Who we are

We invest in passionate founders using technology to push boundaries and create a better world.

It will take technological breakthroughs to address the greatest problems of our time. Technology has the power to change lives and make our planet greener - but technology alone can’t make that happen. The power of technology relies on entrepreneurs with a vision to create and transform markets.

The entrepreneurs we back see opportunities where others see problems too hard and complex to tackle. These entrepreneurs are pioneers in overlooked and untapped markets. They bring about innovations that have the potential to challenge conventions. They aspire to have an impact on the world. They’re fundamentally nonconformists, risk-takers, and long-term value creators.

Rema Subramanian, Ritu Verma, Krishnan Neelakantan, Shiva Shanker, Shreyansh Singhal, Deepak Bhatt, Nikita Anand

How we work

We go beyond capital to realize founder vision from seed to scale.

We chose our name to reflect what we do. Ankur means to sprout in Sanskrit.

We come in early in the entrepreneur’s journey - often times before the product is perfected or a patent is filed. So, we roll up our sleeves and work in the trenches alongside our founders. From navigating strategic questions to providing door-opening introductions, we deliver outsized support to our founder community. We call our in-house platform to accelerate company building AnkurGro.

What we invest in

We invest at the edge of what many think is feasible or viable today.

We focus on entrepreneurs building companies in two key thematic areas:

Digital technology-led companies using technology to redefine and unlock markets
Deep science technology-led companies fundamentally changing how we do things

When it comes to digital, we look for founders establishing connections where they were not previously possible. Whether driven by infrastructure developments, ecosystem shifts, or upgrades in computational power, these entrepreneurs are using digital technology to increase accessibility and efficiency in overlooked markets.

When it comes to deep science tech, we look for founders using scientific advancements to leapfrog societal and environmental progress. To date, we’ve backed entrepreneurs with IP-led innovations in fields such as synthetic biology, artificial intelligence, and battery chemistry. From TRL 1-9, we scan for technologies with the potential to fundamentally disrupt or create markets.

We stay true to our core no matter what trends come and go.

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As early stage investors, we appreciate the importance of being strategically and operationally present with Founders on their journeys. While they follow their visions and chase individual dreams of impacting lives in their own unique ways, we aim to be there as facilitators, enablers, problem solvers, mediators and cheerleaders - always with an intent to catalyze progress. After all, their win is our win. To formalize and further strengthen these efforts into a platform, we are housing these activities under a new initiative called Ankur GRO.

Capital

We are focused on start-ups. Early stage investing is all we do!

Ankur provides flexible capital suited to creating the biggest impact. We are looking for innovative business models across various themes that can address core challenges across sectors such agritech, food, healthcare, financial, logistics, retail, education, among others. We deploy between $500K to $5 million. We also help our portfolio companies leverage our investment to raise additional capital from other investors.

Collaborate

Raising money alone is not enough; creating the scale and impact on ground is. We not only provide the capital but also the know-how that young companies need to thrive and grow.

Our portfolio acceleration team and venture advisors bring their years of experience to work with our investees to establish business fundamentals and set them up for scale. This team digs in alongside entrepreneurs to recruit talent, grapple with operational processes, assist in business development and be their strategic sounding board.

Connect

We may not have all the answers. But, the network we can leverage does.

As an Ankur portfolio company, you get access to our vast and diverse network. From experts in manufacturing, to energy efficiency; accountants to lawyers; rural marketers to publishing firms; HR consultants to scientists, we can put you in touch with people who will help answer your questions, expand your horizons and help your business grow.