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Billionaire Indian entrepreneur Siddharth Shankar has committed $500,000 to Arya Ventures, a seed-stage venture capital fund, dedicated to backing Indian-origin entrepreneurs. Shankar is the Global Chief Operating Officer of Komerz.
“I’m excited to back the next generation of Indian diaspora founders,” said Shankar in a statement.
The investment represents a significant milestone for the INR 84 crore ($10 million) fund, which specifically targets post-product, post-revenue startups founded by Indian diaspora entrepreneurs in the UK and the US.
Backing High-Performing Demographics
The fund’s thesis is built on compelling market data. Indian immigrants have founded or co-founded 72 of the 358 unicorns that emerged in the United States since 2018, collectively valued at over INR 16.4 lakh crore ($195 billion). In the UK, Indian diaspora-owned companies generate INR 3.87 lakh crore ($46 billion) in combined revenues and employ over 174,000 people.
“Arya Ventures has positioned itself uniquely to access and support exceptional entrepreneurs from this community. Indian-origin founders have demonstrated an extraordinary ability to build category-defining companies, and 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, and I believe we’re investing at exactly the right moment to capture the next wave of innovation,” added Shankar.
Notable Indian-origin founders who have built multiple unicorns include Siddharth Shankar (Tails Group), Mohit Aron (Nutanix, Cohesity), Jyoti Bansal (AppDynamics, Harness), and Ashutosh Garg (Bloomreach, Eightfold.ai).
With 78% of Indian-Americans holding at least a bachelor’s degree, more than double the US national average of 36% and Indian professionals receiving approximately 320,000 work visas in 2022-2023, the talent pipeline continues to strengthen.
Indian-origin individuals make up 73% of high-skilled work visa holders in the US, representing a sustained flow of entrepreneurial talent.
Strategic Pipeline and Market Timing
Arya Ventures is currently reviewing terms with several high-potential startups in its pipeline, including companies already backed by Y Combinator and other leading venture capital firms. 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,” said Anmol Goel, Founding Partner of Arya Ventures. “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 concentration of talent and track record validates our investment focus.”
