Ex-Tiger Global, Goldman Sachs exec’s VC firm launches in India

San Francisco-based VC firm Rise Capital has launched operations in India through its Global Fund III as part of the company’s increasing focus on emerging economies.

Nazar Yasin, founder and managing partner of Rise Capital / Photo credit: Rise Capital

While Rise has not disclosed the amount of capital it will deploy in India, the company said it will invest in early-stage startups and will back potential follow-on rounds.

Founded in 2014 by Nazar Yasin, a former Goldman Sachs and Tiger Global executive, Rise Capital has invested in firms from Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, North Africa, India, and Southeast Asia. The VC firm’s portfolio includes online credit provider Kueski, cloud kitchen firm Kitopi, social commerce platform Facily, and online furniture firm Gaia.

The fund has hired Anuj Mehta to develop and implement the company’s investment strategy in India, and it’s looking to increase its activity gradually as it starts deploying capital.

Rise said it is also looking to bring the best Silicon Valley practices to its Indian portfolio and prepare them for global expansion.

See also: These are the most active investors in India’s startups

“We are quite bullish on the Indian venture space and remain committed as we are a long-term player,” Yasin said. “We will continue to focus on a digital disruption thesis, which we believe is still quite early across most sectors in India.”