D2C founders community D2C Insider is preparing to launch ConsumerX Ventures, a SEBI-registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), focused on backing early-stage consumer brands and D2C enablers across India.
According to sources familiar with the matter, the fund is targeting a corpus of Rs 150 crore and plans to invest in nearly 25 startups at the pre-seed and seed stages.
The proposed fund is expected to focus on emerging consumer brands, commerce infrastructure startups, and businesses building tools and services for the D2C ecosystem.
Sources also said the platform is currently in advanced discussions with a large consumer-focused corporate group to participate as an anchor investor in the fund.
ConsumerX Ventures recently received approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) for its Category II AIF structure and is expected to soon begin investor roadshows.
The fund plans to take ownership stakes of around 10–15% in portfolio companies while reserving nearly 40% of the total corpus for follow-on investments into high-performing startups.
The investment strategy reflects a broader trend among venture capital firms increasingly focusing on concentrated portfolios and long-term capital support for breakout startups.
ConsumerX Ventures is expected to write average cheques of around Rs 3–5 crore.
Apart from capital, the fund aims to help startups scale revenue, improve profitability, strengthen distribution, and prepare for institutional Series A fundraising within an 18-month period.
Abhishek Shah, Chief Evangelist at D2C Insider, will lead the platform as Managing Partner.
Chhavi Bhardwaj Kargaonkar, who currently manages D2C Insider’s Super Angels Fund, will join the new fund as Partner.
D2C Insider has already built an active investment presence through its Category I Super Angels Fund, which operates with a corpus of Rs 25 crore backed by more than 70 operator-led LPs.
The platform has invested in startups including Basil, Pikndel, Samosa Party, Crest, Assembly, Futwork, The Solved Skin, BusinessOnBot, Snackible, Divine Hindu, Goat Life, Steam Pro, Dobra, Gubbachhi, Zoomies, and Filli & Me.
The launch comes amid sustained investor interest in India’s consumer internet and D2C startup ecosystem, where brands across food, beauty, personal care, fashion, wellness, and lifestyle continue attracting venture funding.
As India’s digital commerce ecosystem matures, sector focused venture funds are increasingly emerging to back specialised startup categories with deeper operational support and long-term capital strategies.