Antler, a global early-stage VC firm has expanded its investment footprint in India, announcing investments in 30 startups in 2024, taking the total India portfolio to 80. These investments were made through Antler’s maiden India fund of $75 million.
The portfolio companies have been selected from over 25,000 founders who engaged with Antler’s platform in 2024.
The 30 startups in the latest cohort include companies across a wide range of sectors including AI, consumertech, fintech, deeptech, health and climate.
Notable names in the portfolio include Bizup, a wholesale marketplace for fashion retail; Cautio, which offers AI-powered dashcam solutions; and Freshcon, a company that simplifies home cooking with ready-to-cook staples. Other innovative startups include HireBound, focusing on AI-driven recruitment, and Infer.so, which is developing voice bots for the insurance and lending industries.
The cohort also features Meine Electric, a pioneer in renewable energy through aluminium-air fuel cell technology, and Sustvest, which is building a fintech-led solar energy platform. Financial innovation and sustainable mobility are also well represented with startups like Keeper, Maximize Money, and Milo Drive. Meanwhile, Wonder is providing interactive audio solutions for children, and Namma Yatri is working to transform mobility through driver-focused platforms.
Several other startups in the portfolio are focused on reimagining traditional sectors. Proof of Skill is rethinking job credentialing, while Storefox.ai aims to revolutionize offline retail intelligence. Additionally, Interface Labs is a workplace automation studio, and Kubo Care offers health monitoring solutions.
Some of the startups within Antler’s portfolio are currently operating in stealth mode, keeping their innovations under wraps as they prepare for market entry.
Antler’s next Residency cohort in India is scheduled to begin in February 2025. The venture capital firm operates in 30 cities worldwide, including Bengaluru, Austin, London, and Tokyo, and has backed over 1,300 startups globally. Looking ahead, Antler plans to support more than 6,000 startups by 2030.
“We’re seeing exceptional founding teams emerge from India’s talent pool, many of whom have deep expertise in AI, and emerging technologies. What’s particularly exciting is that these founders are not just building for India, but are leveraging India’s talent to solve global problems. Our investment pace reflects both the quality of the founders we’re meeting and our conviction that the next wave of global technology companies will emerge from India. We’ve invested in 30 companies this year, many of which were born in our Residency program, where founders had the opportunity to validate their ideas, build strong teams, and get early customer traction before raising their first check,” said Rajiv Srivatsa, Partner at Antler India.
“Beyond capital, we’re fundamentally reshaping how early-stage companies are built in India. We doubled our investment pace in 2024. Through our Residency program, we’re actively involved in the company-building process from Day Zero – from team formation and idea validation to early customer development. So far, over 100 companies have been formed at Antler Residencies in India. We are investing with high selectivity (1 in 1000), so when we invest, we have a deep conviction in both the team and the opportunity because we’ve worked alongside them through these crucial early stages. This hands-on approach is reflected in the strong fundamentals we’re seeing across our portfolio,” added Nitin Sharma, Partner at Antler India.
