Paytm’s Sharma launches SEBI-approved fund for AI and EV startups

Vijay Shekhar Sharma, the founder of Paytm, has initiated a new venture in the form of VSS Investments, a fund approved by the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI). The fund is specifically designed to target startups in the artificial intelligence (AI) and electric vehicles (EV) sectors that are incubated in India.

The fund commences with a corpus of Rs 30 crore, which has been sponsored by Sharma’s entity, VSS Investco Pvt. The corpus includes contributions from external investors. In addition to financing new AI and EV startups, the fund will also support follow-on investments in Sharma’s existing startup ventures operating within consumer and B2B tech domains.

Sharma’s past angel investments provide a clear indication of his ongoing commitment to fostering technological innovation within India’s startup ecosystem. His portfolio includes Ola Electric, an electric vehicle company; Josh Talks, a knowledge-sharing platform; Treebo Hotels, a tech-enabled budget hotel chain; Mesa School, an edtech startup; Kawa Space, a space technology firm; GOQii, a health-tech startup; Unnati, an agri-tech startup; KWH Bikes, an e-bike manufacturer; Daalchini, an instant food tech platform; and Praan, a clean energy startup.

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