Warmup Ventures launches Rs 300 Cr founders-backed Fund II

Warmup Ventures has launched its second fund, Warmup Fund II, a SEBI-registered Category 2 AIF, with a corpus of Rs 300 crore.

The fund will focus on transformative areas such as deep-tech, climate, and sustainability and plans to invest Rs 5–7 crore each in 25-30 early-stage startups across sectors, with a significant provision for follow-on rounds, Warmup Ventures said in a press release.

Co-founded by Sharad Bansal, Rajendra Lora, and Yogesh Chaudhary, Warmup Ventures aims to bridge the gap between India’s rich business heritage and its burgeoning innovation economy. By engaging family offices and second-generation entrepreneurs, the fund creates a unique platform that connects legacy businesses with future-forward startups.

Warmup Ventures has backed over 15 startups. These include Bobabhai, scaling to more than 45 stores nationwide; Nitro Commerce, now hosting over 200 brands; Minimines, a Li-ion battery recycling startup; RocketPay, a simplified payment collection app with over 5,000 merchants onboard; and Balwaan Krishi, which secured Rs 40 crore from JM Financial to advance agritech solutions for small and mid-size farmers.

Warmup Ventures looks to go beyond funding by equipping early-stage founders with the knowledge and networks to make informed decisions and scale faster. The VC firm says that it harnesses the collaborative power of its network to create value for both portfolio startups and investors.