Avaana Capital expands leadership team amid accelerated deep tech investments
Avaana Capital expands leadership team amid accelerated deep tech investments
Avaana Capital, a Mumbai-based venture capital firm, has expanded its leadership team by appointing Vikas Verma and elevating Shruti Srivastava to partners. This move aims to enhance its operational capabilities as it begins deploying capital from its $135 million Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund, focusing on deep tech and sustainability investments.
These leadership changes come as the venture capital firm begins actively deploying capital from its Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund, which secured a final close of $135 million in late 2024
Mumbai-based Avaana Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm focused on deep technology and sustainability, has expanded its senior partnership team, in an attempt to deepen its operational capabilities. The firm today announced the appointment of Vikas Verma as partner and the elevation of Shruti Srivastava to the same role.
These leadership changes come as the venture capital firm begins actively deploying capital from its Avaana Climate and Sustainability Fund, which secured a final close of $135 million in late 2024.
Leadership expansion
The new appointments bring impressive domain expertise to the table, moving beyond standard financial oversight. Vikas Verma joins the partnership with a heavy-weight track record, having previously managed a global portfolio exceeding $1 billion at Sun Asset Management. His background covers critical sectors such as energy infrastructure, critical minerals, and AI. Verma has been associated with the fund previously as a Venture Partner and Investment Director.
Shruti Srivastava, who has been with Avaana since its early days, moves up from her role as Investment Director. With over 15 years of experience including stints at Omnivore and the International Finance Corporation (IFC), she has been instrumental in sourcing and nurturing the fund’s early winners.
Deploying a war chest for deep tech
Avaana Capital stands out in the crowded VC landscape by securing the Green Climate Fund’s (GCF) first-ever direct investment in an Indian venture fund. The fund is also backed by prominent domestic institutions like SIDBI and the Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund, alongside corporate giants such as the Godrej Group and Murugappa Group.
"Avaana Capital backs deep tech entrepreneurs building transformative solutions across key sectors of the economy, including energy, mobility and supply chains, advanced manufacturing, AI and robotics, semiconductor and quantum computing, agriculture and food systems, biotechnology and advanced materials. In addition to capital, Avaana brings deep technical domain knowledge, ecosystem connectivity, and business building expertise - equipping founders with the insights, resources, and partnerships to build transformative businesses," the firm said in a press release.