tigerglobal.com

Tiger Global Management LLC operates as an investment firm that is focused on public and private companies in the global Internet, software, consumer, and financial technology industries. The mission is to generate world-class investment returns over the long term. It builds a unique, global investment platform. They invest in high-quality companies that benefit from powerful secular growth trends and are led by excellent management teams.

Tiger Global Management was founded in 2001 and is headquartered in New York, US, and is one of the most global investors in Indian startups that has started investments of around $300 Million. It has backed more than 13 companies, including a $90 Million round in agri-tech startup Ninjacart and a $60 Million infusion in B2B industrial goods marketplace Moglix in the first half of FY19.

The company is said to have invested in more than 442 companies across the globe with 7 designated funds. It has also witnessed 64 exits since its inception in 2001. In India, this VC firm has invested in more than 97 startups. Tiger Global is reported to have raised the highest amount of capital amongst venture capital firms between 2007 and 2017. In 2020, Tiger Global helped its investors earn around $10.4 billion, which is more than any other hedge fund on the annual list of London fund-of-funds firm LCH Investments’ top 20 managers.

Razorpay had been among the companies, which includes Urban Company, Flipkart, Moglix, and more that Tiger Global Management had invested. In the first half of 2019, Tiger Global Management made its founder, Coleman, the top-earning US hedge fund manager in 2020 where the company had mopped in around $3 billion in fees and gains on investments.

In mid-2022, Fund 15 concluded its fundraising with an impressive total of $12.7 billion, showcasing a significant growth of 2 times compared to the 16th equity fund announced in October.

In June 2023, Tiger Global successfully secured $2.7 billion for its new fund, though it fell below its initial target of $6 billion.

Kalaari Capital

VC Firm	Kalaari Capital
Founder	Vani Kola
Founded in	2006
Deals	149
Notable Investments	Cashkaro, Cure.fit, WinZO, Jumbotail, Milkbasket, Myntra, Snapdeal
Key Sectors	E-commerce
Stage	Early Stage
Website	Kalaari.com

Kalaari Capital, founded in 2006 in Bengaluru by Vani Kola. It focuses on technology-related companies in India. Till now it has made more than 92 investments across 3 funds and witnessed more than 15 exits from companies like Myntra and Snapdeal. It has also made a partial exit from Zivame.

Kalaari Capital manages $650 Million in assets under management. It boasts of a strong advisory team in Bangalore investing in the early stage. Kalaari is passionate about investing in entrepreneurs who are poised to be tomorrow’s global leaders. This firm had funded $290 Million in 2015, which was the largest fund by an Indian VC at that time.

Matrix Partners

VC Firm	Matrix Partners
Founder	Paul J. Ferri
Founded in	1977
Deals	168
Notable Investments	Avail Finance, Vogo, DailyNinja, Stanza Living, MoEngage
Key Sectors	Fintech & E-commerce
Stage	Early Stage Venture, Seed
Website	Matrixpartners.in

Matrix Partners is a US-based private equity investment firm focused on venture capital investments. The firm invests in seed and early-stage companies in the United States and India. It mainly concentrates on the software, communications, semiconductors, data storage, Internet, or wireless sectors. Matrix has invested in Apple Computer, Alteon WebSystems, and Office Club. It is said to have nearly $1 Bn as assets under management (AUM). The company has invested in more than 549 companies throughout the world with its second fund. Online gaming platform Zupee raised $10 Million in a funding round led by US-based growth equity firm WestCap Group and existing investor Matrix Partners India.

The firm has also noted 120 successful exits from companies like HubSpot and Oculus. The firm entered India back in 2006 under the leadership of general partners Avnish Bajaj and Rishi Navani.

Nexus Venture Partners

VC Firm	Nexus Venture Partners
Founder	Sandeep Singhal
Founded in	2006
Deals	137
Notable Investments	WhiteHat Jr, Delhivery, Rapido, Unacademy, Druva, Jumbotail, Bolo App, Pratilipi, Zomato
Key Sectors	Enterprisetech
Stage	Early Stage Venture, Seed
Website	Nexusvp.com

Nexus Venture Partners was founded in 2006. Silicon Valley and Mumbai-based venture capital firm, Nexus Venture Partners is the first India-US venture fund. The company has grown to be a popular venture capitalist firm that has helped a list of companies to raise funds like WhiteHat Jr., Rapido, Delhivery, Zomato, and more.

The firm makes investments in early-growth stage companies with an average ticket size of $500K-$10 Million. The firm had raised $100 Million in its first fund. It is said to have more than $1.4 Billion in assets under management as of FY 19. The firm has invested in over 100 startups such as Zomato, Snapdeal, Delhivery, Goodera, etc. Its successful exits include Gluster, Gitter, ElasticBox, and MapMyIndia among others.

By March 2023, Nexus Venture Partners had successfully raised a total of $2.6 billion in funding in a span of seven funds.

Indian Angel Network

VC Firm	Indian Angel Network
Founder	Saurabh Srivastava, Padmaja Ruparel, Raman Roy
Founded in	2006
Deals	189
Notable Investments	WebEngage, Wow! Momo, Druva, Box8, Faballey, Little Black Book
Key Sectors	E-commerce & Agriculture
Stage	Early Stage, Seed
Website	Iangroup.vc

Founded in 2006, in New Delhi, India, Indian Angel Network (IAN) is a group of primarily Indian angel investors funding early-stage startups. The group had 450 members from 11 countries in 2017. Indian Angel Network, India’s first and Asia’s largest angel network brings together successful entrepreneurs and CEOs. The group has invested in companies, such as PregBuddy and SuperProfs. In 2018, one of its founders Padmaja Ruparel was ranked amongst Fortune (magazine)‘s list of The Most Powerful Women in India.

On Nov 8th, 2020, the Indian Angel Network (IAN) announced the joint with Bangladesh Angels Network (BAN). The aim is to work together to source, cross-refer, and promote linkages in technology-enabled startups in India and Bangladesh to create an enabling environment for venture investing in both ecosystems. IAN is a SEBI-registered early-stage fund with more than 470 investors from around 11 countries. It aims at investing up to $1 Million, with an average ticket size of about $400K-$600K.

By October 2022, Indian Angel Network had successfully raised a total of ₹20.5B billion in funding in a span of four funds.

Omidyar Indian Network

VC Firm	Omidyar Network India
Founder	Pierre Omidyar
Founded in	2004
Deals	360
Notable Investments	Dailyhunt, Indifi Technologies, 1mg, Needslist, Bounce, Platzi, Pratilipi, Healthkart, Doubtnut, ZestMoney, WhiteHat Education Technology
Key Sectors	Fintech & Education
Stage	Early Stage, Seed Stage
Website	Omidyarnetwork.in

Omidyar Network India was founded in 2004. Omidyar Network India is an investment firm focused on social impact. The company looks to invest in startups that are helping to build more inclusive and equitable societies for the benefit of many. It provides grants to nonprofits in the areas of digital identity, education, emerging technologies, financial services, and more. The company started ReSolve Initiative, which is designed to invest in building solutions for two long-standing themes – MSMEs and migrant workers. The initiative will look to entrepreneurs, thought leaders, and policymakers to come together to reframe and resolve the issues plaguing these areas.

It has invested over $300 Million into the Indian startup ecosystem. The company has also decided to invest an additional $350 Million (INR 2486 Cr) in the upcoming five years. By this investment, the social impact investment firm also wants to target 500 Million individuals, who have just started using smartphones.

Features of Venture Capital Investments

High-risk investment
High Tech projects
Participation in Management
Length of Investment
Illiquid Investment

How Venture Capital Industry Works — How the Venture Capital Industry Works

Methods of Venture Capital Financing

Equity financing – Equity financing is the raising of funds by selling the shares of the company. Sometimes companies need money for short-term or long-term investments and the sale of shares proves beneficial in the way that they simply sell their shares or the ownership of the company in return for cash
Participating debentures – This is the form of raising capital from venture capitalists and other companies in different phases with varying interest rates. Here, the initial seed round comes without any interest, however, the successive rounds, as the startup grows, are chargeable at increasing interest rates.
Conditional loan – Conditional loans are another way of raising funds that do not carry interest. These loans can be availed by startups and other companies to meet their funding needs but they need to be repaid to the lender in the form of royalty once the company starts making revenue. The rate of royalty varies from (2-15)% based on several factors like the gestational period, external risk, and more.
Income note – Income notes can be categorized under hybrid financing that is similar to traditional and conditional loans in characteristics when combined. In this form of a fund raised the company for which they have to have both royalty and interest but at comparatively lower rates.
Convertible loans – Going by the term, “conditional” loans are the loans that are provided to startups and other business ventures on the condition that if the loan amount is not paid within a stipulated time they can then convert the same into equity.

The venture capitalist provides the funding knowing that there’s a significant risk associated with the company’s future profits and cash flow. Capital is invested in exchange for an equity stake in the business rather than given as a loan.

FAQs

What is a Venture Capital investment company?

A venture capital investment company is an investment firm that invests in startups and mentors them for their growth. Venture capital firms are generally made up of well-off investors, investment banks, and other financial institutions.

How many Venture Capital firms are there in India?

There are over 800+ venture capital firms in India, as of 2022.

What are the top Venture Capital firms in India?

Some of the top Venture Capital firms in India are:

Peak XV Partners
Accel
Blume Ventures
SAIF Partners
Tiger Global Management
Kalaari Capital
Matrix Partners
Nexus Venture Partners
India Angel Network
Omidyar Network India

What are Corporate Venture Capital funds?

Corporate Venture Capital funds can be defined as the corporate funds that the Corporate Venture Capital firms invest directly in the external startup companies.

To list some of the top corporate venture capital firms:

Brand Capital
Amazon and Amazon Alexa Fund
Google and Google Ventures
Unilever Ventures
Samsung Ventures
Intel Capital
Microsoft
Bain Capital Ventures
Reliance Capital
Mahindra Partners
Experian Ventures
Lodha Ventures

How to raise venture capital for a tech startup?

If you are looking to raise venture capital for a tech startup that is on your mind, then here are some decent ideas that you can go for to raise some venture capital:

Set out with a powerful business idea
Make a unique and foolproof business and revenue model
Make a list of the criteria for getting funds from a specific list of venture capitals
Know your venture capital firms
Prepare your pitch
Reach out to prominent venture capital firms politely and confidently
Speak well and support your statements with research data
Communicate your ideas clearly
Establish your value propositions well
Wait for the results

What are early stage VC firms?

The early stage VC firms are the venture capital firms that are typically known to support startup businesses in their earlier stages of growth. These stages also include the beginning phase when the projects are still in the market research and development stage.

November 25, 2023

List of Top 8 Fintech Investors in India
We are living in an era where fintech is taking over the world. Technology has always given us a revolutionary form in every sector, now it is the turn for fintech. India has become a hub for startups. More and more people are showing their interest in being an entrepreneur. Fintech startups are showing immense growth in the country and as of now, India has over 2,100 Fintech companies. As per reports, by 2025 the fintech market in India is expected to reach $150-160 billion.

Now, any kind of business needs funds to function, without funds, the survival of a business is not possible. The fintech industry is booming with new business ideas and opportunities alike. Now Fintech startups are experiencing growth and one of the prime reasons is the investors. They are providing these startups with the required funds that their business needs. In this article, we will talk about the different investors in India that invest in fintech startups. So, without any further ado, let’s get started.

“FinTech is not only an enabler but the driving engine” -Pierre Gramegna

How Fintech Founders are Planning to Dominate the Indian Bond Market?

Elevation Capital
Blume Ventures
Better Capital
Kalaari Capital
India Quotient
Prime Venture Partners
Pravega Ventures
Titan Capital

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Number of Investments in Fintech in India by Deal Count (2018-2022)

Elevation Capital

Founder – Ravi Adusumalli

Founded – 2002

Investment Portfolio – PayTm, FamPay, Uni, Jodo Anthem, Aye Finance, Acko

Elevation Capital – Fintech Investors in India

Elevation Capital which is formerly known as SAIF Partners is a venture capital firm known for investing in some of the most popular startups and is one of the biggest investors in India. The company was founded in the year 2002 by Ravi Adusumalli and since then it has never looked back and provided support to some of the biggest fintech startups in India. Some of the popular Indian fintech startups that have received funding from this venture capital firm are PayTm, FamPay, Uni, Jodo Anthem, Aye Finance, Acko, and more.

Blume Ventures

Founder – Karthik Reddy and Sanjay Nath

Founded – 2010

Investment Portfolio – Instamojo, Turtlemint, Slice, Zopper, Kaleidofin, Unicoin, smallcase

Blume Ventures – Fintech Investors in India

This Mumbai-based investment firm, founded in 2010 has been showing its grasp by investing in some of the seed-stage and early-seed-stage startups from all sectors of business. The venture capital firm has participated in more than 175 funding deals. Some of the Indian fintech companies it has invested in are Instamojo, Turtlemint, Slice, Zopper, Kaleidofin, Unicoin, smallcase, and more. Blume Ventures is one of the most popular venture capital firms in India that has generously invested in some of the most popular fintechs in India.

Startups Funded by Blume Ventures

Blume Ventures invests in the subsequent financing rounds of Funds I, IA, and II portfolio start-ups. They have invested in Unacademy, Dunzo, and much more.

StartupTalkyMichelle D’souza

Better Capital

Founder – Vaibhav Domkundwar

Founded – 2018

Investment Portfolio – Rupeek, Open, Slice, Jupiter, M2P, Rupify

Better Capital – Fintech Investors in India

Better Capital is founded by Vaibhav Domkundwar and the firm is focused on building and investing in promising businesses. This India-based, venture capital firm has been showing its interest in fintech startups from the very beginning. Better Capital’s investment portfolio includes more than 200 companies among which 40 are related to fintech. The venture capital firm has invested in some of the popular fintech startups like Rupeek, Open, Slice, M2P, Jupiter, Rupify and others.

Kalaari Capital

Founder – Vani Kola

Founded – 2006

Investment Portfolio – Threedots, Upstox, AffordPlan, Toffee Insurance, WeRize

Kalaari Capital – Fintech Investors in India

Kalaari Capital is a popular Indian Venture Capital firm that is founded by a woman, Vani Kola. The headquarters of the Kalaari Capital is situated in Bengaluru. The investment firm founded in 2006 mainly looks for promising and early seed-stage startups from multiple sectors to invest in. Kalaari Capital has invested in the likes of Threedots, Upstox, Toffee Insurance, AffordPlan, WeRize and other fintech startups.

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India Quotient

Founder – Madhukar Sinha and Anand Lunia

Founded – 2012

Investment Portfolio – Lendingkart, LoanTap, Upwards, Propelld

India Quotient – Fintech Investors in India

The venture capital firm mainly focuses on early-stage businesses and invests in them. The company focuses on multiple sectors including Fintech, Edtech, b2b sectors dealing with fintech, Health-tech, SaaS, consumer brands and others. The headquarters of the company is situated in Mumbai. The company has invested in more than 70 deals and among them, 9 are related to fintech startups. Some of the popular fintech startups that the venture has invested in are Lendingkart, LoanTap, Upwards, Propelld, and more.

Prime Venture Partners

Founder – Amit Somani, Sanjay Swamy and Shripati Acharya

Founded – 2011

Investment Portfolio – Niyo, AffordPlan, KredX, Knight FinTech

Prime Venture Partners – Fintech Investors in India

Prime Venture Partners was founded in the year 2011 and since then it has funded many fintech startups. The company was founded by Amit Somani, Sanjay Swamy and Shripati Acharya and the headquarters is situated in Bengaluru. The company has also invested in the sectors of Edtech, SaaS, and health care. Some of the major fintech startups that Prime Venture Partners have invested in are Niyo, AffordPlan, KredX, Knight FinTech, and more.

Pravega Ventures

Founder – Mukul Singhal, Rohit Jain and Vinay Menon

Founded – 2016

Investment Portfolio – ePayLater, Flexmoney, Mintoak, MyShubhLife

Pravega Ventures – Fintech Investors in India

Another prominent fintech investor in India on the list is Pravega Ventures, founded by Mukul Singhal, Rohit Jain and Vinay Menon. The headquarters of the company is situated in Delhi. Pravega Ventures has contributed to more than 26 funding deals till now. The venture capital firm focuses on tech-related startups which include fintech as well. It has invested in fintech startups like ePayLater, Flexmoney, Mintoak, MyShubhLife, and more.

Titan Capital

Founder – Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal
Founded – 2015
Investment Portfolio – LogiPe, Jupiter, Credgencies, Razorpay, Tinkerr, Astu Credit

Titan Capital – Fintech Investors in India

Titan Capital is a venture capital firm whose headquarters is situated in Gurugram. The most interesting thing is that the firm is founded by Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal who are the founders of Snapdeal. The firm focuses on funding seed-stage and pre-seed-stage startups. It was founded in the year 2015 and since then Titan Capital has participated in many funding deals related to different sectors of startups. Titan Capital has invested in fintech startups like LogiPe, Jupiter, Credgencies, Razorpay, Tinkerr, Astu Credit, and more.
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Conclusion

For any kind of business, investment is necessary. Investors willingly provide businesses that they deem to be potential with the needed funds. Fintech startups are growing in numbers in India, and it seems like it’s just the start of the real game. Naturally, investors are also looking to invest in fintech startups as financial services have become an important need and the market is growing quite fast. With time, many other venture capital firms will also start investing generously in fintech startups.

FAQs

What is Fintech?

Financial technology is abbreviated to FinTech and it comprises companies that use technology to offer financial services.

How many fintech startups are there in India?

There are more than 2100 fintech startups in India as of 2022.

What are some Fintech investors in India?

Some of the fintech investors in India are:
- Elevation Capital
- Blume Ventures
- Better Capital
- Kalaari Capital
- India Quotient
- Prime Venture Partners
- Pravega Ventures
- Titan Capital
September 18, 2022
Top 10 VC in India | Best Active Venture Capital Firms in 2022
Say you have got a brilliant idea for a startup that can change the way we see things, that solves a problem that everyone needs a solution or boosts the economy. But you do not have enough money to put your vision into being. Sure, there are a lot of ways in which a startup can get funding to establish the foundation of the business. But given the fact that three out of four startups fail, who would like to take the risk to invest in a newfound business?

Capital and startup go together, that is where a VC (venture capital) firm comes into the picture. But if you are not very familiar with the term. Continue reading with us to get an idea of what a venture capital firm is.

What is a VC Firm and How Does it Work?
Stages of Funding Rounds
Other Ways of Fundings for a Startup
Top 10 Venture Capital Firms in India
What is a VC Firm and How Does it Work?

People involved in a Venture Capital firm include entrepreneurs, investors, investment bankers, and venture capitalists. A venture capital firm will invest in your business with the aim of a good ROI (Return on Investment) and have a stake which is usually less than 50% in the ownership of your startup. The other main goals include exiting the investment. Either by selling off their stake or through an IPO (Initial Public Offering) at a profit and giving back to its investors.

A venture capitalist firm is run by venture capitalists who raise venture capitalist funds by taking money from other people and investing it into promising young companies. These firms could clearly outline which industry they want to invest in. Who are the people they are looking for? What kind of funding do they want to do? At what stage of your business? And how much money are they willing to pool in?

Stages of Funding Rounds
- Pre-seed funding round: ‌‌Investments in startups are known as private equity or venture capital. Despite their high risk, these investments also have a greater chance of exponential growth.‌‌
- Seed funding: This is the earliest stage in the process of raising capital for your startup.
- The A-series: Funding is for when the company has established product and market fit, started to make some serious buzz and its customer base is growing fast.
- The B Series: This represents a period when the firm generates significant revenue in particular markets and looks to expand its reach.
- The C series: Eventually, the company will expand and operate globally. If it is ready for an IPO, it may be purchased by another company or continue operating as a private company.
Other Ways of Fundings for a Startup

Besides Seed Funding, there are other ways too, by which a startup can collect funds, some of the common ways are:
- Bootstrapping is a method of raising pre-seed funds. When a startup bootstraps itself, it means that it launches without the help of external investors. Thus, the cash flow produced by the business itself fuels internal growth. A bootstrapped business may raise capital through customer funding, personal debt, or personal savings in its initial stages, which works as an effective model for some new companies. However, bootstrappers may face cash flow issues due to high levels of personal stress.‌‌
- Governments or industry-specific organizations provide grants to these startups for entrepreneurs who do not wish to give up equity, grants are another alternative for venture capital.‌‌
- Family, friends, and relatives are usually the first ones to support and invest in your startup. When you haven’t achieved much success or haven’t done anything, that can prove a tangible return on investment. In this scenario, your stakeholders may have limited or no experience with venture capital. Known as the three F’s (Friends, Family, and Fools), this is considered the fourth type of pre-seed funding.‌‌
- Pre-seed accelerator programs are the fifth type. Through these programs, founders learn lean startup practices, develop a scalable and repeatable business plan, and show some product-market fit to attract early customers to their product. ‌‌
- Lastly, crowdfunding can be used for pre-seed funding, and here financing is approached differently. A crowdfunding campaign is a way of raising money from many individuals in small amounts, often online. The types of crowdfunding include equity-based, reward-based, debt-based, and donation-based.
What Happens When a Public Company Goes Private?

Privatization is attracting public firms. Public sector firms are going private. Read to know what changes when a public company goes private.

StartupTalkyMansi Maheshwari

Top 10 Venture Capital Firms in India

Check out the Top 10 active VC Firms in India in 2022.

Tiger Global Management

Founder: Chase Coleman III

Established: 2001

Investment stage: Series A to pre-IPO stages of companies

Industry: Software, Consumer, and FinTech

Portfolios: 763

Headquarters: Mumbai

Tiger Global Management based in New York has affiliate offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Singapore, and Bangalore. It is one of the most active global tech investors and follows a long-term-based investment approach to generate superior risk-adjusted returns for its investors. They started their public equity in the year 2001 and private equity in 2003 making investments in growth-oriented private companies from early to late stages.

Last year it was listed under the list of the world’s biggest unicorns with most of the co-investors in the company being Accel, Coatue, and DST Global. Some of their notable investments include companies like Shein, Meta (formerly known as Facebook), Coinbase, AirBnB, Uber, SoftBank, and more. Their latest fund size as of March 2022 is $12.7 billion.

Omidyar Network India

Founder: Pierre Omidyar

Established: 2004

Investment stage: Early-stage enterprises

Industry: Digital Society, Education, Emerging Tech, Financial Inclusion, Cities & Innovation, and Property Inclusivity

Portfolios: 100+

Headquarters: Mumbai

Omidyar Network India

Omidyar Network India is a part of the Omidyar Group, whose organizations and initiatives are supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay. This period represents a period when the firm generates significant revenue in particular markets and looks to expand its accompanies to fast-track its growth. As well as giving access to the Center of Excellence Board for strategic and operational inputs.

They have a total of 102 active investments, raising the combined fund size to around $417 million. Few notable clients of Omidyar Network India are 1mg, Quikr, WhiteHat Jr, Zest, etc.

Accel

Founders: Jim Swartz and Arthur Patterson

Established: 1983

Investment stage: Pre-seed, seed, early, and growth-stage investments

Industry: Computing and Storage, Infrastructure, Consumer, Internet & Media, Enterprise Software & Services, Mobile Networking Systems, Retail Consumer, Security, Technology Enabled Services

Portfolio: 1840+

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Formerly known as Accel Partners, Accel has backed up some of the most successful companies like Flipkart, Dropbox, Etsy, Facebook, Spotify, Slack, Vox Media, and many more over the past thirty-five years. Accel has a global community of entrepreneurs and has been‌‌ investing in private companies from their pre-seed, seed, early, and growth-stage investments.

Founded in 1983, Accel has been one of the most active venture capital firms in Silicon Valley still going strong with their core principles, completing thirty-five years in the industry last year. The company values collaboration, placing the group above everything else, and creating‌‌ investors from within. Accel continues to move forward with its Silicon Valley state of mind. Their most recent investment made was $57M raised by Middesk in June 2022.

3one4 Capital

Founders: Pranav Pai and Siddharth Pai

Established: 2015

Investment stage: Early-stage venture capital fund

Industry: Fintech, consumer products, SaaS, digital media, climate tech, and digital health

Portfolios: 50+

Headquarters: Bengaluru

3one4 Capital

3one4 Capital is a venture capital firm based in Bangalore, India. Specialities include investment in startups based in early stages, seed capital and early investments. The firm works with the founding team, bringing in subject proficiency to find the best strategy for the product market for defensibility, revenue growth, and creating an impact. Focused on delivering uncompromised end-user experiences, curtailing risk, uncovering new growth opportunities, and yielding rewarding outcomes for all the stakeholders involved.

Interested in the intersection of adjacency that is large, growing, and ready for unique products and services and select market categories, the VC firms’ investments are biased towards companies exploiting technology to create, grow, or dominate large markets in India. Notable investments by 3one4 Capital include companies like Licious, Darwinbox, Jupiter, Betterplace, Open, Bugworks, Koo, Dozee, and Tracxn.‌‌

Kalaari Capital

Founder: Vani Kola

Established: 2006

Investment stage: Seed and A Series

Industry: Technology-oriented companies

Portfolios: 110+

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Kalaari Capital

Started in the year 2006 by Vani Kola and headquartered in Bangalore, Kalaari Capital is an early-stage technology-focused venture capital firm based out of Bengaluru, India. Kalaari continues to empower and work with visionary entrepreneurs that build unique solutions that reshape the way Indians live, work, consume and transact. Kalaari partners early with founders and works with them to navigate the inevitable challenges of fostering ideas into successful businesses.

Kalaari believes in being authentic, perceptive, and responsive. Accelerate and enable your firm to give importance to your potential more than your pedigree.

Blume Ventures‌‌

Founder: Karthik and Sanjay

Established: 2010

Investment stage: Seed-stage and early-stage companies

Industry: Business products, business services, consumer products, consumer services, financial services, healthcare, information technology, manufacturing, cybersecurity, big data, e-commerce, blockchain, cannabis, business-to-business payments, mobile commerce, Esports, TMT, gaming, and technology-based

Portfolios: 100+

Headquarters: Mumbai

Blume Ventures

Bridging the gap in the Indian market between local angel networks and larger global venture capital firms, Blume Ventures is a key player in India’s startup ecosystem and has backed up and built many transformational networks ever since. Backing up ventures that trigger a fundamental change in consumer behaviour, impacting larger markets, and solving problems that are difficult and uniquely Indian in nature.

The testimonials clearly treat companies as customers, not just as portfolios. Offering more than just financial help, being friendly, being open-minded, and collaborative in their efforts. Blume Ventures has managed over $280M+ in Capital, backed up more than 150 Startups, and made 24 Exits. Ventures like Purple.com, HealthifyMe, Dunzo, Turtlemint, Locus, and more have been backed by Blume ventures.

Helion Ventures ‌‌

Founders: Rahul Chandra, Ashish Gupta, Kanwaljit Singh, and Sanjeev Aggarwal

Established: 2006

Investment stage: Early to mid-stage venture

Industry: Outsourcing, Internet, Mobile, Technology Products, Retail Services, Healthcare, Education, and Financial Services.

Portfolios: 120+

Headquarters: Bengaluru

Helion Ventures helps organizations build based on strategies and in making strategic choices. It is a $605 Million India-focused VC firm. That supports early to mid-stage venture funds investing in technology-powered and consumer service businesses in sectors like Outsourcing, Internet, Mobile, Technology Products, Retail Services, Healthcare, Education, and Financial Services. Mainly focusing on making investments based in India. Some notable investments were made in ventures like BYJU’S, Gupshup, Ola, LivSpace, Toppr, and more. ‌‌

India Angel Network ‌‌

Founders: Padmaja Ruparel, Raman Roy and Saurabh Srivastava

Established: 2006

Investment stage: Early-Stage Venture, Seed

Portfolios: 160+

Headquarters: New Delhi

India Angel Network

The members of the India Angel Network ‌lead from the front, having strong operational experience as CEOs or a background in creating new and successful ventures. The advantages of working with the firm are they are willing to invest money and time, have the ability to leverage a vast network, and give quick feedback on investment decisions.

Keen to invest in startups based in their early stages, the India Angel network provides quality mentoring, and vast networks give input on strategies and move ahead with its execution. Working with sectors as diverse as Agriculture, E-Commerce, Education, Financial Services Gaming Healthcare Hospitality, information, and more. A few notable investments of India Angel Network are WOW momo, Zippr, Wiwigo, Pikkol, etc.

Mumbai Angel Network‌‌

Founder: Nandini Mansinghka

Established: 2006

Investment stage: Early-stage investments

Industry: Technology, consumer, life sciences, defence technology, space technology, electric vehicles

Portfolios: 200+

Headquarters: Mumbai

Mumbai Angel Network

The Mumbai Angel Network invests in a wide variety of domains such as—technology, consumer, life sciences, defence technology, space technology, electric vehicles, and hemp seeds. They have over seven hundred investors in more than sixty cities around the world and are focused on new venture investing. The premier private investment platform has invested more than 150 crores with a base of more than 700 investors.‌‌

The portfolio of Mumbai Angel Network includes startups like Snackible, LegalKart, Barneys, Brainwired, etc.

List of Angel Investors in Mumbai [With Contact]

Find the List of Angel Investors in Mumbai with contact details. Top Angel Investors in Mumbai with their Major Investments, Market interests and contact.

StartupTalkyJeenal Jain

Sixth Sense ‌‌Ventures

Founder: Nikhil Vora (Ex-Managing Director of IDFC Securities), Swati Nangalia Mehra

Established: 2014

Investment stage: Seed, A Series, B series, and more

Industry: Transportation, Logistics, Supply Chain, and Storage

Portfolios: 60+

Headquartered: Mumbai

Sixth Sense Ventures

Known as India’s first domestic consumer-centric venture fund. The Sixth Sense Ventures combines foreseeing a trend together with deep insights and delivers a clear vision. The sixth sense has a focus on Indian start-ups and leads with an immensely powerful team. Having cumulative experience in the wider consumer domain, their core team has a strong Center of Excellence Board.

The company creates value for both investors and invested companies. The firm has strong consumer-centric research and investment analysis in its ecosystem, making it easy for companies to fast-track their growth. As well as giving access to the Center of Excellence Board for strategic and operational inputs. The portfolio of Sixth Sense Ventures includes startups like Ethos, Bira 91, AVG Logistics, MyHealthcare, etc.

Conclusion

The venture capital firms in India are growing at a fast pace and supporting budding entrepreneurs with not only money but also guiding them by mentoring them and helping them grow in various aspects of different industries. Helping entrepreneurs and their startups achieve success against all odds.
July 17, 2022

Vani Kola: One of the Most Powerful Women in India!

Women have been trying to make a huge impact on the startup circuit. With names like Sheryl Sandberg, and Vandana Luthra making a huge impact on the daily lives of people, women from different sections of the society have been coming up with ideas and are trying to revolutionize the startup sector. Among the women entrepreneurs, Vani Kola is a big name. Vani is an Indian venture capitalist and has been listed as one of the most powerful women in Indian Business by Fortune India. Vani is the founder and Managing director of Kalaari Capital, which is one of India’s leading venture capital firms. Read this article to know about the success story of Vani Kola.

Vani Kola – Quick Facts
Vani Kola – Kalaari Capital
Vani Kola – Beginning
Vani Kola – Becoming a Venture Capitalist
Vani Kola – Venture Partners
Vani and Kalaari Capital
Vani Kola – As an Inspiration

Vani Kola – Quick Facts

Name	Vani Kola
Born	1964, Hyderabad, India
Age	56
Citizenship	Indian
Education	Bachelor of Science from Osmania University and
	Master of Science from Arizona State University
Title	Founder and Managing director of Kalaari Capital
Spouse	Srinivas Kola

Vani Kola – Kalaari Capital

The Vani Kola biography starts with the fact that she is a successful entrepreneur. She was successful during her time at Silicon Valley and she enjoys working with first-time entrepreneurs. Hence, her main aim is to help the budding entrepreneurs grow as mature businessmen and individuals. Vani has a high success ratio in the filed of venturing and investing in startups. Therefore, she has built a solid reputation for picking the best young minds and guiding them to build successful companies.

Vani aims at the technology companies in India. Her company Kalaari Capital has funded more than 50 companies across the subcontinent and in the e-commerce category. Some of the most popular investments include Myntra, Snapdeal, VIA, Urban Ladder, and Power2SME.

Vani Kola – Beginning

Vani was born and brought up in Hyderabad. After completing her Electrical Engineering from Osmania University, she moved to the United States to pursue her Master’s degree. After completing her studies, she began working in the technological sector and went on to work with some big names like Empros, Control Data Corporation, and Consilium Inc.

Vani, after working as an employee for 12 years, took a giant leap in her career and founded her first venture which is an e-procurement company. The company was founded in 1996 and was named RightWorks. After successfully controlling the company for more than four years, she sold 53% of the share of RightWorks for $657 million to the Internet Capital Group. After that, Vani decided to jab entrepreneurship in the face and started with another company maned NthOrbit in 2001. During her four year stint with the company, the company went on to become a leader in the financial compliance market with a global customer base of 70.

Business venture know-hows from Vani Kola

In 2005, the organization announced that PepsiCo had purchased its Certus international controls and assurance software and in the next few days, Vani moved to India. This started a new chapter in Vani’s life!

Vani Kola – Becoming a Venture Capitalist

After a successful stint in Silicon Valley, Vani started her journey as a Venture Capitalist in 2006. In India, instead of taking up the entrepreneur job, she decided to start a new course by becoming a Venture Capitalist. After returning from the United States, Vani spent all of her time researching, traveling, meeting people, visiting malls, and understanding the Indian market. As Vani was preparing to start the firm, a variety of questions plagued her mind. Some of the questions were tricky and were more of an obstacle in her path such as whether there would be enough entrepreneurs in the startup ecosystem? And was the Indian start-up market-ready?

But, after wandering across the market sector in the country, Vani had noticed a lot of signals hinting at a change in the startup ecosystem in the country. As per Vani, a huge transformation was on its way to India.

Vani Kola – Venture Partners

Vani moved ahead on her path with positivity. And to make a big mark in the ecosystem, she in collaboration with Silicon Valley-based entrepreneur Vinod Dham and Kumar Shiralagi launched a $189 million India fund. This fund was backed by NEA and was named NEA Indo-US Venture Partners. During those days, NEA was one of Silicon Valley’s most influential capital firms. This partnership ran for around four years, after which the latter organization decided to move out of the joint venture and directly enter the Indian startup market.

One of the reasons behind the collaboration was that NEA did not have a big presence in the Indian market and therefore, they agreed to back the NEA Indo-US Venture Partners, but, when the organization decided to have a direct presence, Vani seemed that a big confusion was coming up on its way! Therefore, NEA Indo-US Ventures became Indo-US Ventures in 2010. And this was more of an identity evolution than a strategy evolution of the company.

Vani and Kalaari Capital

So, to start a Venture Capital, Vani along with her partner Shiralagi rebranded their firm and named it Kalaari Capital. It is a Bangalore based capital fund team. The Kalaari Capital focused on investing in an early stage on the technology-oriented companies across India. The name is inspired from Kalaripayattu, which is a form of martial arts originated in the Southern state of Kerala. The idea of the team was to create an entrepreneur from a smart brain. Now, within four years, and with 55 investments, Kalaari Capitals has become India’s leading investor in the early-stage business. The team takes care of the entrepreneurs and guides them in every aspect of growth. The fund gets around 2000 proposals per year and is still growing!

Some of the most successful investments made by the company ar Snapdeal, Myntra, VIA, Apps Daily, Urban Ladder, and Zivame. Also, the team has Ratan Tata as the chief advisor!

Vani Kola – As an Inspiration

Vani Kola is the epitome of women entrepreneurship in India. The ideology to serve the startup ecosystem after becoming successful in a big stage has enabled Vani to become an inspiration for many entrepreneurs in the country. Her sheer determination and willingness to help the smart brains of the country has inspired millions of people to come up with ideas that may bring on a revolutionary change in the way we live. Hence, Vani Kola is an inspiration for many aspiring entrepreneurs.

Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Who is Vani Kola?

Vani, entrepreneur, is the Founder and Managing director of Kalaari Capital, which is one of India’s leading venture capital firms.

Who is the Founder of Kalaari Capital?

Vani Kola is the kalaari capital Founder and Managing Director.

What is Vani Kola age?

As of 2021, Vani Kola is 56 years old. She was born in 1964.

March 28, 2021

VakilSearch- Ease in availing Legal Services like never before!

When it comes to legal matters, we Indians always get a little scared because of the perceived complexities. To kill this preconceived notion and also to make the legal process easier for the common man, Hrishikesh Datar in 2011 came up with this brilliant concept of VakilSearch. Conceived with the mission to provide an one-click access to individuals and businesses for all their legal and professional needs across India, this startup is making legal simple for one and all in the country

VakilSearch – Company Highlights

Startup Name	VakilSearch
Headquarter	Chennai
Founder	Hrishikesh Datar
Sector	Legal Services
Founded	2011
Parent Organization	Uber9 Business Process Services Pvt.Ltd
Website	vakilsearch.com

VakilSearch – About and How it Works
VakilSearch – USP
VakilSearch – Target Market
VakilSearch – Founders and Team
How was VakilSearch Started
VakilSearch – Name, Tagline and Logo
VakilSearch – User Acquisition
VakilSearch – Business Model and Revenue Model
VakilSearch – Revenue
VakilSearch – Startup Challenges
VakilSearch – Competitors
VakilSearch – Advisors and Mentors
VakilSearch – Funding and Investors
VakilSearch – Awards & Recognitions
VakilSearch – Future Plans
VakilSearch – FAQs

VakilSearch – About and How it Works

VakilSearch provides legal services that cover over 300+ services such as Company Registration, Trademark Registration, Property Verification, just to name a few. Additionally, it also has two apps, Libra-The Advocates’ App (a one-stop case management tool) and MySteno – The Virtual Stenographer (helps lawyers draft legal documents in minutes)

As legalities for different sectors and services in India play a crucial role in acquiring registrations for businesses, VakilSearch is addressing the huge need for legal in the country to be made simple. VakilSearch also developed solutions for lawyers and litigators to effectively track cases and manage their cases and clients in one place. Thereby, bridging the gap and simplifying the legal problems and offering a unique solution through technology. Vakilsearch.com is emerging as India’s biggest legal-tech pioneer.

VakilSearch – USP

The unique selling proposition of VakilSearch is that all services are offered 100% online and with quick turnaround time. And the consultation charges for all the services are free of cost.

VakilSearch – Target Market

The online legal market has grown considerably in the last 5 years. There is a growing online market for legal services. It emerges out as a viable opportunity. Day by day, there is an increase in demand.

However, the global legal services market size is anticipated to reach USD 1,045.24 billion by 2025, exhibiting a CAGR of 4.1% over the forecast period, according to a new report by Radiant Insights, Inc. The growing use of latest technologies in offering legal services is expected to drive the market growth. A strong emphasis on ensuring transparency in the relationship with clients is also expected to drive the growth of the market.

VakilSearch – Founders and Team

Hrishikesh Datar is the founder of VakilSearch.

Being an Alumnus of the National Law School of India University, Bangalore, Hrishikesh is a keen Debater and Mooter. With increase of interest towards debating, he was always on a quest to find new approaches about a career in Law.

He realized that “Entrepreneurship as a way of Life”, while starting a T-Shirt business in college. As far as the family is concerned, Law runs in the veins. Hrishikesh’s father is a reputed lawyer in the Madras High Court and Supreme Court, Great-Grand father was a lawyer in Pune and also some of his grand-uncles were lawyers and judges in different courts in Maharashtra.

VakilSearch currently has a team size of 300+ employees.

How was VakilSearch Started

While Hrishikesh Datar, the Founder of Vakilsearch was at LawWeb (a portal to provide quality content for lawyers) showcasing an idea, at IIM, Bangalore, a question from the audience ignited the idea of launching something to ease and simplify the legal industry in India. This planted the initial seed. From there on, it grew into being a provider of every kind of legal solution, online.

VakilSearch- Name, Tagline and Logo

VakilSearch’s naming is plain and simple. People who are looking for legal help can reach out to VakilSearch where the word “Vakil” means lawyer representing legal & legalities and “Search” denotes customers who are seeking.

The tagline of VakilSearch is “Legal is now simple” keeping the message straight and clear.

VakilSearch Logo

VakilSearch – User Acquisition

The very first day the VakilSearch website was launched, it garnered its first customer. After the launch, it’s strategy was obviously like any other startup to acquire more customers through developing its websites and creating a strong presence on all Social Media forums.

Vakilsearch’s primary growth hack has always been focused on rendering good customer service. Additionally, Vakilsearch garners most of its customers through its gateway services. As in, when customers come for Company Registration, they also end up coming for other Mandatory registrations such as Compliance, business license, Tax Registration and so on.

VakilSearch – Business Model and Revenue Model

The VakilSearch business model is Direct Online Marketing. The services are offered at economical pricing in comparison to others in the same field. One of the main reasons customers love VakilSearch is because of the quality it offers at extremely affordable pricing. VakilSearch is the only legal company in India to offer a Subscription-based revenue model for its customers.

VakilSearch- Startup Challenges

Finding the right product mix was VakilSearch’s biggest challenge when it initially began. However, a few months down the line, VakilSearch started helping entrepreneurs set up businesses, aiding them with the documentation, copyright, VAT and service tax registration, and income tax filings. Today it has 300+ services in its product & service range.

VakilSearch- Competitors

Some of the Top VakilSearch competitors are India Fillings, MyOnlineCA, QuickCompany, MeetUrPro, Taxmantra.com, Venture Easy, DoBiz, Filingmantra, Bishnoi Advocats and HiGrit. Besides, there are some amazing apps like Willstar, which can be downloaded for free and takes the pain out of making a will. A similar kit is available on the Amazon marketplace, which costs Rs 399. The kit is self-explanatory and makes it possible to make a will within 15 minutes.

VakilSearch – Revenue

The VakilSearch revenue stood at $2.17M as on Dec 31, 2018 from 1.3M in the Calendar Year 2017

VakilSearch – Advisors and Mentors

Rajiv Luthra has joined hands with VakilSearch as one of its key advisors.

VakilSearch – Funding and Investors

As of Recent Funding, VakilSeacrh raised an undisclosed sum from technology growth investor and the Co-founder of B2B ecommerce platform Udaan, Sujeet Kumar.

Date	Stage	Amount	Investors
2015-2016	Series A over two rounds of Funding	2.5 million	Kalaari Capital
May 2020	–	Undisclosed	Sujeet Kumar

VakilSearch – Awards & Recognitions

VakilSearch has been awarded the Ritz Entrepreneur Summit, 2016. It’s founder Hrishikesh Datar has been recognized as Forbes 30 under 30.

VakilSearch – Future Plans

Besides its headquarter in Chennai, VakilSearch is operating from co-working spaces in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, and Hyderabad.

As per the last fiscal year (2018-19) , the Company’s average annual turn over has been around 30 Crores. VakilSearch is further looking to upscale its business and achieve 3-4 times more than the usual. Its average website traffic month-on-month is 3.5+ lakhs. So far, VakilSearch has catered around 400,000+ customers.

VakilSearch – FAQs

Who is the Founder of VakilSearch?

Hrishikesh Datar is the VakilSearch Founder.

What is VakilSearch?

It is a technology-driven platform, who provides services that cover the legal needs of startups and established businesses. Services include incorporation, government registrations & filings, documentation etc., In addition, it also offers services to individuals, such as property agreements and tax filings.

How much is the revenue of VakilSearch?

VakilSearch’s revenue stood at $2.17M as on Dec 31, 2018 from 1.3M in the Calendar Year 2017.

Who are the Top competitors of VakilSearch?

Online legal platforms that are posing a competition for VakilSearch are India Fillings, MyOnlineCA, QuickCompany, MeetUrPro, Taxmantra.com, Venture Easy, DoBiz, Filingmantra, Bishnoi Advocats and HiGrit.

How does VakilSearch make money?

VakilSearch is the only legal company in India to offer a Subscription-based revenue model for its customers.

What is the tagline of VakilSearch?

The tagline of VakilSearch is “Legal is now simple” keeping the message straight and clear.

March 27, 2021

Tag: kalaari capital

WinZO: Revolutionizing Social Gaming with Innovation and Growth

WinZO – Company Highlights

About WinZO and How it Works?

WinZO Products/Services

WinZO – Industry | Target Market Size

WinZO – Founders and team

Paavan Nanda

Saumya Singh Rathore

WinZO – Startup Story | How was WinZO Started?

WinZO – Mission and Vision

WinZO – USP and Innovation

WinZO – Name, Tagline, and Logo

WinZO – Business Model and Revenue Model

WinZO Financials

WinZO – Startup Challenges

WinZO Copyright Infringement

WinZO – Funding and Investors

WinZO – Acquisitions

WinZO – Advertisements and Campaigns

WinZO – Advisors and Mentors

WinZO – Recognition and Achievements

WinZO – Future Plans

FAQs

What is WinZO?

Is WinZO a Chinese app?

What is WinZO launch date?

Is WinZO App legal?

Who is the owner of WinZO?

Who is the CEO of WinZO?

How does WinZO make money?

Is WinZO app safe?

Is WinZO gold real or fake?

To Launch her New business, Priyanka Gill Leaves Kalaari Capital

Lab Grown Demands Getting Popular in Indian Market

Right Time to Join the Industry

Gill’s Entrepreneurial Journey Till Now

Top 5 Indian VC Funds That Support Women Entrepreneurs

StrongHer Ventures

Saha Fund

AWE Funds

Kalaari Capital

She Capital

Conclusion

FAQs

What are the main stages of venture capital (VC) investment?

What are the key advantages of VC funding for startups?

What is the gender gap in VC funding, and how are specialized women-centric VC funds addressing it?

What are the key focus areas and investment strategies of some of the women-centric VC funds mentioned?

Top 10 Venture Capital Firms in India | Best Active VC Firms

Flaunt your startup with StartupTalky

Peak XV Partners

Accel

Blume Ventures

Elevation Capital

Tiger Global Management

Kalaari Capital

Matrix Partners

Nexus Venture Partners

Indian Angel Network

Omidyar Indian Network

Features of Venture Capital Investments

Methods of Venture Capital Financing

FAQs

What is a Venture Capital investment company?

How many Venture Capital firms are there in India?

What are the top Venture Capital firms in India?

What are Corporate Venture Capital funds?

How to raise venture capital for a tech startup?

What are early stage VC firms?

List of Top 8 Fintech Investors in India

Give your organic rankings the desired boost with the Help of 99Outreach Link Building Services

Elevation Capital

Founder – Ravi Adusumalli

Founded – 2002

Investment Portfolio – PayTm, FamPay, Uni, Jodo Anthem, Aye Finance, Acko

Blume Ventures

Founder – Karthik Reddy and Sanjay Nath

Founded – 2010

Investment Portfolio – Instamojo, Turtlemint, Slice, Zopper, Kaleidofin, Unicoin, smallcase

Founder – Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal
Founded – 2015
Investment Portfolio – LogiPe, Jupiter, Credgencies, Razorpay, Tinkerr, Astu Credit