In Short:
Ankur Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, is focusing on tech-driven solutions in B2B sectors, driven by digitisation and decarbonisation. Co-founder Ritu Verma highlighted their portfolio of over 30 companies in agritech, climate tech, and more. They aim to raise ₹1,200 crore and typically invest between ₹6-15 crore, seeking high returns from overlooked markets.
Investing in Tomorrow: Ankur Capital’s Bold Move in B2B Tech
Ankur Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, is making waves by emphasizing tech-driven transformations in the B2B sector. The driving forces behind this exciting shift? The undeniable trends of digitisation and decarbonisation. Ritu Verma, co-founder and Managing Partner of Ankur Capital, shared her insights on these emerging opportunities.
“These overlooked areas offer an opportunity to invest early and realise high returns as they get repriced in the market,” Verma explained, highlighting the potential waiting to be tapped.
A Look Back: Founding and Portfolio Highlights
Founded in 2014 and based in Mumbai, Ankur Capital has carved its niche in transformative technologies. The firm focuses on solving inefficiencies across various sectors through digitisation, science, and technology. Their impressive portfolio boasts names like Captain Fresh, StringBio, Offgrid, Vegrow, and Niramai.
Verma noted, “At Ankur, about 30 per cent of our portfolio companies have expanded beyond India, indicating potential for global market relevance.” This global reach underscores their strategic foresight in selecting companies with significant market impact.
Current Portfolio Insights
The firm’s current investment landscape is rich and diverse, featuring over 30 companies across various sectors including agritech, climate tech, deep tech, and innovative solutions in education, infrastructure, and finance. This diversity aligns perfectly with Ankur Capital’s investment thesis, which focuses on recognizing and supporting enterprises in foundational markets that frequently go unnoticed but hold immense potential.
“We like to support early themes. For instance, we were among the first investors in technologies tackling critical issues in agriculture, deep science, and high IP, addressing fundamental problems like food security, energy sustainability, and health,” said Verma, shedding light on their proactive investment approach.
Financial Strategy and Future Endeavors
Currently managing $100 million in assets under management, Ankur Capital is actively deploying resources from its third fund. The firm has set an ambitious target of raising ₹1,200 crore (approximately $150 million) to further its mission.
Focusing on early-stage funding, especially pre-Series A rounds, Ankur typically writes initial cheques ranging from ₹6-15 crore. They are committed to nurturing their successful portfolio companies, with the capacity to invest up to $10 million in follow-up rounds.
“We have historically invested heavily in agritech, climate, and deep science companies and continue to be bullish about these areas,” Verma reaffirmed. “We are also keen to explore emerging spaces, where significant opportunities are arising, particularly with new data—both digital and hardware-led—coming into play.”
