Kairon Capital completes first close of maiden consumer fund

Kairon Capital, a consumer-focused venture capital firm founded by Deepankur Malhotra, has completed the first close of its inaugural fund.

The fund is targeting a total corpus of Rs 150 crore, with an additional Rs 50 crore greenshoe option. Kairon Capital has raised over 60% of the target corpus in the first close.

The firm’s investor base includes consumer startup founders, family offices, and strategic corporate investors. Other backers include founders from companies such as Innovist, Plix, Livspace, and XYXX, along with Emami Limited.

Kairon Capital plans to build a concentrated portfolio of around 14–15 companies. It will invest from seed to early Series A stages, with cheque sizes ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 14 crore, and will reserve capital for follow-on rounds.

The fund will focus on early-stage consumer businesses that have shown product-market fit. While category-agnostic within consumer, Kairon will prioritise brands with differentiated products and clear unit economics.

Malhotra brings experience across investment banking, private equity, and venture capital, with past investments in consumer companies such as Innovist, FreshToHome, XYXX, and Nat Habit. He has also worked on consumer-focused investments during his time at Amazon.

Kairon Capital has begun deploying capital and is currently evaluating multiple consumer startups. The firm is expected to announce its first investments in the coming months.