Vertex Ventures steps up India bets; eyes AI, fintech deals

Vertex Ventures’ Southeast Asia and India-focused fund has ramped up its investment activity in India, with a focused approach on AI-led businesses, fintech, and consumer brands. Following a slump in the broader funding environment for two years, the fund has seen a surge in deal-making since late last year.

“The last six months have been super active for us. Toward the end of 2023, as the market slowed, we ramped up conversations with high-quality founders. The first half of 2024 was spent building our pipeline and thesis, making the latter half intentionally hectic,” said Piyush Kharbanda, general partner at the fund.