Expert Dojo, a venture capital firm based in Southern California, has launched a $100 million global fund. The firm has set aside $15 million specifically for investments in Indian startups. Brian Mac Mahon, the founder and managing partner of Expert Dojo, made the announcement at a launch event on Friday.
He said, “We’ve made close to 30 investments in India already, and globally, we’ve backed nearly 100 companies with Indian founders. While the $15 million fund is only the beginning, we see India becoming our biggest focus.
The firm plans to invest up to $100,000 in 20-25 startups in the current financial year. For startups that meet key growth milestones within the next three years, Expert Dojo may provide follow-on rounds of up to $1 million.
The firm also intends to invest an additional $30 million in Indian startups over the next 2-3 years.
India fund announcement details
The fund, led in India by general partner Ashutosh Kumar Jha, will target sectors such as deep tech, cybersecurity, fintech, and enterprise SaaS.
Mac Mahon said, “We’ll work with founders over three years with marketing, growth, and scale support.
Expert Dojo has previously invested in several notable Indian startups, including Bhive Workspace, Cloudworx, Consuma, Mugafi, Fudr, and Doqfy. In the US, the firm has invested in over 300 startups. The decision to register a domestic fund in India aims to simplify capital flows and allow Indian Limited Partners (LPs) to participate more easily.
Jha explained, “While dollar-in has always been easy, dollar-out remains tricky. A local fund allows us more flexibility and makes us more competitive.”
Mac Mahon emphasized India’s strength in its deep talent pool and indicated plans to scale Expert Dojo’s presence in India in the coming years. He said, “We’re not here to be the number one VC.
We’re here to be a great VC that helps Indian founders build world-class, lovable products.”
The firm’s strategic move aims to foster growth in the AI, deep tech, fintech, and SaaS sectors by providing Indian startups with capital, marketing, and scale-up assistance through a locally registered Alternative Investment Fund (AIF).
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