Venture Catalysts has closed a $18 million (Rs 150 crore) funding round comprising a mix of primary and secondary transactions. In another development, global impact investor Accion has closed its second early-stage fund at $61.6 million.
Venture Catalysts raises $18m
Mumbai‑headquartered multi‑stage venture investing platform Venture Catalysts has closed an $18-million (Rs 150 crore) funding round comprising a mix of primary and secondary transactions, it announced on Monday.
The company said the proceeds will be used for leadership expansion, the launch of new funds, technology upgrades—including AI‑enabled diligence and LP reporting—and geographic expansion across key startup hubs.
The round drew participation from new backers, including Ashish Kacholia and the group, Authum Investments, Aishwarya Rai, Karthik Sundar Iyer, Hardik Patel of Finquest, LNB Group, Mukul Agarwal, Shahrukh Khan Family Office, Sakal Media Group, Utpal Sheth and Vinod Dugar of RDB Group. They joined existing investors Radhakishan Damani (DMart), Kamal Agarwal (Haldiram’s), Enam Securities, Capri Global, Anil Singhvi (Zee Business), alongside founder‑investors Aman Gupta (boAt), Ritesh Agarwal (OYO), Nirmit Parikh (Apna) and Srinath Ramakkrushnan (Zetwerk).
Founded in 2016 as an angel network, Venture Catalysts manages north of $500 million across vehicles, with approximately $200 million deployed via syndication over nine years from UHNIs, HNIs, and family offices. Over the past decade, the platform claims to have backed 400‑plus companies across categories, naming Renee Cosmetics, InsuranceDekho, Assiduus Global, Wiom and Kissan Konnect.
The company indicated that over the next few quarters, it will onboard senior talent across investing, product and platform, expand its Category II AIF suite and strengthen on‑ground coverage across India’s top startup corridors.
Accion closes second fund at $61.6m
Global impact investor Accion has closed its second early-stage fund at $61.6 million, it announced on Monday.
Accion Venture Lab Fund II, LP will invest in early-stage fintech companies meeting the needs of financially underserved people globally, the firm said in a statement.
The fund closed with commitments from both existing and new investors, including commercial and impact asset managers, development finance institutions, foundations, family offices, and strategic financial service companies. Limited Partners in the fund include the Dutch entrepreneurial development bank FMO, Proparco, ImpactAssets, Ford Foundation, MetLife, and Mastercard.
Accion Ventures supports investments across Africa, South and Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the United States. The most recent initial investments by the new fund are PaidHR in Nigeria, Foyer in the United States, FinFra in Indonesia, and Flowcart in Kenya.
