Colossa Ventures, a SEBI registered independent venture capital management company, founded by Ashu Suyash (Former MD & CEO of CRISIL, Former India Country Head – Fidelity International, ex Citibanker) and Vandana Rajadhyaksha (Ex-Partner, ICICI Ventures and Aditya Birla Private Equity) has announced the first close of its maiden fund – Colossa WomenFirst Fund at INR 100 Crore. With India on track to become a USD 10 trillion economy by 2035, Colossa WomenFirst Fund aims to unlock the vast potential of the Indian female economy.
According to the fund’s innovative approach of using gender diversity to produce alpha, prominent family offices like Dr. Ranjan Pai’s Family Office and the Shriram Ownership Trust, as well as other well-known institutions, have invested in the first close.
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“Our first close marks an important milestone for Colossa WomenFirst Fund,” commented Ashu Suyash, Founder & CEO of Colossa. “Colossa’s mission is to unlock the great potential of India’s trillion-dollar women economy that is not just under penetrated, but underinvested in, and underestimated. It seeks to do so by identifying, backing, and fast-tracking high-potential Women entrepreneurs building disruptive businesses through powering them with Colossa’s proprietary 3C framework: Capital, Capability, and Confidence.”
Vandana Rajadhyaksha, Co-Founder of Colossa, added, ” Women are at an inflection point of the Indian economy and the next decade is going to be owned by women entrepreneurs. We see this as an opportunity to build a unique portfolio catalyzing strong financial performance.”
Shri S.P. Singh, Chief General Manager Incharge Venture Finance & Investment Vertical SIDBI said, “With Women’s contribution to GDP expected to register strong growth in the coming years our organization is looking to back exceptional women founders who can contribute to building a sustainable and inclusive future. We believe that the Colossa team is well placed to do so and we are proud to invest in the Colossa WomenFirst fund.”
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Dr. Ranjan Pai, Chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) said, ” Colossa’s vision resonates with our commitment to fostering long-term growth by powering underrepresented entrepreneurs in India. As women increasingly take the lead in building substantial businesses, we see our participation in Colossa WomenFirst Fund as strategic deployment of ‘confidence capital’ to fuel the growth of women entrepreneurs.”
Mr. D V Ravi, Managing Trustee, Shriram Ownership Trust said, “Since inception Shriram has been dedicated to fostering growth in the MSME segment in India. We are committed to unlocking the potential of growing businesses and are pleased to contribute to the Colossa WomenFirst fund to scale women-led businesses and further our mission.”
About Colossa Ventures
Colossa WomenFirst Fund is an Indian Alternative Investment Fund “by Women for Women” approved by SEBI (Securities Exchange Board of India) in 2023, dedicated to creating economic agency and growth opportunities for Women in India. Colossa, a venture growth fund will focus on “WomenFirst“ Businesses.
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