8i Ventures to double down on early-stage investments with Origami

8i Ventures, an early-stage venture capital fund, has announced the second edition of its pre-seed funding program Origami, aimed at supporting early-stage founders. The program’s first edition, launched in March 2024, saw the fund invest $600,000 across three startups: Cobalt, a SaaS platform for native integrations; Cautio, a fleet dashcam and video telematics platform; and another pre-launch startup.

According to 8i Ventures, the Origami program offers rapid access to funding, with a streamlined process that guarantees a response within one week, a term sheet in two weeks, and deal closure in just four weeks.

The firm recently announced the first close of its $50 million second fund, raising $25 million. Out of this, $10 million has been allocated to the Origami initiative.

8i Ventures seeks founders with a clear vision and a deep understanding of their customers' pain points. The firm aims to support teams with a well-rounded skill set, encompassing technology, product development, and sales, providing them with rapid funding and support to turn their ideas into successful businesses.

The venture fund boasts a strong track record with early-stage investments. For instance, its first investment of $200,000 in M2P Technologies delivered 36x returns, with M2P recently raising a round at an $800 million valuation. Other notable early investments include Slice, Easebuzz, and Bbetter, which have grown significantly after receiving seed funding from 8i Ventures.

Over the last decade, 8i Ventures and its partners have backed over 50 seed and early-stage startups, creating more than $5 billion in value for shareholders in India and globally. Their portfolio includes challenger brands such as Slice, Kodo, Blue Tokai, and Carwale.com (NSE: CARTRADE), as well as fintech enablers like M2P, Signzy, Easebuzz, BharatX, Transbnk, and EzeTap.