Warmup Ventures launches Rs 300 crore Fund II

Warmup Ventures, a founders-led fund, on Tuesday, announced the launch its second fund, Warmup Fund II, a SEBI registered category 2 AIF, with a corpus of Rs 300 crore. This fund will focus on deep-tech, climate and sustainability, and plans to invest Rs 5–7 crore each in 25-30 early-stage startups across sectors with a significant provision for follow-on rounds.

Warmup Ventures founded by Sharad Bansal, an IIT Delhi alumnus; Rajendra Lora, an IIIT Jabalpur alumnus and Yogesh Chaudhary, Director, Jaipur Rugs. Over the past 5-6 years, the trio has backed over 100 emerging startups through their combined angel investments.

Warmup Ventures aims to bridge the gap between India’s rich business heritage and its burgeoning innovation economy. By engaging family offices and second-generation entrepreneurs, the fund aims to create a unique platform that connects legacy businesses with future-forward startups.

Established in mid-2023 as a syndicate fund, Warmup Ventures has backed over 15 startups. These include Bobabhai, Nitro Commerce, MiniMines, RocketPay, and Balwaan Krishi.

Bansal said in a statement, “Having experienced the founder’s journey ourselves, we deeply understand the importance of the right capital in driving a venture’s success. At Warmup, we are dedicated to going beyond funding by equipping early-stage founders with the knowledge and networks to make informed decisions and scale faster.”

Lora said in a statement, “At Warmup, we harness the collaborative power of our network to create value for both portfolio startups and investors.”