Hyderabad Angel Fund (haf.vc) has announced a ₹100 crore venture capital drive aimed at backing high-potential early-stage startups across India, marking a renewed wave of confidence in the country’s investment ecosystem after a subdued 2024. The SEBI-registered Category I Venture Capital Fund seeks to support founders with both capital and strategic mentorship, while strengthening the role of regional funds in India’s expanding venture capital landscape.
The fund builds on the decade-long legacy of the Hyderabad Angels Network, one of India’s most established angel investor communities. By combining the flexibility of angel investing with the governance of institutional capital, HAF aims to invest in 15–20 startups across emerging, innovation-led sectors. These include Generative AI, gaming, space technology, drones, healthtech, fintech, consumer technology, enterprise SaaS and sustainability solutions. Investments will typically range from ₹2–4 crore per company, with additional reserves earmarked for follow-on rounds to help scale promising ventures. The fund has already issued term sheets to three startups and completed one investment.
“India’s early-stage ecosystem is showing renewed confidence, and regional funds are playing a pivotal role in that momentum,” said Kalyan Sivalenka, Managing Director at haf.vc. “With this ₹100 crore fund, we want to identify credible founders across India and help them build companies that are both innovative and sustainable.”
HAF has secured 62% of its intended corpus and is in advanced discussions for its first institutional investment, signalling strong interest from investors seeking exposure to early-stage innovation. The ₹100 crore target includes a ₹50 crore green-shoe option, allowing the fund to expand further depending on investor appetite.
Though rooted in Hyderabad’s entrepreneurial environment, haf.vc maintains a national investment mandate. The fund draws on a network of seasoned entrepreneurs, industry experts and angel investors, and follows an investment framework based on six key criteria: market scalability, founder capability, innovation strength, customer access, ecosystem connectivity and long-term value creation.
“India’s startup landscape is evolving beyond the metros, and funds like haf.vc are instrumental in enabling that shift,” said Rathnakar Samavedam, Investment Director and Compliance Officer. “By combining mentorship, collaboration and institutional capital, we aim to build a stronger, more inclusive investment ecosystem.”
With its new initiative, Hyderabad Angel Fund hopes to play a meaningful role in India’s early-stage revival by backing startups that demonstrate sustainable business models and clear market potential.
