Rajul Garg

The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed easing angel fund regulations and opening up these funds to more diverse investor groups. In a major step, the regulatory body will soon allow family trusts and sole proprietorships to invest in angel funds.   These measures are likely to boost opportunities for startup funding and supply young ventures with essential capital for growth, highlighting SEBI’s commitment to cultivating a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g3aGwgJP #StartupFunding #AngelInvestors #SEBINorms #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #IndiaStartups #BusinessGrowth #StartupEcosystem

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Should be a fun panel today with Deep Bajaj and Sandeep Jethwani on all things "Founder Wealth"

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At Motilal Oswal Financial Services Ltd, we used to do a Wealth Creation Study every year under the guidance of Raamdeo Agrawal. In 2021, we did one on "Atoms to Bits" (https://lnkd.in/gdyic6Ny). Key insight when we were researching was Digital Business Design is about business first, design second and digital third. A simple framework that comes from this (Think of it like a 2x2) 1. Quality of Business Design and 2. Degree of Digitization When we started interacting with Namma Yatri, it struck us that this is one of the rare teams which not only has the most simple and innovative use of a protocol but also innovated on business design. The enduring moat of the business actually comes from their frugal DNA which supports this innovation. It is invisible like the best moats are :) Their data is transparent on https://lnkd.in/gARxQEsA which is also a window into one of their other key facets of culture - Collaboration and Transparency I have no doubt in my mind that this is one of the most exciting population scale companies being built and it is a privilege to be a yatri with Magizhan Selvan Shan M S. More details from Nitin Sharma https://lnkd.in/gbgzTPdp

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A few weeks back, we at SkillsOn, set sail with India's first venture capital (VC) school - with fresh, engaging & 100% practical sessions backed by 10+ years of investing experience & conducted by executives from India's leading investment funds. The last module of the VC masterclass set the ground running with a thorough overview of the deal flow - stages, steps, skills & a real-world case. And as with every module, a signature offering - this time it was the "Alpha Doc" - a one-stop guide to set valuation multiples for companies. More on the Alpha Doc in the upcoming module, “The Venture Capital Engine” this Saturday, 10th August @ 5pm. This module will discuss how India’s leading funds evaluate sectors and companies, conducting research beyond Google, getting high-quality inputs, drawing razor-sharp conclusions and deciphering hidden stories in company financials. All with the backdrop of a real-world case to build 100% practical understanding. This will be the heart of the VC masterclass series. And you do not want to miss this! If you’re eager to explore the world of start-ups, looking to build a career in investments, planning to raise funds for your venture or simply enthusiastic about this space, this is the session for you. More in comments. #venturecapital #entrepreneurship #innovation

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When you find a practical use of AI in an area that has strong tailwinds in the India growth story, you know this is a venture that has a high potential not just for value creation but for job creation in the country. Delighted to back TraqCheck founders Jaibir Nihal Singh, Armaan Mehta and @rishabh jain as they make it easier for over 200 corporations to embrace the new way of work. Traqcheck's Ai-enabled background checks of employees is way, way faster and far more reliable than traditional methods of background verification. Pankaj Bansal (पंकज बंसल)Karann Mittal Danish Dogra Aman Khan Yukta Kelkar Atreyi D.

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Founder Thesis with Apoorva Sharma: Unravelling Venture Debt! 🎙️ Join our Managing Partner in this episode as she delves into the nuances of venture debt in India, leveraging her extensive experience. Discover how our approach transcends traditional financing, offering innovative financial support to startups in various growth phases and sectors. Venture debt emerges as a game-changer, offering founder-friendly finance strategies that drive growth and innovation. 💡 Dive into the Indian startup ecosystem’s financial landscape and arm your entrepreneurship journey with advanced financial and growth strategies. 🔊 Listen now on Spotify! https://lnkd.in/gi657iqH 🎙️ Akshay Datt #VentureDebt #StartupFinance #GrowthStrategy #PodcastLaunch #IndustryInsights

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"Health is an investment, not an expense." — Anonymous Just a few days ago, our teams at DeVC and PeerCapital brought together an incredible group of entrepreneurs and enablers to explore the real investments and expenses in healthcare. On stage, we had the dynamic trio of Mayank Banerjee , Dilip Kumar and Tarun Bhambra, who combined their wit and wisdom to delve into: - The consumerization of healthcare, preventive vs. curative approaches, accessibility and affordability challenges, offline vs. online dynamics, and how founders can bridge skill gaps. - The evolving role of AI and tech in healthcare, and how founders are strategically allocating resources to build cutting-edge solutions. - Collaborating with doctors, aligning incentives across systems and how ambitious change starts with robust foundational systems (think CAC's and LTV's). The conversations were raw, experiential, and refreshingly honest. If it weren’t for the ticking clock and the rainy day, we might still be chatting! It was inspiring to engage with so many passionate builders committed to reshaping India's #healthcare future. Let’s keep the dialogue alive. We invite more of your participation and views. Together, we are investing in the future of health. #healthtech #investing #founders

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We are delighted to announce the close of Kedaara IV at USD 1.738bn, our fourth fund. We had a one and only close, and we completed the entire fund-raise in 4 months. This is an important milestone in Kedaara Capital's 12 year journey and comes at a time when the PE industry is fending off fierce headwinds and a challenging fund-raising environment. This is all thanks to our incredible family at Kedaara, where we have brought together a team with extremely sharp minds, diverse areas of expertise and a real passion to create a unique firm. It is made possible by the terrific entrepreneurs and owners of quality companies who give us the opportuity to partner with them. On top of that, we have an absolute solid set of thoughful Limited Partners/Investors who have backed us from our start in 2011, and continue to do so today, despite various challenges in the macro and the micro which crop up occasionally. And of course, a final thanks to our friends at Clayton Dubilier & Rice, who we partnered with early on in our journey... For us, with all humility, this is just the beginning... At the end its never about size, its about performance. Its about giving back many times more than what we take - to our investors, to our portfolio companies, and to our team - As India sets itself for even bigger strides in the coming decade, we hope that we, as Kedaara Capital, can play our small role in accerating that, even as we provide disproportionately high (relative to the risk taken) returns to our Limited Partners... As always, we welcome your thoughts.... https://lnkd.in/dWYePTKg

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A significant milestone on the Sarvagram journey and we are very excited to continue our support to the stellar team. When we invested in 2022, we saw a distinctive company which was serving an unaddressed segment in a very large market i.e middle class households in rural India. The narrative around rural financing has primarily focused on farmers and low-income populations. However, there's a huge gap in addressing the needs of the aspirational rural middle class—the 80-100 million households with annual incomes ranging from ₹3-5L, spread across multiple income sources. This demographic is eager to improve both their income levels and quality of life, yet their financial needs have often gone unmet. Banks and microfinance institutions have targeted agriculture or low-income women but the rural middle class is a large whitespace. Though they may have access to product financing like two-wheeler or car loans, a significant portion of their aspirations remains unaddressed. SarvaGram is stepping into this gap with a holistic, customer-centric platform that offers a diverse range of financial services—from lending products and farm mechanization solutions to insurance offerings — as opposed to a mono-line strategy, which we believe works better in denser urban markets. In addition to our thesis on rural lending, we have found working with the stellar team, led by Utpal Isser and Sameer Mishra, a collaborative and insightful partnership. Their exceptional execution and understanding of the rural market have enabled SarvaGram to create lasting impact and drive sustainable growth. It has been equally enjoyable to learn from their experiences and we truly appreciate the openness of team. We have also appreciated working with our co-passengers from #Elevar, #Elevation and #Temasek and look forward to the #Peak XV team. With this fundraise, SarvaGram is on track to continue its impressive growth trajectory and we are excited to be part of this journey of SarvaGram driving meaningful change for rural middle-class households. Utpal Isser SarvaGram Sreeraman V TVS Capital Funds #FundingSuccess #RuralIndia

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 We at RevX Capital just completed the 1st Year of operations at the Fund. Sharing some key milestones and reflections on this #anniversary. 1. Deployed 𝐈𝐍𝐑 500𝐂𝐫+ 𝐍𝐨𝐧-𝐃𝐢𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐛𝐭 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐨 52 SMEs and Startups. We overachieved the number of portfolio companies. It not only helped us enable the growth of more enterprises but also diversify risk.  2. We talked to 1100+ companies and evaluated 600+ to build this portfolio. INR 2 Cr was our smallest debt investment and largest INR 30 Cr ( with assisted LP co-investments) since we do not invest more than INR 20 Cr via the fund.  3. Products: ~40% of our transactions are 𝐜𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 based on cash flow, timing, and purpose. Some founders/CFOs didn't even know such custom debt products were available for their business needs.  Apart from Working capital(~60%) and Capex(~20%), we also funded 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐪𝐮𝐞 𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 for some large/pre-IPO companies, such as equity buybacks & warrants exercise of promoters, and debt for holding companies.  4. We started with a 6-person team in Gurugram, and are now 17 members spread across Investments, Portfolio & Covenant Monitoring, Finance, Legal, Fund Operations, Admin & HR in Gurugram and Hyderabad.  5. We consciously did not spend a single rupee on Marketing and PR. The team kept heads down and worked on building value for the companies by doing what we know best, providing 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠, building customized debt structures, and helping our portfolio companies 𝐥𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤. I want to thank the entire RevX Team, our LPs/Investors, Service providers, and Portfolio companies. We are excited about the next year and will gradually unveil our plan as we build on the RevX Platform.

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Abyro Capital Floats $25 Mn Fund To Back India Startups. Abyro Capital said that it will back startups across sectors such as AI, SaaS, healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, delivery, among others. India and US-focussed venture capital (VC) firm Abyro Capital has launched its maiden $25 Mn (about INR 210 Cr) fund to back early stage technology startups in the two countries. In a statement, the VC firm said that it will look to back 12 to 15 startups, over the course of next four years, across sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), SaaS, healthcare, manufacturing, supply chain, delivery, among others. Abyro Capital said that the fund will be driven by operators and entrepreneurs, and will also offer operational expertise and access to global networks to its portfolio startups. #startupfunding #capital #AIfunding #saas #healthcare #vcfirms #equityfunding #loanconsultants #legaladvisorinindia

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Co-lead a workshop (with Sumathi my business partner and Komal lath of Tute Consult) on branding and communication and why/how its' strategic & important for the portfolio companies of an early stage growth focused PE fund in Mumbai this noon. very interactive session. lots of takeaways. one of the biggest benefits of doing such workshops with founders and CXOs of growth companies is that you get to first hand understand their pain points and priorities. which makes you realize there is a long road ahead laden with great opportunity for those in PR & comms if we take off our hats and look at it from their perspective.

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Meet Venture Crafters, a micro venture capital (micro VC) firm where ex-founders are looking to redefine early-stage investing in South and Southeast Asia. In this candid conversation with founding partners Abhinav Krishna, Ayush Bharti, and Ivy Huq Russell, we get an inside look at how their experiences as entrepreneurs shape their unique "founders first" investment approach, everything Micro VC, how VC makes investment decisions, raising money, and building successful companies. This interview is particularly valuable for: Early-stage founders looking to understand what investors care about beyond the pitch deck Entrepreneurs in South and Southeast Asia seeking insights into raising capital at the earliest stages Anyone interested in the idea of micro VC and how the micro VC model is evolving to fill critical gaps in startup funding The partners share refreshingly honest perspectives on everything from Venture Crafters thesis to common founder mistakes to their hands-on investment philosophy to what separates successful companies from the ones that fail. You'll learn how VCs generally make investment decisions, the most underrated founder traits, what makes a great pitch, what VCs look for in startups, why the future belongs to AI-native companies with lean teams, why they're not afraid to get calls when things aren't going well, and how they're democratizing access to angel investing. What makes this conversation special is the distinct position of Venture Crafters partners. They're not just investors writing checks, but former founders who've been in the trenches themselves. Their insights provide a deep understanding of both sides of the table, offering a unique lens on building successful startups in emerging markets. Please enjoy our conversation with Abhinav Krishna, Ayush Bharti, and Ivy Huq Russell.

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Zerodha launches new fund to support global open source projects. This is the first kind of fund which support open source projects. Great initiative Nikhil Kamath The fund represents a structured effort to provide financial support to FOSS projects, ensuring long-term sustainability for developers and contributors. A dedicated $1-million annual fund aimed at supporting Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS/FLOSS) projects globally. emphasised the importance of FOSS in Zerodha's success, acknowledging that the company has been built on open-source tools and technologies — from programming languages to databases. #opensource #community #developers The Linux Foundation Open Source India Zerodha https://lnkd.in/duVh2tWV

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"Great things are not done by impulse, but by a series of small things brought together" GalaxEye announced investment by MountTech Growth Fund - Kavachh, a $60 million Category-II AIF, has made its inaugural investment in GalaxEye’s $10 million Series A fundraising round. GalaxEye, founded by a dynamic and skilled team from IIT-M, is on a mission to revolutionize space-based surveillance with cutting-edge, multi-sensor (SAR and MSI) fusion technology. With the first LEO satellite launch slated for mid-2025, GalaxEye aims to meet critical security and commercial needs, showcasing the power of innovation driven by purpose and precision. This partnership exemplifies our commitment to supporting trailblazing solutions that address pressing challenges in surveillance and security. GalaxEye’s ambition to leverage SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) and MSI (Multispectral Imaging) fusion for space-based surveillance aligns well with the evolving demands of both defence and commercial sectors. Their innovative approach with LEO #satellite constellations promises to address critical security and monitoring needs with unmatched precision and real-time insights. Backing a driven and skilled team like GalaxEye, rooted in a legacy of innovation like Avishkar Hyperloop, speaks volumes about the fund's dedication to fostering groundbreaking technology. This partnership not only reflects the fund's commitment to advancing national security infrastructure but also highlights a forward-looking vision that appreciates the convergence of innovation and practical impact. The anticipated satellite launch in mid-2025 is set to be a milestone in this collaborative journey, and it will be exciting to witness the tangible outcomes of this strategic alliance! #space #venturecapital #investment #india #strategic https://lnkd.in/ggZuW2xs

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It is often said that Impact investing does not deliver financial returns. At C4D Partners, we are proving this wrong. Our Fund 1 has already achieved a 51% DPI on the India portfolio within 6 years of fund life, delivering a robust IRR. We’re not just about investing for impact, but also prioritizing strong, sustainable financial returns. We carefully select companies that are cash flow positive and demonstrate a clear path to profitability within a couple of years of our investment. This has enabled us to keep our mortality rate under 20%, lower than the industry average. Our approach - We invest in early-growth stage companies that are well-governed and on a clear path to positive cash flows, and be there for the long haul. Our approach comprises not just capital infusion, but active involvement in fostering a culture of transparency, operational excellence and sustainable value creation. We position our investments for sustainability and success in an ever-evolving market. If you’re a startup or investor interested in partnering with us, or just curious to learn more, let’s connect. Mirakle Couriers, Ecotasar, LabourNet, Saahas Zero Waste, Aarohan , 1BRIDGE, Ananya Finance, Freyr Energy Services Pvt Ltd #VentureCapital #Startups #SMEs #GrowthCapital #InvestmentStrategy #C4DPartners

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Early stage founders who are ready with MVP or early traction, connect with Pod Invest they will make your life very easy. DM if you want me to introduce you. Great initiative by Vittal Ramakrishna for the #earlystage startup ecosystem #earlystage #founders #preseed #funding

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🔥 Ep07 out now with Piyush Goenka from Prath Ventures! We talk about building great consumer brands in India 🔥 Watch here: https://lnkd.in/gaPcCTqF We talk about: > Piyush's journey across all stages of investing > How he and Harmanpreet Singh defined Prath's sector and stage focus > The journey of Safari from a 200 Crore company to a 10,000+ Crore company > Prath's recent investments in Jimmy's Cocktails, Assembly and Aukera > Consumer trends in India and opportunities in the Indian market > His experience of fundraising for Prath (not something you get to hear very often and that too so candidly and vulnerably!) > How Vipassana changed his life   Prath ideally wants to be the first institutional investor when founders are raising their seed or series A rounds and the first cheque for them is usually between 3-15 Crores which is roughly 500K-2M USD. Excited to deep dive with Piyush into the consumer landscape in India today, and his plans for Prath in the future. Founders who are building consumer businesses, you will gain a lot of rich insights from Piyush’s experience about business building as well as fundraising.

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