A sneak-peek into the Co-founder of Zerodha, Nikhil Kamath’s investments

The co-founder of Indian stock broking and financial services company - Zerodha, Nikhil Kamath has always been encouraging to Indian start-ups and upcoming brands. He regularly makes investments in promising brands and lends his support for them to grow. Recently, he even started WTFund, an initiative to offer non-dilutive grants and a comprehensive support system for promising individuals aged 25 and under. Here are some of Nikhil Kamath’s investments that have helped Indian start-ups to step up.

1. Nazara Technologies 

Gaming and Media company Nazara Technologies raised Rs. 250 crore at the start of the year through a preferential issue of shares to existing investors in which entities related to Kamath invested Rs. 100 crore. The company also received an investment from Nikhil in September last year. 

2. Pee Safe 

Back in September 2023, Nikhil and Nithin Kamath’s Zerodha-backed firm Rainmatter Health, invested in Pee Safe - a hygiene and wellness brand owned by Redcliffe Hygiene Private Limited. Rainmatter Health invested $3 million (collectively along with other investors) in a partial Series B round.  

3. Ather 

The entrepreneur also invested a big (undisclosed amount) in the electric two-wheeler manufacturer, Ather Energy. ET mentioned that Sachin Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart and an investor in Ather Energy sold a significant portion of his stake to Nikhil Kamath, the co-founder of Zerodha. 

4. Subko Coffee 

Coffee Speciality chain Subko is another company in which the co-founder of Zerodha has invested his money. The company raised $10 million in a round led by Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath back in March this year. 

5. The Mainstreet Marketplace 

Street-wear fashion aggregator, The Mainstreet Marketplace secured $2 million from various investors in June 2023. Nikhil Kamath and Nithin Kamath of Zerodha were the prime investors in this round held by the marketplace. 

6. Nourish You 

Nourish You which is owned by Nutrivative Foods Pvt. Ltd. raised $2 million in a seed funding round for research and development, product building and hiring and expansions in January 2023. They were backed by Nikhil with an undisclosed amount of investment. 

7. VRO Hostility 

F&B fine dining chain VRO Hospitality raised $10 million in a bridge round in January this year. The funding was a mix of equity and debt and was led by Nikhil Kamath-backed Gruhas and Axis Bank.  

8. Ossus Biorenewables

The founder also made an investment in Ossus Biorenewables, a provider of microbial cell solutions for hydrogen production from wastewater treatment. The company raised $2.4 million in funding from Nikhil Kamath's Gruhas, Rainmatter Climate in April 2023. 

9. The 1% Club 

The 1% Club - a community for financial freedom by finfluencers Sharan Hegde (aka Finance with Sharan) saw a significant investment from Gruhas which was co-founded by Nikhil. The entrepreneur invested Rs.10 crore in pre-series A funding in October 2023.

10. Collective Artists Network 

The most recent addition to Nikhil's investment is in a Talent Management agency - Collective Artists Network led by Vijay Subramaniam. This investment is a secondary transaction, paving the way for a ‘5X’ return after a strategic exit for InMobi’s Glance, which had invested in Collective in 2021.