Rs 175 Cr fund launched by 888VC for AI, deep-tech, sustainability startups in India

An investment fund worth Rs 175 crore has been launched by 888 VC, an early-stage accelerator fund.

Targeting visionary founders whose innovations are solving local issues and have the potential to revolutionize global markets, the funds are intended to support nations’ next generation of deep tech, artificial intelligence, and sustainability startups.

Focusing on technologies that can scale to high-growth ecosystems like the US, the UAE, and beyond, the company intends to invest in Indian startups with an average investment size of between Rs 2 crore and Rs 4 crores over the course of the next three years.

888VC also unveiled GRO8, the region’s largest cross-border investment and mentorship platform. Designed to address a crucial gap in the early-age startup ecosystem, like access to capital, mentorship, and market connections.

As per a market research, AI startups in India are projected to cross $17 billion by 2027; deep tech funding is said to have grown 2.5X in the last 3 years, driven by enterprise SaaS and frontier technologies, and sustainability startups have attracted approximately $2.5 billion in 2024 alone.

Founded and led by Rohit Bafna, 888VC combines deep industry expertise with a hands-on approach to scale startups. The VC firm is focused on innovation in artificial intelligence, deep tech, and sustainability. Operating actively in India, UAE, and the US, the fund aims to catalyze the growth of category-defining startups and enable scalable global expansion.

888VC, which was founded and is run by Rohit Bafna, combines extensive industry knowledge with a hands-on approach to help startups grow. The venture capital firm focuses on deep tech, sustainability, and AI innovation. With active operations in the US, India, and the United Arab Emirates, the fund seeks to support scalable international expansion and spur the development of category-defining startups.

The venture capital firm claims to have invested in more than 20 businesses, assessed 500 startups, and disbursed more than $12 million in syndicated capital. The accelerator fund currently maintains a portfolio valued at more than $500 million.