Latest news with #AnirudhADamani
Entrepreneur
a day ago
- Business
- Entrepreneur
Artha Select Fund Closes at INR 432 Cr, Strengthens Artha's INR 1,200 Cr AUM
Artha Select Fund will back the top 15% performers from its 135+ portfolio firms, investing INR 20 crore each in 12–14 startups through Series B and C rounds over four years. You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media. Artha India Ventures (AIV) has announced the final close of its follow-on fund, Artha Select Fund (ASF), at INR 432 crore. The fund has exceeded its target of INR 330 crore by 131 percent, pushing Artha's total Assets Under Management (AUM) past INR 1,200 crore. ASF will invest in the top 15% of performers from Artha's existing portfolio of over 135 companies across Artha Venture Fund I, Artha Continuum Fund, and the soon-to-launch AVF II. The fund will write Series B and C cheques of around INR 20 crores each, for 12–14 winners over the next four years. The close of ASF underscores Artha's strategy to bridge the "missing middle" in India's venture capital landscape, where many promising startups face capital constraints between Series A and C. With 33 successful exits to date, Artha has built a reputation for identifying and scaling category leaders. "ASF allows us to stay invested in our most promising companies well into their scale-up phases," said Anirudh A Damani, Managing Partner of Artha Venture Fund and Artha Select Fund. "India has no shortage of promising ventures, but far too many face a capital drought between Series A and C. ASF ensures our winners have the firepower, strategic guidance, and operational backing to compete globally while preserving founder ownership and focus." According to Artha, 80 percent of ASF's corpus has been anchored by Indian family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals, while 20 percent comes from overseas investors in Singapore, UAE, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Africa, and the United States. AIV itself has committed nearly 10 percent of the fund. Prominent backers include Atul Kirloskar's Family Office, DSP Family Office, Shahi Exports, HIRA Group, and Anikarth Ventures. Manish Chhabra, Executive Chairman of HRIPL and a Limited Partner in ASF, said, "When I began my investing journey, I knew a portion of my wealth creation should be allocated to AIFs specialising in startups. My biggest concern was the investment thesis. When I first met Anirudh and he explained his approach and track record, I was convinced this was the right fund. Unlike many fund managers who spread investments thin and hope for one to succeed, Anirudh takes a deliberate and well-informed approach, making each investment decision count." ASF distinguishes itself by offering founders support from early institutional rounds through to late growth. By combining capital with operational guidance and access to a global network, Artha aims to remain a long-term partner for its portfolio companies.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Economic Times
Artha's Select Fund closes at Rs 432 crore to back top portfolio startups
Agencies Anirudh A Damani, founder, Artha India Venture Artha India Ventures has closed its new Artha Select Fund (ASF) at Rs 432 crore, overshooting its original Rs 330-crore target by 31%. The fund will back the top 15% of Artha's 135 portfolio companies, writing Series B and C cheques of around Rs 20 crore each. ASF plans to invest in 12–14 startups over the next four years across spacetech, fintech infrastructure, premium consumer goods, and applied AI. The fund is designed as a 'capital bridge' for India's missing middle, where many Series A–C companies struggle to scale due to limited growth capital. 'For founders, it means they don't have to run to market every time they want to raise. They already know there's an investor on the board willing to put more capital,' Anirudh A Damani, managing partner of the fund, told ET. He added that since Artha has worked with these companies for three to four years, its diligence costs are lower and founder relationships stronger than traditional Series B/C investors. The firm said Indian family offices and ultra-high-net-worth individuals anchor 80% of the ASF capital, with the remaining 20% from global LPs in Singapore, UAE, Mauritius, Hong Kong, Africa, and the USA. Artha has committed nearly 10% of the close comes days after Speciale Invest raised Rs 600 crore for its third fund, both signalling renewed LP appetite after a tough year. 'Fundraising was difficult for over a year due to the slowdown, but since March 2025, it has eased,' Damani Venture Fund, launched in 2018, was among India's first micro VC funds and now has 33 exits with AUM crossing Rs 1,200 crore. 'The micro VC category that we pioneered back in 2017-18 is now playing out. Family offices and smart investors realise that there is an opportunity for you to multiply your capital because the fund is small,' Damani said, adding that smaller funds have low operating through its various funds, has backed startups such as OYO Rooms, Rapido, Purplle and Leverage Edu. Under the new fund, it has so far evaluated six companies and selected only spacetech startup Agnikul Cosmos, with an investment commitment of Rs 20–40 crore.'We've turned down five others, in some cases, the investment committee wasn't convinced on unit economics or sector fit, and in others, we weren't comfortable with the lead investor. We're a winners' fund, not a follow-on fund, so the scrutiny is far higher,' Damani said. Elevate your knowledge and leadership skills at a cost cheaper than your daily tea. IndiGo's GIFT City unit: Simple expansion or is there more to it than meets the eye? GST cut to benefit; but who gains the most? Good, bad, ugly: How will higher ethanol in petrol play out for you? Why are mid-cap stocks fizzling out? It's not just about Trump tariffs. Stock Radar: This hotel stock is showing signs of bottoming out; time to buy? Logistics sector: Be tactical in the face of head & tailwinds; 6 logistics stocks with an upside potential of over 30% Stock picks of the week: 5 stocks with consistent score improvement and return potential of more than 25% in 1 year History of wealth creators: Everything should be in context, whether it is PE or PEG; on a standalone basis they mean nothing
