GVFL's seed-stage focused Prarambh Fund achieves first close at Rs 100 Crore

Ahmedabad-based venture capital firm GVFL has announced the first close of its new Seed Stage fund, Prarambh Fund. The first close has been reached at Rs 100 crore.

The total fund corpus is Rs 200 crore. GVFL aims to deploy the funds in 25-30 promising seed startups in the year.

“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," said Kamal Bansal, Managing Director, GVFL.

Focused on tech startups in diverse sectors

The Prarambh Fund will focus on tech startups in B2B SaaS, Health, Agritech, Climate Tech, and deep tech, with investments in the range of Rs 1 crore to Rs 3 crore each.

"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," Bansal added.

Focused on providing capital to innovative startups

GVFL (formerly Gujarat Venture Finance Limited) is an independent, board-managed venture finance company. So far, the firm has raised nine funds, which have supported over 110 companies and have divested from over 75% of portfolio companies, providing stellar returns to their investors.

Over the last two decades, The firm has focused on the role of providing venture capital to innovative startups. 

GVFL said that 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.

Providing co-investment platform

The VC firm said it is committed to adding value beyond capital by providing a co-investment platform named a4X.fund (accelerate for excellence).

The platform is designed to support seed-stage companies by offering acceleration services and partnerships with mentors, and industry experts to create their growth roadmap.

“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," said Mihir Joshi, President of GVFL.