Expert Dojo Launches India-Focused Cohort, to Invest USD 100K Each in 10+ Startups
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
US-based early-stage venture capital firm Expert Dojo has announced the launch of a new India-dedicated startup accelerator cohort, committing to invest USD 100,000 each in over 10 high-potential startups. This strategic move marks a significant step in the firm's broader plan to strengthen its footprint in India's rapidly evolving innovation ecosystem.
The India cohort, which opens applications this fiscal year, will focus on startups building scalable, tech-driven solutions across a range of sectors including AI, electric vehicles (EV), B2B, and SaaS. While the approach is sector-agnostic, the emphasis is on growth-oriented ventures with strong potential for international expansion.
Brian Mac Mahon, Founder and Managing Partner at Expert Dojo, said, "At Expert Dojo, we believe in backing ambition with action. We're not just mentors; we're partners who roll up our sleeves. The funding landscape today demands more than just a great product—it requires clarity, resilience, and strategic guidance. That's where we come in."
As part of the accelerator, selected startups will not only receive capital, but also benefit from mentorship, operational support, and access to Expert Dojo's extensive global investor network. The goal is to fast-track these companies to Series A by refining go-to-market strategies and opening up new market opportunities beyond India.
The India launch comes on the heels of Expert Dojo's previously announced USD 15 million India-focused fund, which aims to invest in 20–25 early-stage startups by FY 2026.
Ashutosh Kumar, General Partner at Expert Dojo, added, "India is not just a market for us, it's a priority. We see innovation rising from all corners of the country, from tier-1 cities to rural belts. This fund is not just a financial commitment—it's a vote of confidence in Indian entrepreneurship. We want to support visionary founders who may be overlooked by traditional VC networks but are capable of building global businesses."
Since its inception in 2019, Expert Dojo has backed over 300 startups from more than 40 countries. With a strong focus on diversity and inclusion, 41% of its portfolio includes female-founded companies, significantly higher than the industry average.
The India cohort reflects Expert Dojo's continued mission to support international founders and close the global funding gap—this time, with a clear spotlight on India's emerging tech leaders.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TechCrunch
9 minutes ago
- TechCrunch
Why investors just bet $85M on this Indian company's generic drug strategy
With over 400 million chronic patients, India is one of the world's largest medicine markets. But while most e-pharmacies chase speed, affordability remains the real challenge. Truemeds took a different route: helping patients switch to lower-cost substitutes, a bet now paying off with new funding at about four times its previous valuation. The six-year-old startup has raised $85 million in a new round that includes $65 million in primary and $20 million in secondary funding led by Accel, along with participation from Peak XV Partners. TechCrunch first reported on Accel's talks to back Truemeds last year. Existing investors WestBridge Capital and InfoEdge Ventures, also participated. The fresh round has boosted Truemeds' valuation to over $400 million, up from the $110 million in its last round two years ago. Founded in 2019, Truemeds entered the market at a time when India's online pharmacy space was already crowded with major players offering steep discounts on branded generics. But some of those companies struggled to sustain early momentum — Prosus Ventures-backed PharmEasy, for instance, saw its valuation drop from a peak of $5.6 billion to under $600 million, while 1mg was acquired by Tata Digital, part of the Tata Group. Instead of competing head-on, Truemeds' founders chose to focus on a relatively niche segment: generic medicines. 'There is no way to educate the user that you can have more affordable options if you can't afford these drugs,' said Truemeds co-founder Akshat Nayyar (pictured above, left) in an interview. 'That is where we felt that nobody in the value chain was working towards that, and we can bridge that gap.' The Mumbai-based recommends generic alternatives to consumers for the branded medicines they need. This eventually helps consumers save money, as generic drugs are typically more affordable than their branded versions due to cost efficiencies in their development process. Truemeds says its differentiated approach has paid off, with revenue growing over 66% year-over-year to ₹5 billion ($57 million) in the last financial year. The startup says it retains more than 15% of its revenue after 12 months and now serves an average of 500,000 customers each month, with a total of 3 million customers to date. Moreover, it says it now serves over 20,000 postal codes across the country, with more than 75% of its customers coming from tier-2 cities and beyond. Techcrunch event Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise. Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They're here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don't miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise. San Francisco | REGISTER NOW However, educating customers about alternatives to their prescribed medicines — and convincing them to switch from branded drugs to generics — remains a challenge. 'Because you get anchored to your prescribed brand's price, and when you suddenly see a lower price, you want to know why it is low,' Nayyar told TechCrunch. Increasing discounts while competitors cut back While today's e-pharmacies chase speed over savings, the sector's early playbook was different. Online pharmacies in India used to offer discounts of up to 25% to attract customers. However, Nayyar said this dropped to 20% and then 15% — the new average — as most burned cash to acquire new customers and pivoted to faster delivery as their main differentiator. Meanwhile, Truemeds has gone in the opposite direction, increasing its average discounts from 29% to 32% in the last 12 months. For an average user who switches brands on the platform, savings reach 47% on their medicine, says the company. This comes from Truemeds' deep procurement relationships with pharma companies, where the startup uses its technology to give manufacturers better demand visibility, helping them plan production more efficiently for upcoming quarters, he said. The startup also relies on its own logistics in some of the major cities it operates in and uses low-cost logistics partners for the rest. 'We believe that our four-hour delivery model is more than sufficient from a chronic patient's perspective,' said Nayyar. 'You're able to do more planned purchases that way, but we want to do it in the most efficient manner, and pass more and more discounts to the end user rather than [focus on] the fastest delivery for that matter.' Next up: AI-powered customization and doorstep diagnostics As Truemeds needs to convince customers to choose generics over branded medicines, it goes through deeper consultations with them. It already conducts 10-12 million consultations per year. The startup has developed an algorithm over the years that looks at various parameters to precisely suggest alternatives to the branded drugs a customer demands. It considers nuances such as whether the medicine is sugar-coated if it is for a young patient, where it is manufactured, and whether the plant is GMP-certified, among others. The startup also has a chatbot to address some user queries quickly. Much more is on the roadmap. The company plans to develop an AI-based system that customizes conversations based on customers' behavior and previous interactions with generic alternatives. It's also opening a Bengaluru office while dedicating at least 20% of its capital to engineering and product development. Beyond medicines, Truemeds is plotting to enter diagnostics through partnerships with national pathology labs, planning to pilot lab testing services in some tier-2 cities in the next three to four months. 'The primary mission remains the same, which is making healthcare affordable for the end user,' the co-founder said. 'It started with medicines. Now that the model is getting established, we are going to keep scaling that. Simultaneously, we also want to see if we can do something similar on the diagnostics front, where we can be the lowest cost provider of at least the most common tests.' The startup also plans to increase its fulfillment center count by 300% — from 19 currently — over the next 12 months, aiming to deepen its presence in existing markets. Before this round, Truemeds raised $50 million and still has 30–35% of that capital in the bank, Nayyar said. The startup has a workforce of 2,800 people, with 250 based in its Mumbai office.
CNBC
10 minutes ago
- CNBC
Asia markets set for a mixed open as U.S.-China tariff truce deadline looms
Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mixed as traders awaited announcement on whether the Aug. 12 deadline for U.S.–China tariff truce would be extended. Happy Monday from Singapore. Asia markets were poised for a mixed open. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,768, compared with the index's last close of 8,807.1. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index stood at 24,937, pointing to a higher open compared with the HSI's last close of 24,858.82. Japan markets are closed for a holiday. — Lee Ying Shan Visitors visit the NVIDIA booth at the 3rd China International Supply Chain Expo in Beijing, China, on July 20, 2025. Nurphoto | Nurphoto | Getty Images Chip giant Nvidia pushed back Sunday in response to allegations from Chinese state media that its H20 artificial intelligence chips are a national security risk for China. Earlier in the day, Reuters reported Yuyuan Tantian, an account affiliated with Chinese state broadcaster CCTV, said in an article published on WeChat that the Nvidia H20 chips are not technologically advanced or environmentally friendly. "When a type of chip is neither environmentally friendly, nor advanced, nor safe, as consumers, we certainly have the option not to buy it," the Yuyuan Tantian article reportedly said, adding that the article said chips could achieve functions including "remote shutdown" through a hardware "backdoor." In response, a Nvidia spokesperson told CNBC that "cybersecurity is critically important to us. NVIDIA does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them." Nvidia on Tuesday rejected similar accusations. For more, read here. — Pia Singh
Wall Street Journal
10 minutes ago
- Wall Street Journal
Oil Falls Amid Easing Supply-Disruption Concerns
2338 GMT — Oil falls in the early Asian session amid easing concerns about supply disruptions. U.S. President Trump said Friday he would meet with Russian President Putin in Alaska on Aug. 15 after Putin presented the Trump administration with a proposal for a cease-fire in Ukraine. Geopolitical risks have eased, ANZ Research analysts say in a research report, citing the news. Also, U.S. tariffs have officially commenced, raising worries over weaker economic activity and hence, demand for crude oil, the analysts add. Front-month WTI crude oil futures are down 0.4% at $63.64/bbl; front-month Brent crude oil futures are 0.3% lower at $66.37/bbl. (
