Eximius Ventures Launches $30M Fund to Accelerate Tech Founders' Growth

Eximius Ventures, a venture capital firm focused on pre-seed investments, has announced the launch of its second fund, Fund II, with a targeted corpus of $30 million. The new fund aims to invest in 25-30 startups across sectors including fintech, artificial intelligence (AI), software-as-a-service (SaaS), frontier tech, and consumer tech. Each selected startup will receive an initial cheque of $500K, with half of the fund's corpus reserved for follow-on investments to support high-potential portfolio companies.

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Focused Investment Strategy

Fund II has already begun its investments in four companies in the consumer tech and AI/SaaS sectors. These investments reflect the firm's strategic approach to identifying and nurturing the next wave of disruptors. Eximius Ventures remains committed to its philosophy of focused pre-seed investments, avoiding the cohort-driven or spray-and-pray approach often seen in early-stage funding.

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Pearl Agarwal’s Vision for Fund II

Commenting on the launch of Fund II, Pearl Agarwal, the Founder and Managing Partner at Eximius Ventures, stated, “At a time when funding is becoming increasingly selective, Eximius is focusing on pre-seed startups to drive momentum in India’s innovation ecosystem. We avoid the 'spray and pray' mentality, especially at the earliest stages, and instead concentrate on backing bold, thesis-driven ideas. Our goal is to bridge the gap for founders seeking their first institutional capital, while enabling them to thrive in a competitive global market.”

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Experienced Leadership and Team

Led by Pearl Agarwal and Preeti Sampat, with a combined investment experience of over 25 years, Eximius Ventures has a diversified team of eight members, each focused on specific sectors. This approach allows the firm to develop deep insights and identify the most promising founders and ideas, providing early-stage support to scale and succeed. The investment committee includes sector experts with over 40 years of operating and financial experience.

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Scaling Support for Innovators

Following the success of its inaugural $10 million fund launched in 2021, Fund II will further scale Eximius Ventures' support for innovators. The fund will draw capital from a diverse mix of limited partners (LPs), including high-net-worth individuals (HNIs), founder-investors, family offices, and global Japanese corporate venture companies (CVCs).

Impressive Track Record from Fund I

Eximius Ventures’ Fund I has invested in 23 companies, with around 60% securing multiple up-rounds from prominent global investors, delivering an internal rate of return (IRR) greater than 40%. Fund II will build on the success of Fund I with a similar strategy, targeting companies led by seasoned operators and entrepreneurs with exceptional execution capacity in large markets. Some standout investments include:

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• Jar: A micro-savings app democratizing access to digital gold for India’s next billion users.
• Finarkein: A workflow orchestration and data analytics platform at the forefront of the account aggregator revolution.
• Vegapay: A plug-and-play credit card platform for financial institutions and fintechs.
• Stan: A gamified engagement platform for gamers, creators, and fans to connect and trade.

Shaping the Future of Innovation

Eximius Ventures is a pre-seed stage venture capital fund investing in disruptive founders and operators building global companies from India. The fund takes a thesis-driven approach to investing in frontier tech, fintech, AI/SaaS, and consumer tech, with a commitment to creating long-term value. Through its dedicated approach, Eximius Ventures continues to shape the next wave of innovation and support visionary founders on their entrepreneurial journey.