A firm born from a "Bengaluru basement" that has grown into a powerhouse managing over $600M: Stellaris Venture Partners. Founded in 2016 by former Helion partners Alok Goyal, Ritesh Banglani, and Rahul Chowdhri, Stellaris is a conviction-led, early-stage firm that prides itself on being "specialists" rather than generalists. The Investment Thesis: "Conviction Over Consensus" Stellaris is known for taking bold, contrarian bets early—often at the "idea" or "inception" stage. W

Today, we dive into a firm that defines "Mid-Market Mastery": Stakeboat Capital. Founded in 2016 and headquartered in Bengaluru, Stakeboat Capital isn't your typical early-stage VC. They are a control-oriented private equity and venture growth firm focusing on "emerging stars"—companies that have moved beyond the experimental phase and are ready for professionalized scaling. The Investment Thesis: "Growth with Governance" : Stakeboat targets the "White Spaces" in the lower en

We are highlighting a firm that goes beyond merely investing in startups—it invigorates the entire Life Sciences and Agriculture value chain: Sathguru Catalysers. Located in Hyderabad, Sathguru Catalysers is an asset management firm distinguished by its profound technical expertise. Building on the 40-year legacy of Sathguru Management Consultants, they act as a conduit between lab-grown innovations and global commercial success. The Investment Thesis: "Impact Through Science

We are dissecting a firm that operates as a critical bridge between the high-octane tech hubs of the US and the explosive growth potential of the Indian ecosystem: Season Two Ventures. Headquartered in Irvine, California, with a powerful footprint in India, Season Two Ventures is a B2B-focused firm that doesn't just provide capital—they provide a "corridor" for startups to scale globally. The Investment Thesis: "The Indo-US Alpha" Season Two focuses on early-stage companies—p

A firm that trades in "Deep Innovation": Siana Capital . Based in Bangalore and founded in 2017, Siana Capital isn’t just looking for the next app; they are hunting for "science-led" breakthroughs that solve structural global challenges. The Investment Thesis: "Deep Innovation" Siana focuses on companies at the inflection point of explosive growth. They typically enter at Series A or B, bridging the gap between early-stage experimentation and late-stage scaling. Their "sweet

Samara Capital is a Mumbai-headquartered, India-focused investment firm known for its business-owner mindset in the mid-market space. Founded in 2007, it has deployed nearly USD 2 billion across 30+ companies, with a strong track record of successful exits. At its core, Samara positions itself less like a passive capital provider and more like an owner-operator, typically pursuing buyout or control deals where it can drive strategy, governance and operations hands-on. The fir

Roots Ventures, a venture capital firm based in Mumbai, supports founders who are driving India's consumption narrative, ranging from modern consumer brands to deep tech and fintech infrastructure. Established in 2018 by Japan Vyas (formerly of Sixth Sense Ventures, IDFC) and Ravindra Vashist, the firm positions itself as a high-conviction, founder-focused investor that embraces unconventional paths. ​ Identity and Fund Roots Ventures is currently investing from its inaugural

Rockstud Capital, based in India, is an alternative asset manager focusing on the Indian market, combining early-stage venture capital with listed equity investments in a single platform. Founded in 2017–18 by Abhishek Agarwal, the firm is registered with SEBI and manages AIFs along with PMS strategies. Identity and Thesis Rockstud's primary philosophy is to support "Yuva Bharat" – founders and businesses catering to a young, aspirational, and self-reliant India. It emphasize

Riverwalk Holdings is an early-stage venture capital fund with a focus on India, supporting entrepreneurs in the SaaS, fintech, and consumer sectors, and offering a strong cross-border advantage. The fund blends institutional capital with a rich history of operations throughout Asia. ​ Identity and Mandate: Riverwalk invests from Seed to Series A, aiming to be a long-term partner rather than a short-term financial backer. Based in Singapore, the fund maintains a strong focus

Refex Capital is an early-stage venture capital fund from the Refex Group, supporting Indian entrepreneurs who leverage technology to create the country's next wave of leading companies. Based in Chennai, the fund merges extensive industry experience with targeted startup investments. ​ Origin and Vision: The Refex Group's journey began in 2002 when founder Anil Jain revolutionized the refrigerant gases industry, later branching out into coal ash handling, solar energy, elect

Qualcomm Ventures serves as the corporate venture capital division of Qualcomm Incorporated, supporting entrepreneurs at the forefront of connectivity, computing, and smart devices since 2000. Based in San Diego, with teams in India, Europe, Israel, China, Latin America, and Korea, the firm is deeply integrated into the global tech ecosystem. ​ Identity and Scale Qualcomm Ventures oversees assets exceeding $2 billion and has over 150 active portfolio companies, with more than

PrimeVP is a Bengaluru-based VC fund focused on early-stage investments in tech-driven, category-defining companies in India since 2012. Initially launched as AngelPrime and rebranded in 2015, the firm is led by experienced entrepreneurs Sanjay Swamy, Shripati Acharya, Amit Somani, and partner Brij Bhushan, all of whom have firsthand experience in the founder journey. Identity and Thesis: Prime typically provides the first institutional funding, supporting companies from seed