Zeropearl VC, a GP-led pre-seed and seed venture fund, has announced the final close of its maiden corpus (Fund I) at ₹159 crore (approx. $18 million).
The fund, founded by veteran investor and IIT Bombay alumnus Bipin Shah, was oversubscribed more than 3.5 times its original ₹80 crore target, with commitments exceeding ₹280 crore before Shah chose to close at a disciplined level. He deliberately capped the fund at ₹159 crore, preferring to remain highly selective, backing only about 0.5% of companies he evaluates each year, and targeting performance consistent with his realised IRR of over 50% from the past decade.
The fund has drawn unprecedented support from the startup ecosystem, with more than half its capital, 52%, coming from 31 successful founders, including 18 unicorn leaders and 21 entrepreneurs from IPO-listed or IPO-bound companies. The remaining commitments came from global funds-of-funds and select family offices.
With Fund I, Zeropearl VC plans to invest in 45 startups across sectors, with the ambition of seeing the majority raise significant follow-on rounds within 12 to 15 months.
Fund I has backed twenty companies to date, with seven publicly announced: Gully Labs, Cura Care, Zanskar, Catalogus, Akinna, Supply6, and Tryo, while evaluating more than 800 pre-seed opportunities each month.
Founded by IIT Bombay alumnus Bipin Shah Zeropearl VC a GP-led pre-seed and seed venture fund. Shah, formerly a Partner at Titan Capital, with over 14 years of experience and a record of evaluating more than 50,000 startups, personally meeting 5,000 founders, and investing in over 250 companies at the seed and pre-seed stages. His portfolio includes early bets on standout successes such as Mamaearth, Credgenics, InVideo, Giva, and CityMall, along with notable outcomes like Beardo (acquired by Marico), Oziva (acquired by HUL), and SuprDaily (acquired by Swiggy).
Supported by 31 successful founder-LPs, unicorn entrepreneurs, IPO-linked leaders, and global funds-of-funds, Zeropearl VC combines capital with mentorship, making it one of India’s most founder-friendly early-stage venture firms.
Looking ahead, the firm intends to deepen collaborations with global venture funds, family offices, and institutions, while also expanding founder-LP engagement through structured workshops, peer learning circles, and networking sessions.
Bipin Shah said, “My five years at the Entrepreneurship Cell, including leading Eureka!, Asia’s largest business plan competition, gave me exposure to multiple founder journeys, helping me develop empathy and belief in their potential. Back in 2012, I saw a huge gap in pre-seed funding in India, and since then, I’ve dedicated my life to supporting founders at this stage.”
Reflecting on the journey, Shah said, “Starting over again wasn’t easy, but this fund is both a fresh beginning and a tribute to the founders who dared to take early risks on themselves. Zeropearl VC is built to back the next wave of leaders shaping India’s future.”
Aman Gupta, Co-founder & CMO of boAt, said, “I’ve known Bipin for 7 years, and what has always stood out is how deeply founder-friendly he is. At the pre-seed stage, when no one is picking up your call and it’s just you against the world, Bipin is that guy who shows up. Now, as he takes the solo GP plunge, I’m excited to back him and see him build a genuine pre-seed institution.”
