Colossa WomenFirst Fund Secures ₹100 Crore in Initial Funding Round

Colossa Ventures, a venture capital firm registered with SEBI, announced the successful initial closing of its first fund, the Colossa WomenFirst Fund, at ₹100 crore. This fund aims to raise a total of ₹500 crore and will primarily invest in businesses at the pre-Series A stage and beyond.

Through in-depth research, Colossa has identified significant opportunities in healthcare and health tech, fintech, climate and clean tech, deep tech, and the consumer sector. The Colossa WomenFirst Fund, a sector-agnostic venture growth fund, has a distinct strategy: to revolutionize the startup landscape by solely focusing on high-quality “WomenFirst” businesses. These businesses can be women-founded or co-founded, or those where women are the primary beneficiaries.

Experienced Leadership and Compelling Investment Strategy

Colossa Ventures is led by Ashu Suyash, a former MD & CEO of CRISIL and Vandana Rajadhyaksha, who previously held positions at ICICI Ventures and Aditya Birla Private Equity. Their unique approach of leveraging gender diversity to generate returns has attracted prominent institutions like SIDBI and renowned family offices to invest in the initial round.

Empowering Women Entrepreneurs for Economic Growth

“This initial closing signifies a critical milestone for the Colossa WomenFirst Fund,” said Ashu Suyash, Founder & CEO of Colossa. “Our mission is to unlock the immense potential of India’s trillion-dollar women-driven economy, which is not only under-represented but also underfunded and underestimated.”

Colossa aims to achieve this by identifying, supporting, and accelerating the growth of high-potential women entrepreneurs who are building innovative businesses. The firm accomplishes this through its proprietary 3C framework, which focuses on Capital, Capability, and Confidence.

Building a Strong Portfolio and Backing Women Leaders

Vandana Rajadhyaksha, Co-Founder of Colossa, believes that “women are at a pivotal point in the Indian economy, and the next decade will be shaped by women entrepreneurs. We see this as an opportunity to construct a unique portfolio that drives strong financial performance.”

Industry Leaders Recognize the Opportunity

Investors in the fund acknowledge the significance of supporting women-led businesses. Ranjan Pai, Chairman of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG), stated, “Colossa’s vision aligns with our commitment to promoting long-term growth by empowering underrepresented entrepreneurs in India. As women increasingly take the lead in building substantial businesses, we view our participation in the Colossa WomenFirst Fund as a strategic deployment of ‘confidence capital’ to fuel the success of women entrepreneurs.”

Backing Exceptional Women Founders for a Sustainable Future

S.P. Singh, Chief General Manager Incharge Venture Finance & Investment Vertical at SIDBI, echoed this sentiment. “With women’s contribution to GDP expected to rise significantly in the coming years, our organization is committed to supporting exceptional women founders who can contribute to building a sustainable and inclusive future. We believe the Colossa team is well-positioned to do so, and we are proud to invest in the Colossa WomenFirst fund.”