One of India's longest-standing venture capital firms — est. 1997
Since 1997 — before venture was an industry in India — Ventureast has backed 100-plus companies across six funds, and stayed through every cycle since.
The long view
Ventureast began in 1997, when Sarath Naru's team won the bid to privatise the venture arm of APIDC — the first privatisation of a financial institution in India. A $10 million first fund became six funds, a series of Indian firsts, and one of the longest track records in Indian venture.
The team wins the privatisation of APIDC's venture arm — India's first privatised financial institution — and raises its first ~$10M fund.
The Biotechnology Venture Fund, backed by the IFC, a decade before "healthtech" had a name.
The Tenet Fund, in partnership with IIT Madras' TeNeT group — university research to company, systematically.
A ~$100M technology fund with the IFC as anchor — early-stage conviction at institutional scale.
Ventureast Life Fund III launches with a $20M commitment from the Asian Development Bank.
Proactive Fund II closes near $100M, anchored by global development-finance institutions.
A long-held conviction lists on the NSE & BSE.
Full exit from Zaggle — one of the largest returns in Indian venture history.
Another portfolio IPO on the NSE & BSE. The long view keeps paying.
Track record
Returns our peers publish in decks, we publish here.
Little Eye Labs, January 2014 — backed by the Tenet Fund. The same patience built Richcore (acquired by Laurus Labs), 24 Mantra Organic (acquired by ITC) and Bharat Light & Power (acquired by Enel).
Backed by the institutions
1 unicorn·7 IPOs·21 acquisitions·30+ exits since 1997
Where we invest
First cheques of $3–8M, seed to pre-Series B — in businesses with clearly defined moats and a differentiated answer to a large unmet Indian need.
Climate, industry, mobility, energy, agriculture — hard problems with compounding moats.
Enterprise SaaS, data, developer tools, AI & GenAI applications — built in India, sold to the world.
Supply-chain digitisation and e-commerce enablers — the plumbing of a $4-trillion economy.
Fintech, consumer tech and health for the next half-billion — underserved, not unambitious.
Portfolio
India's first fully-digital insurer.
Insights-led customer engagement for global consumer brands.
Battery materials, recycled and refined at scale.
Instant credit for Middle India.
Predictive maintenance for heavy industry.
AI video editing for sport and media.
Home healthcare across urban India.
Personalised ayurvedic wellness, direct to consumer.
The partners
Founder & Managing Partner
Led India's first privatisation of a financial institution. IIT Madras, Chicago Booth.
General Partner
Formerly head of Intel Capital South Asia — 15+ investments, 9 exits. IIT Delhi, PhD Cornell.
General Partner
Ex-COO of Persistent Systems through its IPO; worldwide CTO at Cognizant. PhD, UIUC.
General Partner
Life sciences and the Biotech Fund — 50+ investments over 15 years with the firm. IIM Bangalore.
Partner
DeepTech and Middle India; previously D.E. Shaw & Co. Indian School of Business.
Partner
EV, IoT, healthcare and AI; has led investments exceeding ₹2,000M end to end.
Advisors — Bobba Venkatadri & Raghuveer Mendu
In the news
