Equirus InnovateX Fund Closes ₹166 Crore for B2B Tech

- The Equirus InnovateX Fund (EIF) is led by partners Sunder Nookala, Krishna Jha, and Sadhika Agarwal and invests in seed to pre-Series A startups that are post-product and working towards product-market fit. Angel investments by the partners include notable SaaS companies like Druva and Credgenics. - The fund has already deployed over a third of its capital into seven companies, including Datazip, Consuma AI, and CtrlB, with plans to build a portfolio of up to 15 companies by investing the remaining capital over the next 12 to 18 months. - Typical check sizes for the fund range between $500,000 and $1 million per deal. Beyond capital, the firm provides founders with support in enterprise access, senior hiring, and future fundraising preparedness. - The Indian B2B SaaS market is projected to reach over $35 billion in annual recurring revenue by 2030, capturing a significant share of the global market. This growth is attracting increased private equity interest, with investments in the first seven months of 2025 reaching $1.38 billion, up from $833 million in all of 2024. - For API-first companies targeting technical buyers, a key go-to-market motion involves treating the API as a product, which includes creating detailed documentation, software development kits (SDKs), and establishing clear developer communication channels to improve the onboarding experience. - In the HR tech space, there is a significant push for unified APIs to solve data fragmentation across different platforms like HRIS, payroll, and applicant tracking systems. Only 29% of HR tech users report that their systems integrate well, creating a strong demand for solutions that reduce the need to switch between multiple applications. - AI is being increasingly used in go-to-market strategies to identify buying intent signals from CRM data, website activity, and product usage, allowing sales teams to move from reactive marketing to prioritized, personalized outreach. Companies leveraging AI in their GTM strategies report revenue increases from 3% to 15%. - As leaders scale from individual contributor roles to executive positions, a critical shift involves moving from direct problem-solving to building systems and processes that enable the team to execute effectively, focusing on hiring, developing talent, and fostering a strong culture.