Caspian looks to invest up to Rs 500 cr in startups this year

Impact investment agency Caspian is trying to almost double its debt investments in startups to round ₹500 crore this fiscal 12 months, with a key shift in focus in the direction of ventures led or owned by ladies.

The Hyderabad-based investor, which presently has round ₹550 crore of funds obtainable at its disposal, may also concentrate on ventures which offer services and products which might be non-discretionary, like agri-business, clear vitality, training, well being and microlending, that are among the many least impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic.

Caspian’s new investments fell within the just-ended fiscal 12 months to ₹344 crore, from ₹424 crore in 2019-20 and ₹392 crore the 12 months earlier than, with hardly 5 months of lively operations amid the pandemic. Cumulatively, it has invested round ₹2,000 crore as debt in 154 corporations.

“We now have raised tier-II capital of ₹57 crore on the finish of final 12 months from US-based Worldwide Growth Finance Company and we now have sufficient liquidity of round ₹550 crore, each impression debt and venture debt put collectively,” managing director S Viswanatha Prasad instructed ET.

Other than trying to considerably enhance debt investments in the course of the present fiscal 12 months, Caspian can be eying fairness investments of round ₹75-100 crore in 3-4 ventures at a mean of ₹25-30 crore every, largely in monetary companies and clear vitality segments. “This 12 months, Caspian will put a big push as a class in the direction of lending to women-owned and women-managed companies or companies into services and products specializing in ladies,” Prasad stated.
Its goal is to make round 40% of recent funding in such companies, up from round 10-12% cumulative to this point.

Studying from experiences in the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, the impression investor has additionally determined to take a position largely in ventures whose fortunes should not depending on discretionary spending.