Campus Fund, the only SEBI-registered Category II alternative investment fund focused exclusively on startups led by students and recent college dropouts, has taken a giant leap. The firm has announced its third and largest fund, targeting a massive corpus of $100 million. Campus Fund has already secured over 50% of this corpus at the first close and started deploying capital to back India’s youngest and boldest entrepreneurs.
How Campus Fund Began
Richa Bajpai, a serial entrepreneur and co-founder of the impact tech firm Goodera, launched Campus Fund during her MBA at the London Business School in 2020. What began as her thesis project quickly evolved into a full-scale venture capital platform. Bajpai wanted to democratize startup capital and unlock entrepreneurial talent at the grassroots level in India. Her personal experience shaped this mission — in 2009, she launched her first startup from a college dorm room. Now, she aims to support the next generation of student founders on similar journeys.
The Mission: Backing Doers, Not Just Dreamers
Campus Fund’s investment thesis sets it apart in India’s crowded venture capital landscape. The firm focuses on founders who are still in university, have dropped out, or have graduated within the past three years. While most investors chase experienced founders from elite institutions, Campus Fund places its bet on young, raw talent that sees the world with fresh eyes and boundless energy.
“With Fund III, we double down on our conviction that student founders aren’t just dreamers — they’re doers,” Bajpai said. “The next unicorn might emerge from a dorm room in Bhopal or a garage in Surat.”
Campus Fund recognizes that innovation doesn’t only bloom in the established corridors of big cities or Ivy League-like colleges. It can come from any part of India where a student dares to solve a tough problem.
Fund III: Bigger, Bolder, Broader
Fund III plans to invest in 60 to 80 startups over the next four years. The fund will write initial cheques ranging from ₹1 crore to ₹8 crore. To ensure that its portfolio companies get continued support, Campus Fund has reserved 50% of Fund III’s corpus for follow-on rounds. The team has already started making early-stage bets, with one of its first investments going to Serendipity Space, a startup developing pharmaceutical processing capabilities in microgravity. This shows the kind of audacious ideas Campus Fund chooses to back.
The Power of a Nationwide Student Scout Network
Campus Fund has built an extensive network of over 100 student scouts across India. These scouts help discover and evaluate promising startups in classrooms, dorms, and small-town garages. Thanks to this model, Campus Fund receives over 7,000 applications from young founders every year. The scouts ensure that Campus Fund uncovers hidden gems from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities — regions often overlooked by mainstream venture capital firms.
By involving students directly in the discovery process, Campus Fund builds a community of young entrepreneurs who not only pitch ideas but also spot potential in their peers.
A Portfolio Full of Firsts
Campus Fund’s earlier investments highlight its bold and future-focused strategy. The portfolio includes:
- Expand My Business: A B2B digital services marketplace.
- Digantara: A space situational awareness startup.
- EtherealX: A company building reusable rockets.
- Sarla: A flying taxi technology company.
- Sama: An online dispute resolution platform.
- GreenGrahi: A startup producing insect protein.
These companies reflect the range of ideas that student founders bring to the table. Several of these startups have secured funding from top global investors, including Accel, Peak XV Partners, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), DST Global, and Alpha Wave. Campus Fund has already started returning capital to its early investors, proving that young founders can deliver results.
Who Backs Campus Fund?
Campus Fund has attracted a powerful and diverse group of Limited Partners (LPs). The backers of Fund III include:
- 360 One (formerly IIFL Wealth)
- Kanwaljit Singh of Fireside Ventures
- Bharat Shah of HDFC Securities
- Jaimin Bhatt, former CFO of Kotak
- Asha Jadeja Motwani, one of Google’s earliest investors
- Sameen Farooqui of Deutsche Bank
These LPs bring more than just money. They provide mentorship, business connections, and strategic advice that help Campus Fund’s portfolio companies grow.
A Full-Circle Moment for the Founder
For Bajpai, Fund III represents more than just another venture fund. It brings her journey as a student entrepreneur full circle. “This is a full-circle moment,” she said. “To now back students chasing bold ideas — that’s the most meaningful chapter of my career.” She understands the challenges and excitement of launching a company while young. Now, she wants to give student founders the support she once sought.
The Opportunity: India’s Student-Led Startup Boom
Campus Fund sees India’s changing higher education and startup ecosystems as a golden opportunity. Startup infrastructure has expanded beyond major metro cities. Resources such as incubators, accelerators, and co-working spaces have reached Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Higher education is decentralizing, and students from smaller towns have greater access to tools, mentors, and markets.
Campus Fund wants to harness this shift. By providing capital and support to young founders wherever they are, the fund hopes to build a new generation of entrepreneurs who come from all corners of India.
The Road Ahead
Campus Fund plans to continue expanding its student scout network and deepen its partnerships with educational institutions. The team wants to provide not just funding but also a full suite of support services — mentorship, industry connections, follow-on capital, and operational guidance. Campus Fund aims to become the go-to partner for student entrepreneurs who want to turn their ideas into world-changing companies.
A Bold Statement for the Future
With Fund III, Campus Fund makes a clear statement: age and experience do not define entrepreneurial potential. Vision, determination, and the ability to execute do. The fund challenges the status quo of India’s venture capital industry. It opens doors for young, untested entrepreneurs who believe they can build the next big thing.
As Campus Fund deploys capital from its largest fund yet, the country will watch closely. India’s next unicorn might not come from a seasoned founder with decades of experience. It might come from a student in a dorm room or a dropout working in a garage. Campus Fund believes in that possibility — and it has put $100 million on the table to prove it.
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