Aviral Bhatnagar’s AJVC Secures ?100 Cr Fund to Boost Early-Stage Startups
Aviral Bhatnagar’s A Junior VC (AJVC) has raised its first Rs 100 crore fund to invest in early-stage startups in India. Bhatnagar, who earlier worked at Venture Highway, started AJVC after his former firm was acquired by General Catalyst in 2024.?
The fund will support 12-15 startups every year, focusing on AI, SaaS, and consumer tech. It is mainly backed by Indian investors, including family offices and tech founders. AJVC offers Rs 1.5 crore for a 9% stake in startups and has already invested in nine companies, including some in smaller cities like Assam and Jharkhand.
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Who is A Junior VC (AJVC)?
A Junior VC (AJVC) started as a content platform analyzing startups and venture capital trends in India. Over time, it evolved into a MicroVC firm, recently raising a Rs 100 crore fund to invest in pre-seed startups across sectors like AI, SaaS, and consumer tech.
Founded by Aviral Bhatnagar, AJVC focuses on early-stage investments, offering Rs 1.5 crore for a 9% stake in startups. The fund is backed mainly by Indian family offices, tech founders, and investment executives. With a long-term vision and patient investing approach, AJVC aims to bridge India’s early-stage funding gap and support innovation beyond metro cities.
Why is This Funding Significant?
This funding targets the pre-seed stage, which remains largely untapped in India’s startup ecosystem. While later-stage funding is more common, early-stage startups often struggle to secure capital. AJVC’s Rs 100 crore fund helps bridge this gap, supporting 12-15 startups annually in emerging sectors like AI, SaaS, and consumer tech.
Additionally, the fund is mostly backed by domestic investors, showing a growing maturity of Indian capital in venture funding. The oversubscription of the fund also highlights strong investor confidence read more...