360 ONE Asset, the investment arm of wealth management firm 360 ONE WAM, has launched a ₹500 crore early-stage venture capital fund to back early-stage startups. The fund has already invested in four startups across various industries, strengthening the firm’s comprehensive “Idea to IPO” investment approach.
According to a press release, the fund will primarily target seed and Series A rounds in sectors like consumer technology, fintech infrastructure, generative AI, and frontier technologies such as space tech, defense, and precision manufacturing.
Backed by 360 ONE Asset’s $3 billion private equity platform, the new early-stage startups strategy not only emphasizes active involvement, including board participation, but also aims to provide long-term capital support to portfolio companies throughout their growth journey.
“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.
Abhishek Nag, Senior Fund Manager and Strategy Head of Early-Stage VC at 360 ONE Asset, stated that the firm aims to bridge the gap between India’s micro-VC ecosystem and large global investment funds. Moreover, he emphasized that 360 ONE Asset will offer patient, long-term capital, thereby ensuring consistent support for startups 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 early-stage investment strategy is already underway, with several deals in advanced stages of due diligence. These include a hybrid-casual gaming startup whose India-focused title garnered 10 million downloads in just three months, a hot sauce brand promoting Indian flavors in global markets, a SaaS company offering a “mutual fund AMC in a box” solution, and a space tech firm developing indigenous Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) technology leveraging ISRO expertise, the company revealed.
Backing these investments is an advisory board comprising prominent entrepreneurs and tech leaders such as Gaurav Kushwaha, Nigel Vaz, Vaibhav Domkundwar, and Ashwin Mittal.
With the launch of its ₹500 crore early-stage VC fund, the firm is poised to become a significant player in India’s startup investment ecosystem.
