Mumbai: Multi-stage venture investing platform Venture Catalysts has announced the successful closure of a ₹150 crore (≈US$18 million) funding round through a mix of primary and secondary transactions.
The company stated that the capital will be deployed for leadership expansion, new fund launches, AI-enabled technology upgrades, and geographic growth across India’s startup ecosystem.
The funding round drew participation from a wide spectrum of investors, including public-market veterans, corporates, and Bollywood family offices.
New investors include Ashish Kacholia and group, Authum Investments, Aishwarya Rai, Karthik Sundar Iyer, Hardik Patel of Finquest, LNB Group, Mukul Agarwal, the Shahrukh Khan Family Office, Sakal Media Group, Utpal Sheth, and Vinod Dugar of RDB Group.
They join existing backers such as Radhakishan Damani (DMart), Kamal Agarwal (Haldiram), Enam Securities, Capri Global, Anil Singhvi (Zee Business), and prominent founder-investors including Aman Gupta (boAt), Ritesh Agarwal (OYO), Nirmit Parikh (Apna), and Srinath Ramakkrushnan (Zetwerk).
Also Read: India Deep Tech Investment Alliance to Drive Capital into Semiconductors, AI, and Space
Venture Catalysts Expands Multi-Stage VC Platform
Founded in 2016 as an angel network, Venture Catalysts has evolved into a comprehensive venture investing platform. It operates a dual model comprising syndication through Angel Fund AIFs and a venture capital arm co-creating Category II AIFs with institutional anchors and emerging managers.
The group currently manages over US$500 million in assets, with nearly US$200 million deployed through syndication across nine years.
Its AIF portfolio includes:
- 100 Unicorns — sector-agnostic, idea-stage accelerator fund (~US$100 million; launched 2021)
- Beams Fintech Fund — India’s first growth-stage fintech fund (~US$90 million; launched 2022)
- Elev8 Venture Partners — Series B/C focused fund (~US$160 million; final close)
- Spyre PropTech Venture Fund — India’s first proptech-dedicated fund (~US$50 million; launched 2025)
The firm also operates VC Grid, an exclusive community for UHNWIs, family offices, and corporate venture arms.
Portfolio and Market Impact of Venture Catalysts
With a portfolio of more than 400 companies, Venture Catalysts has supported startups across diverse categories. Its unicorn outcomes include BharatPe and Pixis, with category leaders such as Renee Cosmetics, InsuranceDekho, Assiduus Global, Wiom, and Kissan Konnect.
The platform has also facilitated liquidity events and follow-ons in companies such as BharatPe, Zypp Electric, Rare Planet, ImpactGuru, and Homeville.
The firm highlights strategic transactions involving major corporates, including Marico’s acquisition of Beardo, IBM’s interest in Prescinto, and ixigo’s acquisition of Confirmtkt. Its total deployment across strategies is nearing US$340 million, making it one of India’s leading venture capital platforms.
Future Plans of Venture Catalysts
According to Anuj Golecha, Co-Founder of Venture Catalysts, the fresh capital will help strengthen deal flow, seed new fund strategies, and enhance the firm’s technology backbone, particularly with AI-driven solutions to improve investor-founder collaboration.
The company also plans to onboard senior talent across investing, product, and platform, while expanding its Category II AIF suite and regional presence across India’s key startup hubs.
