11.30.21

Introducing Our India Fund

Announcing $220 million of new capital and the appointment of Nithin Kaimal as COO in India.

We have always believed that innovation and entrepreneurship are not limited to any single city or country. That’s why our platform of partners and portfolio companies spans the globe, enabling us to back diverse and dynamic founders and CEOs around the world.

Since opening our Bangalore office more than 15 years ago, Bessemer has had the opportunity to partner with more than 65 startups across a wide range of company stages and sectors in India. Today we’re excited to deepen our work in India with the launch of a $220 million dedicated fund, and the addition of Nithin Kaimal as Chief Operating Officer to help us back and support innovators in India. 

Companies like PharmEasy, the mobile pharmacy marketplace that we’ve backed from seed through their Series D; and Livspace, a personalized home design and décor marketplace. These two companies—together with other notable investments, like Swiggy, UrbanCompany, and BigBasket—are emblematic of India’s rapid growth and representative of the entrepreneurial ecosystem and rapid innovation spreading across the country. 

As we deploy this capital, you’ll see our partners follow our time tested approach of investing at the early-stage and backing these companies across every phase of their growth—this includes investments from our global BVP XI and Century growth funds, which collectively represent $3.3 billion.

While our new fund allows us to back even more startups, the addition of Nithin enables us to work more strategically and constructively with founders as they scale their companies. He brings nearly 20 years of expertise across private equity, management consulting and startups, and joins Bessemer from VixCap, an investment management firm he founded and led. Prior to VixCap, Nithin was senior director at India Resurgence Fund (IndiaRF), a leading India-focused investment platform, and began his career at McKinsey & Company.

Based in Bangalore, Nithin will work alongside our existing India team that includes Vishal Gupta, Anant Vidur Puri, and Mohammad Ibrahim Faruqi.

With our new fund and expanded team, we are excited to forge ahead in India and play an even deeper role in partnering with entrepreneurs and innovators as they build enduring companies.