January 24, 2025: Sector-Differentiated Pre-Seed fund VC – Eximius Ventures $30M Fund II has set a targets to invest in 25-30 companies across fintech, artificial intelligence (AI)/software-as-a-service (SaaS), frontier tech, and consumer tech, with an initial $500,000 cheque.
The company claims as a pre-seed stage fund, they support startups in their earliest stages and write “Cheque Zero”
So, far the Fund II led by Agarwal and Preeti Sampat, has deployed its funds in four firms focussed on consumer tech and AI/SaaS, with Eximius Ventures leading or co-leading these investments with participation from institutional investors. Eximius says it follows a focused pre-seed investment approach compared to cohort-driven or spray-and-pray strategies.
“At a time when funding is becoming increasingly selective, Eximius is doubling down on pre-seed startups, with an aim to drive momentum in India’s innovation ecosystem,” Pearl Agarwal, Founder and Managing Partner at Eximius Ventures, said.
Agarwal added “Our goal is to bridge the gap for founders seeking their first institutional capital while enabling them to thrive in a competitive global market.” Agarwal.
Eximius Ventures $10 M Fund I invests in 23 Firms
Its inaugural $10 million Fund I, launched in 2021, has invested in 23 companies, with around 60% of firms securing multiple up-rounds from global investors. Fund II will build on the success of Fund I with a similar strategy, drawing capital from a diverse range of limited partners, including high-net-worth individuals, founder-investors, family offices, and global Japanese corporate venture firms.
Eximius Ventures investments portfolio include Jar, a micro-savings app; Finarkein, a data analytics platform; Vegapay, a platform enabling financial institutions and fintechs; and Stan, a gamified platform for gamers, creators, and fans.
Agarwal pointed out that the VC firm explore firms led by seasoned operators and entrepreneurs, providing solutions with a first principle mindset and exceptional execution capacity in a large market.
The Venture Capital firm has reserved half of the corpus for follow-on investments to support high-potential portfolio companies.