360 ONE Asset, the asset management arm of wealth manager 360 ONE WAM, has rolled out a Rs 500 crore early-stage venture capital fund, marking a decisive push into India’s burgeoning startup ecosystem.
The fund has already backed four startups across diverse sectors, bolstering the firm’s “Idea to IPO” capital stack.
The fund will focus on seed and Series A rounds in areas such as consumer tech, fintech infrastructure, generative AI and frontier technologies including spacetech, defence and precision manufacturing, according to a press statement.
Anchored by 360 ONE Asset’s $3 billion private equity platform, the strategy emphasises deep involvement, board participation and long-term capital support, the company said.
“As India approaches its next wave of startup-led economic transformation, 360 ONE Asset’s early-stage strategy aims to be at the forefront, identifying, backing and shaping the companies that will define the next generation of unicorns,” said Sameer Nath, CIO & Head, Private Equity & Venture Capital, 360 ONE Asset.
The firm is positioning itself to fill a gap between the country’s micro-VC ecosystem and large global funds, said Abhishek Nag, Senior Fund Manager, Strategy Head, Early-Stage VC, 360 ONE Asset, adding that the firm will support startups with patient, long-term capital throughout their growth journey.
“We follow a disciplined investment process with rigorous diligence, clear value creation plans and defined exit strategies. We also offer active co-investment opportunities for strategic partners, all while staying focused on long-term macro trends like domestic consumption, financial infrastructure, healthcare, AI-led services and deep tech innovation,” Nag added.
The strategy is already in motion, with deals in advanced stages of diligence. These include a hybrid-casual gaming startup whose flagship India-focused game hit 10 million downloads in three months; a hot sauce brand popularising Indian flavours abroad; a SaaS firm building a “mutual fund AMC in a box”; and a spacetech company developing indigenous Synthetic Aperture Radar technology with ISRO expertise, the company said.
360 ONE Asset’s early-stage bets are supported by an advisory board that includes entrepreneurs and tech leaders such as Gaurav Kushwaha, Nigel Vaz, Vaibhav Domkundwar and Ashwin Mittal.
