SIDBI Venture Capital Fund announces First Close of ₹1,600 Crore Antariksh Venture Capital Fund SVCL’s 12th Fund, Anchored By IN-SPACe, Is Focused On Spacetech Startups

SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd (SVCL), a 100% subsidiary of SIDBI, announces the first close of the Antariksh Venture Capital Fund (AVCF) at ₹1,005 crore, anchored by ₹1,000 crore from IN-SPACe. Registered as a Category II AIF with a 10-year tenure, AVCF, will invest across early and growth stages in Indian spacetech enterprises spanning launch systems, satellites and payloads, in-space services, ground services, earth observation, communications and downstream applications. This initiative, SVCL’s 12th VC fund, advances the national objective of building a US$44 billion space economy by 2033.

AVCF is being launched with a target corpus of ₹1,600 crore. Following the execution of the Contribution Agreement with IN-SPACe as an anchor investor, SVCL has declared the first close and will now mobilise additional commitments from domestic and international investors, including institutional and sovereign investors, under the green-shoe option.

SVCL’s objectives are closely aligned with the country's key priorities and SIDBI’s mission to support MSMEs. This milestone will further advance the aims set out in India’s Space Vision 2047, driving technological progress and fostering greater involvement of private enterprises throughout the entire spectrum of space sector activities.

Shri Arup Kumar, Managing Director and CEO, SVCL stated, “SVCL’s journey dates to 1999 with the National Venture Fund for Software & IT Industry as its first VC fund. Over the years, SVCL-managed funds have backed category-defining companies, including unicorns like BillDesk and Data Patterns. The Antariksh Venture Capital Fund, India’s largest spacetech-focused fund and among the largest globally, will play an instrumental role in advancing national space capability and competitiveness.”

About SIDBI: Since its formation in 1990, SIDBI has been touching the lives of citizens across various strata of society through its integrated, innovative and inclusive approach. SIDBI has directly or indirectly impacted the lives of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) through various credit and developmental measures whether they are traditional, domestic small entrepreneurs, bottom-of-the-pyramid entrepreneurs, or high-end knowledge-based entrepreneurs.

About SVCL :Established in 1999, SIDBI Venture Capital Limited (SVCL) is the investment management subsidiary of SIDBI, India’s apex financing institution for MSMEs, managing SEBI registered Alternative Investment Funds to provide patient, governance-led risk capital to startups and MSMEs. Working with Central and State Governments, public institutions and private investors, SVCL has launched twelve venture capital funds till date to nurture innovation, enable responsible scale-up and employment, complementing SIDBI’s credit and developmental measures to strengthen India’s MSME and startup ecosystem.