In a significant development for India’s burgeoning AI sector, Aakrit Vaish, the co-founder of Haptik, has partnered with investor Pratyush Choudhury to establish a new $75 million venture fund named Activate. This fund aims to bolster early-stage AI and deep-tech startups across India, reflecting a growing confidence in the country’s potential to cultivate home-grown AI innovations. The announcement was reported by The Economic Times.
Activate is specifically designed to focus on venture capital investments in AI, deep-tech, and foundational technologies. It plans to allocate between US$500,000 and US$3 million per startup or founding team, frequently at the ideation stage or prior to formal incorporation. The central mission is to empower what Vaish describes as “technical crack teams” — founders who possess profound understanding of AI or deep technology — by providing them with early resources to develop infrastructure, tools, or applications.
The individuals spearheading Activate bring substantial experience to the table. Aakrit Vaish previously co-founded Haptik, a venture that significantly advanced conversational AI in India and was acquired by a major conglomerate in 2019. Pratyush Choudhury, a former principal investor at a venture capital firm, has extensive background in assessing and investing in early-stage tech startups. Reports indicate that the fund has secured backing from a global network of investors, which includes notable angels, former founders, and VC firms. This diverse support network could offer portfolio companies essential access to mentorship, infrastructure, and links to international markets.
Activate is poised to address a crucial gap in India’s startup ecosystem: the lack of early-stage funding and support for deep-tech and AI-native enterprises. Many such companies find it challenging to secure financing before they generate a product or revenue. By investing in “pre-company” teams, Activate could catalyze a wave of new enterprises focused on foundational AI ventures rather than merely consumer apps and services. This initiative signals an increasing investor belief in India’s technical talent, suggesting that startups backed by Activate may benefit from world-class mentorship and pathways to international expansion.
The types of startups that Activate may choose to fund include those focused on infrastructure and foundational AI, such as data platforms, computing solutions, and tools for model training and deployment. Additionally, the fund is likely to support foundational models tailored to Indian languages and regional needs, a significant gap in the global AI landscape. Potential investments may also cover AI-driven enterprise tools, including machine learning platforms, automation, analytics, and deep-tech integrations. Furthermore, robotics and hardware-software hybrids requiring a blend of engineering and AI will likely fall within Activate’s investment scope.
As the fund progresses, stakeholders can anticipate announcements regarding its initial investments and the emergence of fledgling AI startups that will benefit from Activate’s support. This initiative may represent a pivotal shift in India’s investment landscape from consumer-driven app funding to a deeper focus on infrastructure-oriented, AI-first ventures.
For founders operating in AI and deep technology, Activate could serve as a vital lifeline, providing much-needed resources at critical early stages. For investors, the fund signals an escalating confidence in India’s ability to generate serious AI innovation. As a whole, Activate’s launch has the potential to create long-term impacts within the tech ecosystem, propelling India towards the development of sustainable, home-grown AI infrastructure.
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