Ahmedabad based GVFL, the oldest venture capital firm operating in India, has announced the first close of its new Seed Stage fund, Prarambh Fund at Rs 100 crore out of a total corpus of Rs 200 crore. GVFL aims to deploy the funds in 25-30 promising seed startups in the year. The Prarambh Fund will focus on tech start-ups in B2B SaaS, Health-tech, Agritech, Climate Tech, and Deep-Tech with investment in the range of ₹1Cr to ₹3Cr each.
Till date, GVFL has raised nine funds which have supported over 110 companies and have divested from over 75% of portfolio companies. Some of their renowned portfolio companies include Zero Cow Factory, Sequeretek, Videosdk, Saarthi Pedagogy etc.
Over the last two decades, GVFL has focused on the role of providing venture capital to innovative start-ups. Its experienced team conducts a detailed assessment of market viability and management credentials and provides broad-spectrum support to the funded entities ranging from strategic direction to governance support.
Commenting on the first close, Kamal Bansal, Managing Director, GVFL says, “We are thrilled to announce the first close of Prarambh Fund, which will aim to foster innovation across diverse sectors and create an ecosystem of funding & mentorship for young entrepreneurs. Prarambh Fund will ensure the availability of a seamless funding pathway for startups from seed to growth stages. We believe that providing capital support to pre-revenue and early-stage startups will position GVFL as a comprehensive venture capital firm, capable of supporting companies through all stages of their development.”
GVFL prioritizes on adding value beyond capital by providing a co-investment platform named a4X.fund (accelerate for excellence). This platform is designed to support seed-stage companies by offering acceleration services and partnerships with mentors, and industry experts to create their growth roadmap.
Mihir Joshi, President, GVFL, adds “GVFL has a strong track record of investing in early-stage companies and has committed investments of over Rs. 150 crore in the last 18 months through its Emerging Enterprise Venture Fund, a Rs. 500 cr Fund. The first close of Prarambh reflects our commitment to nurture startups at the beginning of their life cycle and provide them with the necessary resources to scale to maturity level.”
This announcement marks a significant step for GVFL in its mission to support and grow the startup ecosystem in India. With Prarambh Fund, GVFL aims to work closely with incubators and global accelerators to make a substantial impact on the entrepreneurial landscape, driving innovation and growth for start-ups.
About GVFL
GVFL Limited (formerly Gujarat Venture Finance Limited) is widely regarded as a pioneer of Venture capital in India. It is an independent, board-managed venture finance company based in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. Founded in 1990 at the initiative of Govt. of Gujarat and the World Bank, GVFL has supported ventures working on cutting-edge technology as well as encouraged entrepreneurs with innovative ideas. So far they have raised nine venture capital funds which have supported over 110 companies and have divested from over 75% of portfolio companies with good returns to Investors. Over the last two decades, GVFL has focused on the role of providing venture capital to innovative start-ups and has gained deep insight into the entire growth cycle of its portfolio companies.