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SIDBI and UP Startup Fund pledge Rs 40 Cr to Aroa Venture

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Aroa Venture Partners has received Rs 40 crore ($4.8 million) capital commitment from Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) under the Government of India’s Fund of Funds for Startups and the Uttar Pradesh Government’s UP Startup Fund schemes. The endorsement from two sovereign schemes reflects that the fund has garnered strong interest from government quarters as well. Aroa Venture has also roped in Sekhar Puli as a general and managing partner. Puli is a veteran entrepreneur who sold REAN Cloud to Hitachi Vantara in 2018. He was also an investor at America’s private equity firm BV Investment Partners. Founded in 2020 by Gaurav Gulati, Aroa Venture Partners invests in early and growth-stage investments across sectors. In its initial days, Aroa Ventures was sponsored by RACo Holding Company —a firm owned by Oyo’s founder Ritesh Agarwal. The investment firm has already deployed Rs 100 crore across 36 startups including CRED, MPL, and Magicpin. The Aroa is a Category-II AIF which claims to have commitments from family offices and institutions exceeding Rs 400 crore ($48 million). It plans to reach its final close by the end of the ongoing fiscal year (March 2025).