|
Listen : Audio version of this article
|
Venture Catalysts, India’s leading, largest and pioneering integrated incubator and accelerator platform, has been conferred with the coveted ‘Hall of Fame Award’ for leading institutional angel investing in India. The award was handed over by Mr. Narayan Murty, Infosys co-founder, in the presence of a select panel comprising business pioneers like Ratan Tata, AtulNisar (Hexaware Technologies), and Harish Mehta (founder of Nascom and Onward Technologies).The award ceremony also witnessed the presence of some of India’s top entrepreneurs and angel investors.
Established in 2016, Venture Catalysts holds the distinction of being India’s first integrated incubator. The company started its operations at a time when angel investing was still a novel concept. Over the years, Venture Catalysts has revolutionized the startup sector, offering funding support and mentorship to thousands of up-and-coming companies in the country. Today, it has more than 5000 angels across 27 cities. In 2019 alone, the venture capital firm funded 63 deals, reached an invested figure of INR 500 crore and crossed the USD 1.2 billion landmark of cumulative value for its portfolio companies.
Expressing his delight, Mr.Anuj Golecha, Co-founder, Venture Catalysts, said, “We are thrilled to have been recognized and facilitated for our efforts at such a reputed platform. When we began our journey, the angel investing landscape in India was nascent. While a handful of startup incubators were operating, their reach was restricted to only the metropolitans. We not only created an ever-expanding network of angel investors, but also managed to democratize the startup ecosystem in the country. The award is a testament to the dedication shown by the entire VCats community and we look forward to setting new benchmark in the future.”
Venture Catalysts has established 10 incubator centers in India to date, while associating with 40+ international funds to bring international exposure to home-grown startups. Other prominent companies in its portfolio are BharatPe, Beardo, HomeCapital, Supr, FYND, Innov8, PeeSafe, IGP.com, Coutloot and BlowHorn.