Aviral Bhatnagar’s A Junior VC (AJVC) has closed its first Rs 100 crore fund, aimed at supporting startups in the pre-seed stage in India.
Previously an investor at early-stage investment firm Venture Highway, Bhatnagar left the firm shortly before its acquisition by Silicon Valley-based General Catalyst in June 2024.
With this new fund, AJVC plans to invest in 12-15 pre-seed startups annually, focusing on emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence (AI), software-as-a-service (SaaS), and consumer technology.
The fund is primarily backed by domestic capital, with Indian family offices, founders of Indian tech unicorns, and senior executives from leading investment firms serving as limited partners.
AJVC follows a standard investment strategy of providing Rs 1.5 crore in funding for a 9% equity stake in startups. So far, the firm has invested in nine pre-seed stage startups across sectors including AI, B2B, consumer brands, and consumer technology. Notably, some of these startups are based in regions like Assam and Jharkhand.
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