New Delhi, Feb. 16 -- Early-stage venture capital firm ValleyNXT Ventures has rolled out its maiden fund that aims to raise as much as Rs 400 crore ($44.1 million).
The Bharat Breakthrough Fund-I has a base target of Rs 200 crore and a greenshoe option of an equal amount, the firm said in a statement.
The VC firm is led by founder and managing partner Madhu Vasepalli, founder and advisor Nikhil Agarwal, investment committee head Anand Saklecha and Suresh Goyal, who oversees fund management.
The firm said the debut fund aims to invest in seed to pre-Series A startups, especially those in the phase between product validation and scale. It said that the challenge at this stage extends beyond funding gaps and that startups often falter due to fragmented advice, premature pressure to scale, and lack of execution clarity.
The fund will focus on deep-tech and tech-first startups across sectors such as space, defence technology, robotics, AI and ML, cybersecurity, biotech, sustainability, and consumer innovation.
The fund will follow a VC-plus-accelerator model, backed by ValleyNXT's MIB Framework (Mentorship, Investment, and Business Connects) to provide both capital and structured operational support.
Agarwal said venture alpha is most concentrated at the seed and pre-Series A stage, when companies are still highly shapeable, ownership is accessible, and structured guidance can significantly compound outcomes.
ValleyNXT Ventures said it has evaluated more than 5,000 deals and invested in at least 10 early-stage startups through its angel network and accelerator-led investment approach.
With Bharat Breakthrough Fund-I, the firm said it aims to strengthen structured early-stage support and long-term value creation in India's startup ecosystem.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from VC Circle.