Campus Fund Launches $100M Venture to Empower Student Innovators

BusinessWire India announced that Campus Fund, the only SEBI-registered AIF Category II venture capital fund in India exclusively supporting student and dropout-founded startups, has unveiled its third fund totaling $100 million. More than half of the fund's total is already committed, with two early investments completed.

Founded by serial entrepreneur Richa Bajpai, Campus Fund revolutionizes venture capital by supporting first-time founders during their university years, or shortly thereafter. Bajpai, who previously co-founded Goodera, conceptualized this initiative while at the London Business School in 2020. "Campus Fund is not merely a VC firm but a revolution to harness the talents thriving in academic environments," Bajpai stated.

This fund aims to invest in up to 60 startups over four years, issuing cheques ranging from Rs. 1 crore to Rs. 8 crore. With support from a network of 100+ student scouts and input from various family offices and institutions, Campus Fund pledges to prioritize emerging talent from non-traditional backgrounds. The venture is supported by notable backers such as Kanwaljit Singh and Asha Jadeja Motwani.

(With inputs from agencies.)