Indian internet major Info Edge has announced the launch of a new growth-stage investment vehicle, committing Rs 250 crore as initial capital. The fund, named B8 Fund-I, is the company’s first dedicated vehicle aimed specifically at investing in later-stage startups.
The company has indicated that the fund may also bring in external sponsors, which could increase the total corpus beyond the initial Rs 250 crore commitment.
Expanding Beyond Early-Stage Investing
Over the years, Info Edge has built a strong presence in early-stage startup investing through multiple platforms. These include:
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Info Edge Ventures, which has raised Rs 2,300 crore across three funds
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Capital 2B, managing a corpus of Rs 280 crore
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Redstart Labs, focused on AI-led startups
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Direct investments made from the company’s own balance sheet
Through these platforms, Info Edge has backed startups such as Gnani AI, Ixigo, Shiprocket, Zingbus, and Truemeds during their early growth phases. From its balance sheet, the company was also an early investor in Zomato and Policybazaar, both of which later became publicly listed companies.
Focus on Growth-Stage Companies
The newly launched B8 Fund-I will focus on investing in growth-stage, technology-enabled businesses based in India or primarily serving the Indian market. The fund has been registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund and will have a tenure of eight years from its first closing. In May last year, Info Edge’s shareholders approved a plan allowing the company to invest up to Rs 1,000 crore in the third fund of Info Edge Ventures, reinforcing its long-term commitment to building an institutional investment platform.
The Info Edge Ventures funds are managed in a 50:50 partnership with Temasek, Singapore’s sovereign wealth fund.
Financial Snapshot
For the quarter ended December 31, Info Edge reported operating revenue of Rs 819 crore. Its net profit rose 10 percent year-on-year to Rs 317 crore, compared to Rs 288 crore in the same quarter last year. With the launch of B8 Fund-I, Info Edge is broadening its investment approach, moving beyond early-stage bets to support startups as they scale into more mature growth phases.
-By Shivani Solanki
