Capria Ventures, a venture capital firm, has announced its expanded investment focus on gen AI startups in India and the Global South. In collaboration with its US affiliate, Unitus Ventures, Capria Ventures will operate under a single global brand with a unified strategy and increased resources. The firm’s transition to the Capria brand will bring additional capital and global expertise from other Global South markets.
With this alignment, Capria Ventures will enhance its investment focus on India and implement a unified portfolio strategy across various stages of investment in the country. In addition to early-stage investments, the firm will now expand its focus to include early growth stage startups in fintech, HR tech, edtech, agritech, climate, and SaaS sectors.
Capria Ventures has already invested in 10 gen AI startups and plans to back over 30 more in the near future. These investments will be made in entrepreneurial hubs not only in India but also in other regions of the Global South. The firm believes that gen AI presents a significant opportunity for the region, and more than 75% of its future investments will be placed in applied gen AI companies.
Will Poole, Managing Partner of Capria Ventures, stated, We’re Global South specialists who invested through the mobile revolution and now see gen AI as an even bigger opportunity for the Global South. We started embracing gen AI shortly after the release of ChatGPT. Going forward, more than 75% of our investments will be placed in applied gen AI companies.
Capria Ventures will continue to invest in leading emerging tech hubs in the Global South, including cities such as Mexico City, São Paulo, Buenos Aires, Cairo, Lagos, Nairobi, Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, and Ho Chi Minh City.
Unitus Ventures, founded in 2012, has primarily invested in early-stage startups in domains like fintech, SaaS, and climatetech. Earlier this year, the firm raised over INR 75 crore ($10 million) as the first close of its INR 300 crore ($40 million) Opportunity Fund.
With offices in Seattle, Bengaluru, Nairobi, and Washington DC, Capria Ventures is a global venture capital investment platform focused on early-growth startups in India, Southeast Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The firm also achieved the first close of its target $100 million fund earlier this year to support tech startups across various regions.
This year, numerous VC, angel, and PE investors have announced 52 funds worth more than $3.8 billion to support Indian startups at different stages. Among them, 38% or 20 funds focus solely on early-stage startups, according to Inc42 data.
The collaboration between Capria Ventures and Unitus Ventures under a single global brand will not only provide more resources and expertise but also streamline their investment strategies in order to create more value for founders. The firms’ increased investment focus on gen AI startups in India and the Global South aims to capitalize on the immense potential of this emerging technology in these regions.
