THE EVOLUTION OF ATHERA
Business Today India|September 29, 2024
IDENTIFYING OPPORTUNITIES IN ADVANCE HAS STOOD THIS BENGALURU-BASED VC FUND IN GOOD STEAD. NOW, WITH A HEIGHTENED FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY, IT WANTS TO SUSTAIN THE SUCCESS
KRISHNA GOPALAN
THE EVOLUTION OF ATHERA

THE JOURNEY

1 Launched in 2008 as Inventus India, Athera Venture Partners has deployed about 1,200 crore so far

2 The firm believes in identifying opportunities early, and its team engages with the early-stage ecosystem

3 Athera lays a strong emphasis on technology and novel solutions that a company can bring

4 Among its successes are firms like PB Fintech, where it saw returns of 21.3x, and redBus (12.4x returns)

5 The exits are through public listings, as in the case of PB Fintech; and M&As, like with the sale of redBus The firm invests across a host of sectors, the primary requirement being a tech-first approach

VENTURE CAPITAL FIRM Athera Venture Partners’ office is tucked away in a small lane in Bengaluru’s Domlur area. It is housed in a modest building, and the set-up is spartan, a sharp contrast to the VC landscape, where firms are generally known to be more ostentatious.

In many ways, the set-up is emblematic of Athera’s functional approach of focussing its attention on picking the right companies to invest in, something it prides itself on, and paying as little heed to other things as possible.

In the large, austere conference room, which just has some wood panelling, the firm’s four General Partners gather for a freewheeling chat. Soft-spoken Samir Kumar, 62, his tone firm, speaks of how he and his colleagues—General Partners Parag Dhol (56), Rutvik Doshi (48), and Rajiv Mehta (46)—look at a business plan. “Of course, over time, that process has been fine-tuned, but at the core, we look at a 10x return.” That is ambitious on any given day, but it’s something that Athera, which translates to journey in Sanskrit, has gotten better at.

This story is from the September 29, 2024 edition of Business Today India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the September 29, 2024 edition of Business Today India.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM BUSINESS TODAY INDIAView All
"Inaction is worse than mistakes"
Business Today India

"Inaction is worse than mistakes"

What was the problem you were grappling with?

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
TEEING OFF WITH TITANS
Business Today India

TEEING OFF WITH TITANS

BUSINESS TODAY GOLF RESUMES ITS STORIED JOURNEY WITH THE 2024-25 SEASON OPENER IN DELHI-NCR. THERE ARE SIX MORE CITIES TO COME

time-read
2 mins  |
January 05, 2025
AI FOOT FORWARD
Business Today India

AI FOOT FORWARD

THE WHO'S WHO OF THE AI WORLD GATHERED AT THE TAJ MAHAL PALACE IN MUMBAI TO DELIBERATE THE TRANSFORMATIVE IMPACT OF AI ON INNOVATION, INDUSTRIES, AND EVERYDAY LIFE.

time-read
1 min  |
January 05, 2025
Decolonising the Walls
Business Today India

Decolonising the Walls

ART START-UP MAAZI MERCHANT IS ON A MISSION TO BRING INDIA'S FORGOTTEN ART BACK HOME

time-read
6 mins  |
January 05, 2025
"I'm bringing Kotak under one narrative, one strategy, one umbrella”
Business Today India

"I'm bringing Kotak under one narrative, one strategy, one umbrella”

Ashok Vaswani is a global banker who spent most of his career overseas at institutions like Citi Group and Barclays, among others.

time-read
9 mins  |
January 05, 2025
CHOOSING THE CHAMPIONS
Business Today India

CHOOSING THE CHAMPIONS

The insights and methodology behind the BT-KPMG India's Best Banks and NBFCs Survey 2023-24.

time-read
8 mins  |
January 05, 2025
'INDIA IS AT AN EXTREMELY SWEET SPOT'
Business Today India

'INDIA IS AT AN EXTREMELY SWEET SPOT'

The jury members of the BT-KPMG Survey of India's Best Banks and NBFCs discuss developments in the banking sector and more

time-read
6 mins  |
January 05, 2025
FROM CRISIS TO TRIUMPH
Business Today India

FROM CRISIS TO TRIUMPH

Dinesh Kumar Khara stewarded SBI through multiple challenges during his tenure, while ensuring that profits tripled, productivity soared, and the bank consolidated its global standing

time-read
3 mins  |
January 05, 2025
AT A CROSSROADS
Business Today India

AT A CROSSROADS

BANKS ARE FACING CHALLENGES ON BOTH SIDES OF THE BALANCE SHEET-ASSETS AS WELL AS LIABILITIES-WHICH ARE PUTTING PRESSURE ON MARGINS.

time-read
5 mins  |
January 05, 2025
EXPANSIVE VISION
Business Today India

EXPANSIVE VISION

Bajaj Finance, an outlier in terms of digitisation, faces stiff competition. But it continues to expand its reach

time-read
4 mins  |
January 05, 2025