India-focused private markets investment firm Novastar Partners has invested an undisclosed amount in A Junior VC (AJVC), an early-stage venture capital fund founded by Aviral Bhatnagar.
The investment will help Novastar expand its portfolio across India’s private markets, with a focus on high-quality funds and businesses operating in technology and tech-enabled sectors.
Novastar said the investment will enable AJVC to continue backing startups within India’s pre-seed ecosystem and strengthen its platform for supporting companies at the earliest stages of their growth. The deal will also provide Novastar with exposure to early-stage businesses across areas including artificial intelligence, healthcare, deeptech, consumer technology and brands.
AJVC currently manages a corpus of around Rs 165 crore and has invested in more than 35 companies. The fund plans to back over 85 companies during its investment period.
Founded by Dhruv Jhunjhunwala, Novastar Partners invests across India’s private markets through private equity and venture capital funds, along with select direct investments in private companies. Its investment strategy places particular emphasis on technology and tech-enabled businesses.
AJVC, founded by Aviral Bhatnagar, focuses on pre-seed investments in Indian startups. The fund says it uses a programmatic and technology-driven approach to support founders from the early stages of building their companies.
