Integrated incubator Venture Catalysts announced that it has invested Rs 500 crore across 63 deals in 2019.

According to a statement released by the company, since 2016, Venture Catalysts mentored more than 14,000 startups across 27 cities.

The platform, with a network of over 5,000 angels spread across Tier II and III cities, has closed about 171 deals so far with portfolio investments reaching $1.7 billion in valuation.

Commenting on the investments, Dr Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, President and Co-founder of Venture Catalysts, said, 

“Venture Catalysts identified the investment potential among High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs) from small towns who, till a few years ago, invested only in stock markets and real estate. But, since the sub-prime crisis of 2008, this category of investors was looking for a new class of assets that could give them better ROI.”

Startups funded by Venture Catalysts are claimed to have employed over 2,165 people directly. It also said that it has invested in 11 companies so far, helping more than 31,600 micro-entrepreneurs. Some of these companies include Cleansecar.com, Cleardekho, Supr, Rare Planet, Fashor, and Playtoome, among others.

This year, Venture Catalysts had also announced its expansion to the UK, and its partnership with JPIN. Venture Catalysts, together with the Euro-Asia-focussed VC, startup mentor, and global advisory, had planned to build a Euro-Asia corridor for angel investors to invest and nurture early-stage Indian ventures. 

Venture Catalysts claims to have facilitated over two million SMEs by helping them manage payments, working capital needs, supply chains and revenue leakages. These include around 14 portfolio companies including BharatPe, nupay, Blowhorn, Coutloot, Adurcup, and Jumpstart, said the statement.

The company's portfolio also included about seven fintech companies such as LenDenClub, Home Capital, Ideal Insurance, LiquiLoans, and OTO Capital, financed by Venture Catalysts. These startups in total have enabled over 20 million UPI transactions amounting to $19 million in microloans and deep distribution of insurance.

(Edited by Saheli Sen Gupta)