Ex-Haptik CEO Aakrit Vaish launches $75 million fund to back AI
Aakrit Vaish, who previously led Jio Haptik and formerly advised the IndiaAI Mission, is set to launch Activate—a $75 million fund aimed at fueling India's fast-growing AI scene.
The fund is in the process of obtaining SEBI's approval as an Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), but it's already gearing up to back the next wave of AI startups.
Big names back Vaish's new venture
Activate has pulled in support from big names like General Catalyst, Aravind Srinivas (Perplexity), Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm), Harsh Jain (Dream 11), and Sandeep Nailwal (Polygon).
The team plans to invest $2-4 million in each startup focused on AI apps and tools.
They've even signed their first term sheet, so investments are about to get rolling.
Choudhury joins the cause
Vaish is teaming up with Pratyush Choudhury, who previously worked at Together Fund and leads a 3,000-strong AI developer community in India.
With their hands-on experience, they want to help startups move beyond just building infrastructure—and really push India's AI innovation forward.