A Junior VC (AJVC), the pre-seed venture capital firm founded by Aviral Bhatnagar, has announced the final close of its maiden fund with commitments crossing ₹200 crore more than double its original ₹100 crore target.
The fund’s close reflects surging investor appetite for India’s pre-seed ecosystem, where first-time founders are driving the next wave of innovation.
Scaling Pre-Seed Investing
In just one year, AJVC has emerged as one of the country’s most active early-stage investors. The firm reviewed over 11,000 applications and funded 25 startups across sectors. Over the coming years, it aims to support 60–70 more ventures in AI and consumer technology.
Its applicant pool spans 50+ cities, 6,000 colleges, and 4,000 companies, underscoring the depth of untapped entrepreneurial talent in India.
“We are deeply grateful to our LPs for their trust. While the fund was significantly oversubscribed, we remained disciplined, closing at nearly ₹165 crore. India is witnessing an unprecedented wave of first-time entrepreneurs, and venture capital must operate at an entirely new velocity to support them,” said Bhatnagar.
Community-First Model
Beyond capital, AJVC differentiates itself with a 600,000-strong founder network, structured resources worth ₹4 crore, and programs focused on customer acquisition and peer growth.
Its recent investments include Nuyug, a celebration-wear jewellery brand, and Mithila Foods, an FMCG startup rooted in Bihar’s culinary heritage.
Outlook
With this oversubscribed fund, AJVC is positioning itself as a frontrunner in India’s pre-seed landscape bridging capital, community, and capability for founders building the next wave of category-defining companies.
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