Global Leaders Will Emerge from India In IoT Domain, says This VC For Samir Kumar, Partner at Inventus Capital, investment in the technology sector has yielded best returns.
By Tahira Noor Khan •
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Internet of things (IoT) is a combination of hardware and software where software is the real brain of the technology and hardware is just commoditized. "In India, hardware has never been the strength but we are very good with software," claims Samir Kumar, Partner, Inventus Capital. He further adds, "We are good at those things which an IoT based technology requires. We will see global leaders emerging from India in the Internet of Things (IoT) domain, just like you saw top-class global IT companies emerge out of India."
Inventus Capital is a Venture Capitalist fund that solely invests in technology startups at series-A level. Kumar says the team at Inventus Capital has a vast experience of working in the technology-related sectors. "Technology is something that we are passionate about and that's where our expertise lies," says Kumar.
10x Return Is The Target
According to Kumar, investment in technology startups gives the best returns. "We look for about 10x return on our investments. As a fund, our aim is to invest in good business ideas and to generate good returns for our investors," professes Kumar.
Inventus does not fund companies below series-A level. "By that time, a product is already formed," says Kumar.
Though the fund is very meticulous in getting good returns on its investments, Kumar believes in backing the entrepreneurs during their hard times. "Every business has ups and downs. We do not believe in abandoning our startups over a single set-back. We stand behind them," shares Kumar. He claims that Inventus Capital is known for being an entrepreneur-friendly fund.
RedBus and Policybazaar are two of the most successful investments of Inventus in India. The RedBus exit was the largest cash exit for Inventus, delivering a 10x return on its investment.
Kumar claims that Inventus Capital invests in the rising sectors. "We identify areas before they become hot or mainstream. We focus on ideas that can become big in the coming years rather than the ones that are already trending," says Kumar.
What Startups can Expect
Kumar states that there are certain things that he definitely looks for in a startup before making an investment. "The capabilities of the founding team, their integrity and the market proposition are a few things that we need to be convinced of before investing in a startup."
Inventus has so far raised three rounds of funding, with the third fund consisting an exclusive $253 million set out for India. The company has already invested in five companies from this fund in Worxogo, PlayShifu, LBB, BluArmor and Koinearth.
