Mumbai, December 13, 2024: Equentis Wealth Advisory Services, an established player in India’s investment advisory sector, has launched its inaugural Category I Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) – the Equentis Angel Fund. With a target corpus of INR 500 crore ($60 million), the Equentis Angel Fund is poised to back early-stage, high-growth Indian startups.
Focusing on Pre-Series A and Bridge-to-Series A rounds, the fund will make investments in the range of INR 4–10 crores ($500K–$1.2 million). Startups operating with a Total Addressable Market (TAM) of INR 8,000 crore ($1 billion) and a strong growth trajectory will be the core focus of the fund.
Over the next 18-24 months, Equentis’ Angel fund plans to invest in 40-50 startups, focusing on themes from Defence, Consumer Tech, Deep Tech, Logi Tech, Fin Tech & AI seeking growth capital to scale their businesses.
Sharing his views for the fund, Manish Goel, Founder & Managing Director of Equentis Wealth Advisory Services Limited, said, “Furthering our mission to democratize wealth creation, we have added Equentis Angel Fund, offering a broader financial ecosystem that fosters sustainable growth for both investors and entrepreneurs. This fund embodies our commitment to empower startups and driving meaningful contributions to India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem while creating lasting value for all stakeholders.”
India’s startup ecosystem is currently one of the most vibrant and expansive in the world. As of 2024, there were over 128,000 startups, making it the third largest globally. In 2024, startups already raised over $10 billion, and projections are that they will exceed $15 billion by year-end. Early-stage investments (Seed to Series A) secured significant funding with $3.28 Bn across 1,546 rounds till November. Angel Funds (Cat-I AIF, VCF) alone have raised around $1 Bn in investor commitments.
“With the launch of the Equentis Angel Fund, we are offering alternative investment avenues for investors that complement their existing portfolios. In response to the evolving needs of our investors and the wealth management landscape, we have taken a significant step by expanding from Investment Advisory to a full-spectrum Wealth Management Services, diversifying our business for a more robust future” said Rakesh Gupta, Chief Operation & Compliance Officer at Equentis Wealth Advisory Services Limited.
Equentis has made its first investment in a LogiTech Startup, Yatnavat Technologies Private Limited operating under the brand OORJAA.
Equentis has a team of established and seasoned professionals from Investment Banking, Private Equity, Market Research and Equity Research backgrounds to lead the investments. The fund’s Investment Committee, composed of industry veterans, will oversee key decisions to ensure strategic alignment and value creation.
To amplify the fund’s impact, Equentis is also seeking to partner similar funds, boutique/mid-market i-banks, startup accelerators and incubators.