General Catalyst plans to invest between $500 million and $1 billion in India over the coming years, leveraging a deeper understanding of the local ecosystem. Consequently, the Venture Highway brand will be discontinued.
US-based General Catalyst, a prominent investor in the region, has merged with Venture Highway, an early-stage venture capital firm in India, to enhance their presence in the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem. Industry sources had reported in January that the two VC funds were negotiating a deal. Venture Highway, founded by Neeraj Arora, former WhatsApp business head, has been an early backer of major startups such as Meesho, Cred, MPL, and ShareChat.
Following the merger, the Venture Highway brand will be rebranded as General Catalyst India, according to Priya Mohan, General Partner at Venture Highway. The combined entity aims to create a powerful venture platform to support the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs.
Venture Highway’s portfolio companies will continue to receive support, now under the General Catalyst India banner, with no changes to their service. Most of the capital from Venture Highway’s third fund (VH Fund 3) has been deployed, and new investments will be made under the General Catalyst name. General Catalyst will also consider follow-on investments in Venture Highway’s existing portfolio.
Arora and Mohan will lead General Catalyst’s efforts in India. Over recent months, General Catalyst has intensified its focus on the Indian market, including leading a $2.75 million round in Jeh Aerospace. Led by Hemant Taneja, General Catalyst also backs Cred, Uni, Spinny, Orange Health, FarMart, and Loop Health in India. In April, it was reported that Anand Chandrasekaran, who led India investments for General Catalyst, stepped down as the VC fund was closing a new $6 billion fund for tech startups. A portion of this fresh capital will be directed towards Indian startups.
Read More: Click Here
