New Delhi, 1 December 2025 – Arya Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund dedicated to backing Indian-origin entrepreneurs in the UK and US, today announced that Siddharth Shankar, billionaire entrepreneur and Global COO of Komerz, has committed INR 4.2 crore ($500,000) to the fund.
This investment marks a significant milestone for Arya Ventures’ INR 84 crore ($10 million) fund, which specifically targets post-product, post-revenue startups founded by Indian diaspora entrepreneurs.
Arya Ventures’ thesis is built on compelling market data:
- Indian immigrants have founded or co-founded 72 of the 358 US unicorns since 2018, collectively valued at INR 16.4 lakh crore ($195 billion).
- In the UK, Indian diaspora-owned companies generate INR 3.87 lakh crore ($46 billion) in revenues and employ 174,000+ people.
- Notable Indian-origin unicorn founders include Siddharth Shankar (Tails Group), Mohit Aron (Nutanix, Cohesity), Jyoti Bansal (AppDynamics, Harness), and Ashutosh Garg (Bloomreach, Eightfold.ai).
“Arya Ventures has positioned itself uniquely to access and support exceptional entrepreneurs from this community. Indian-origin founders have demonstrated extraordinary ability to build category-defining companies. Despite being just 2.1% of the US population, they’ve founded 19% of American unicorns. This fund gives us direct access to that exceptional talent pipeline,” said Siddharth Shankar.
Arya Ventures’ current portfolio includes three high-growth startups:
- Avi Vehicles – Raising seed round at 6x valuation with strong investor interest.
- KnowYourDosh – Scaled from INR 42,000 ($500) to INR 5.2 lakh ($6,200) MRR.
- Prescribe Life – Moving to seed stage at 4x valuation, with doubled team and MVP completion.
Arya Ventures typically invests INR 1.68–2.1 crore ($200,000–$250,000) in seed-stage companies, with follow-on opportunities up to INR 2.52 crore ($300,000).
Arya Ventures is currently reviewing terms with several high-potential startups, including those backed by Y Combinator and other leading VCs. The fund’s strategy focuses on AI and technology startups, capitalizing on the concentration of Indian-origin talent in cutting-edge sectors.
“Early-stage venture capital success depends on identifying exceptional founders. Our research shows that 85% of the most highly-educated founders come from the Indian diaspora, and 32% of all Fortune 100 founders are of Indian origin. This validates our investment focus,” said Anmol Goel, Founding Partner, Arya Ventures.
Talent Pipeline Advantage
- 78% of Indian-Americans hold at least a bachelor’s degree, more than double the US average of 36%.
- Indian professionals received 320,000+ US work visas in 2022–2023.
- Indian-origin individuals make up 73% of high-skilled visa holders in the US, ensuring a sustained flow of entrepreneurial talent.
About Arya Ventures
Founded by Anmol Goel, a venture builder who has scaled 36 startups and raised over INR 546 crore ($65 million) from pre-seed to Series B, Arya Ventures combines capital with hands-on operational support. Operating with a classical LP/GP structure, the fund targets 20 investments across its portfolio, with a typical holding period of 5–7 years.
