Oversubscribed 3.5X, the fund signals confidence in India’s startup ecosystem at a time of global venture slowdown, with strong founder-LP backing, global institutional participation, and a fast, conviction-led investment model.
Zeropearl VC, India’s leading solo GP-led pre-seed and seed venture fund, today announced the final close of its maiden corpus at ₹159 crore (approx. USD 18 million). The fund, founded by veteran investor and IIT Bombay alumnus Bipin Shah, was oversubscribed more than 3.5 times its original ₹80 crore target, with commitments exceeding ₹280 crore before Shah chose to close at a disciplined level. Staying true to his conviction-led philosophy, he deliberately capped the fund at ₹159 crore, preferring to remain highly selective, backing only about 0.5% of companies he evaluates each year, and targeting performance consistent with his realised IRR of over 50% from the past decade.
The launch comes at a pivotal moment. While global venture capital activity has slowed, India continues to consolidate its position as the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem, with entrepreneurs in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities as well as in frontier sectors such as AI, climate tech and healthtech driving a new wave of innovation. Zeropearl VC’s launch underlines that the earliest stage of funding, where conviction matters more than metrics, is attracting meaningful capital and credibility in India.
Shah, formerly a Partner at Titan Capital, is among India’s most prolific early-stage investors, with over 14 years of experience and a record of evaluating more than 50,000 startups, personally meeting 5,000 founders, and investing in over 250 companies at the seed and pre-seed stages. His portfolio includes early bets on standout successes such as Mamaearth, Credgenics, InVideo, Giva, and CityMall, along with notable outcomes like Beardo (acquired by Marico), Oziva (acquired by HUL), and SuprDaily (acquired by Swiggy).
An alumnus of IIT Bombay, Shah credits his education with shaping his passion for startups, saying, “My five years at the Entrepreneurship Cell, including leading Eureka!, Asia’s largest business plan competition, gave me exposure to multiple founder journeys, helping me develop empathy and belief in their potential. Back in 2012, I saw a huge gap in pre-seed funding in India, and since then, I’ve dedicated my life to supporting founders at this stage.”
His decision to take only ₹159 crore of the ₹280 crore committed reflects this discipline, keeping the fund tight, highly selective, and geared toward replicating the superior outcomes that have defined his career.
The fund has drawn unprecedented support from the startup ecosystem, with more than half its capital, 52%, coming from 31 successful founders, including 18 unicorn leaders and 21 entrepreneurs from IPO-listed or IPO-bound companies. These founder-LPs, many of whom were part of Shah’s earlier portfolio, bring more than just capital. They provide operational guidance, mentorship, and the collective wisdom of entrepreneurs who have scaled their companies from inception to IPO. The remaining commitments came from global funds-of-funds and select family offices, further validating the credibility of Zeropearl VC’s model.
Positioning itself as one of the first large-scale solo GP funds in India, Zeropearl VC is designed around speed, clarity, and conviction. Unlike larger venture firms where founders may face layers of gatekeeping, the fund offers direct access to decision-makers and a commitment to deliver clarity within seven days of an application. By prioritising selectivity and disciplined deployment, Shah aims to maintain the ability to generate the kind of superior returns, north of 50% IRR, that have defined his last decade of investing. Shah has already begun putting the model into action. Fund I has backed twenty companies to date, with seven publicly announced: Gully Labs, Cura Care, Zanskar, Catalogus, Akinna, Supply6, and Tryo, while evaluating more than 800 pre-seed opportunities each month.
Reflecting on the journey, Shah said, “Starting over again wasn’t easy, but this fund is both a fresh beginning and a tribute to the founders who dared to take early risks on themselves. Zeropearl VC is built to back the next wave of leaders shaping India’s future.”
Founders who have committed capital to the fund echoed that confidence. Among them is unicorn LP Aman Gupta, Co-founder & CMO of boAt, who shared: “I’ve known Bipin for 7 years, and what has always stood out is how deeply founder-friendly he is. At the pre-seed stage, when no one is picking up your call and it’s just you against the world, Bipin is that guy who shows up. Now, as he takes the solo GP plunge, I’m excited to back him and see him build a genuine pre-seed institution.”
With Fund I, Zeropearl VC plans to invest in 45 startups across sectors, with the ambition of seeing the majority raise significant follow-on rounds within 12 to 15 months, a goal supported by Shah’s track record of enabling two-thirds of his past portfolio companies to secure follow-on capital in a similar timeframe. Looking ahead, the firm intends to deepen collaborations with global venture funds, family offices, and institutions, while also expanding founder-LP engagement through structured workshops, peer learning circles, and networking sessions. The vision is to create not just a fund but a platform, one that identifies India’s most promising startups at their earliest stage and supports them through their formative years with both capital and counsel.
About Zeropearl VC
Zeropearl VC is India’s leading pre-seed solo GP fund with a corpus of ₹159 crore (USD 19 million). Founded by Bipin Shah, IIT Bombay alumnus and veteran investor, the Gurugram-headquartered firm partners with ambitious founders from Day Zero through a conviction-led, fast-decision model. Supported by 31 successful founder-LPs, unicorn entrepreneurs, IPO-linked leaders, and global funds-of-funds, Zeropearl VC combines capital with mentorship, making it one of India’s most founder-friendly early-stage venture firms.
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