9Unicorns, set up by incubator and accelerator Venture Catalysts, has appointed investor Vinod Keni as partner.
As a part of his role, Keni will be responsible for developing the portfolio of 9Unicorn’s first fund, which was launched in 2019. He will also focus on creating a fundraising and LP (limited partner) network, the firm said in a statement.
“The opportunity to join a team that is committed to fostering innovation and supporting growth of startups is inspiring,” said Keni.
In his career spanning three decades, Keni has worked across investment advisory services, angel investing, stakeholder management, mergers and acquisitions, and venture capital. Most recently, he also founded investment banking firm Peachtree Capital Partners.
He was also leading Indian Angel Network’s second fund, but resigned last year in April.
“His experience and track record in the investment landscape makes him an invaluable addition to our team,” said Apoorva Ranjan Sharma, co-founder of 9Unicorns.
Keni has invested in companies such as AgniKul Cosmos, ActivityHero and SureWaves MediaTech, and has also held advisory and board positions in startups such as Roundglass, LenDenClub, Kabaddi Adda, Artha Venture Fund, MyCFO India, Indian Angel Network, and Zeus Financial Holdings LLC.
“As we expand our footprint globally, Vinod's expertise will be crucial in strengthening our presence in the USA market,” Sharma added.
The development comes after VCCircle reported former 9Unicorns partner Soham Avlani, who had joined Venture Catalysts in 2017, leaving the VC fund earlier this year. The fund is likely to rope in another partner, VCCircle had reported.
9Unicorns,which is an investor in logistics unicorn Shiprocket, electric cab operator BluSmart, edtech unicorn Vedantu, revenue-based financing platform Klub, and gold loan platform Rupeek, among others, marked its maiden fund’s fifth close in 2022 with a corpus of $100 million.
The fund invests $300,000-1 million to startups in the first round, with an option to invest further $500,000-2 million in successive rounds.
