Callapina Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm, has launched a Rs 33 crore ($4 million) fund to back seed to pre-series and A rounds, the firm announced on Monday.
Launched by Hurun India founder Anas Rahman Junaid and Konglo Ventures co-founder Vinod Jose, Callapina Capital Fund I will keep a sector-agnostic view and focus on seed to pre-series A-stage companies, with typical ticket sizes ranging from Rs 1-2 crore.
The fund aims to make 15 investments over two years, with a primary focus on Indian companies and global companies founded by Indian founders. The fund I will also look for B2B (business to business), SaaS (software as a service), and tech-enabled companies with an India-to-global model.
The co-founders, Junaid and Jose have syndicated Rs 50 crore into 24 startups and secured 4 exits, over the last nine years.
"Over the next decade, India Inc is going to register the biggest value creation in its history. Many wealth creators are setting up family offices and professionals (in India and abroad) are becoming active angel investors. This could push India's startup ecosystem to the next level. Callapina along with Hurun India will add value to startups via capital and strategic access to our network,” said Junaid.
Jose has over 15 years of experience in international management consulting and technology and has worked with private equity funds, corporates, and family offices. He founded Konglo Ventures in 2013. The angel network consists of over 150 global investors, mostly from the Indian diaspora. Jose also serves as Principal with Amane Advisors, a global strategy consulting firm focused on the water sector.
Junaid is known as the founder of Hurun India, which publishes the "Hurun India Rich List", "Hurun Unicorn Index" and "Hurun Future Unicorn Index" annually and has evaluated more than 2,500 companies in India across various sectors. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford and is currently based between Mumbai, India and Dubai, UAE. Junaid has extensive experience in corporate valuation, private equity fundraising, and deal structuring.
