Merak Ventures

Merak Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm based in New Delhi, India, with an additional office in Singapore. The firm is dedicated to investing in seed-stage, B2B, and emerging technology companies that are focused on solving real-world problems and creating large-scale impact. While sector-agnostic, Merak Ventures proactively seeks opportunities in themes such as ClimateTech, InsurTech, SaaS, Life Sciences, Information Technology, Aerospace, Financial Services, Healthcare, and Artificial Intelligence.

Founded in 2022 by experienced fund managers Manu Rikhye and Sheetal Bahl, Merak Ventures launched with a target corpus of $100 million for its debut fund. Both founders bring a decade of experience investing in the Indian startup ecosystem, having previously led growX Ventures. Their investment philosophy emphasizes a disciplined, thesis-led approach to backing companies that demonstrate both financial viability and significant societal or environmental impact.

The firm typically writes initial cheques ranging from USD 0.5 million to USD 1.5 million, with the potential for follow-on investments of up to USD 5 million in subsequent funding rounds. Merak Ventures focuses on Pre-Seed, Seed, and Pre-Series A stage companies. Their portfolio includes notable investments in companies like Bellatrix (Spacetech), TruDoc (virtual-first healthcare), OneStack and Progcap (Fintech), Zuddl (virtual events/SaaS), RACE (battery swapping/green mobility), Meddo (healthcare clinics), Immensitas/Lemnisk (marketing automation/SaaS), 4baseCare (cancer gene panel/biotechnology), NeoSapien (AI wearables), Atomgrid, AbleCredit, FarmTheory, and Cynlr (robotics/visual intelligence).

The team at Merak Ventures, including partners Manu Rikhye and Sheetal Bahl, along with principals and analysts, brings diverse expertise in investment, fund operations, and brand communications. They are committed to not only providing capital but also acting as mentor-partners, offering hands-on support and strategic guidance to founders building breakthrough technologies in India's rapidly evolving startup landscape.