Navam Capital closes maiden fund at Rs 315 Cr

Navam Capital has announced the final close of its maiden fund, Navam Venture Fund-I (NVF-I), with the early-stage Category II AIF raising Rs 250 crore and exercising its green shoe option to close at over Rs 315 crore ($35 million).

The venture capital (VC) firm has already invested in eight startups and plans to back 15–16 in total. The India-focused fund will back intellectual-property-led deep-technology startups built in India for global markets, spanning areas such as advanced computing, semiconductors, robotics, drone technology, space technology, industrial automation, enterprise AI, climate tech, and materials science.

According to Navam Capital, NVF-I has attracted a diversified limited partner base, including technology founders, industrial groups and conglomerates, business operators, and family offices.

Launched in 2008 by Rajeev Mantri, the Kolkata-based Navam Capital focuses on early-stage investments in frontier technologies and science-driven innovation. It is largely backed by domestic capital, with commitments from family offices, corporate groups, ultra-high-net-worth individuals, and technology founders.

The fund typically writes first cheques of Rs 5–8 crore at the seed and pre-Series A stages, while keeping capital aside for follow-on rounds. The VC firm also selectively participates in Series A and Series B rounds to maintain stage diversity in its portfolio.

The fund’s portfolio includes startups working on reconfigurable computing architectures, swarm robotics, multi-sensor satellite imaging, quantum-safe cybersecurity hardware, AI-driven industrial inspection systems, advanced drones, and novel sensing technologies.