Sameer Brij Verma, who left Nexus Venture Partners last year, has raised US$150 million for his new solo general partner fund, Northpoint Capital.

The fund will focus on early-stage investments, backing 15 to 20 startups with initial checks between US$1 million and US$8 million.

It plans to lead or join early funding rounds and may also participate in follow-on investments.

About 90% of its capital comes from international sources, with the rest from domestic family offices and individual investors.

Northpoint Capital aims to invest in startups that leverage technology and AI across sectors like financial services, logistics, healthcare, manufacturing, and consumer products.

Verma, who previously spent 13 years at Nexus Venture Partners, has backed companies such as Postman, Unacademy, and Infra.market.

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🔗 Source: The Economic Times

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Experienced VCs going solo reflects broader industry unbundling

Verma’s departure from Nexus to start Northpoint is part of a significant industry-wide trend where senior venture partners are leaving established firms to launch their own funds.

This movement is happening across major VC firms globally, with partners from Peak XV (formerly Sequoia India), including Shailesh Lakhani and Abheek Anand, making similar moves in 2025 1.

The trend is driven by experienced investors seeking more autonomy in decision-making and a desire to return to hands-on investment approaches, frustrated by the bureaucracy of larger organizations 2.

This shift is creating a more diverse VC ecosystem, with these smaller, nimbler funds often focusing on specific investment theses or sectors where the founding partners have deep expertise.

For entrepreneurs, this change presents opportunities to work with investors who have both the experience of established firms and the flexibility of independent funds, potentially offering more personalized support and faster decision-making.

2️⃣ Northpoint’s timing aligns with India’s VC market rebound

Verma’s $150 million fund launch coincides with a significant recovery in India’s venture capital market, which saw funding increase 40% to $13.7 billion in 2024 compared to 2023 3.

This positions India as the second-largest venture capital destination in the Asia-Pacific region, demonstrating resilience despite global funding slowdowns 4.

The number of deals in India increased from 880 in 2023 to 1,270 in 2024, with 95% being small to medium-sized investments (3.

Regulatory reforms, including the abolition of angel tax and reduction of long-term capital gains tax to 12.5%, have created a more favorable environment for new fund managers 3.

The timing suggests Verma’s ability to secure substantial international commitments (90% of his fund) reflects growing global investor confidence in India’s startup ecosystem and experienced fund managers with proven track records.

3️⃣ Early-stage focus matches evolving investor priorities

Northpoint’s strategy to lead or join early rounds and back 15-20 startups aligns with the current shift in the venture market toward capital efficiency and sustainable business models.

The trend indicates investors are prioritizing startups with strong unit economics rather than focusing solely on growth metrics, as evidenced by the 20% decrease in average mega-deal size ($100M+) in 2024 3.

Verma’s successful early investments at Nexus in companies like Postman (enterprise), Unacademy (edtech), and Infra.market (B2B commerce) demonstrate his ability to identify category-creating startups at early stages 5, 6, 7.

Consumer tech has become the largest funding sector in India, with investments increasing 2.3x to $5.4 billion in 2024—a trend Northpoint can capitalize on with its focus on technology and AI across sectors 3.

The fund’s position as a solo GP operation could offer advantages in a market increasingly valuing nimble decision-making and specialized expertise, particularly as startup ecosystems expand beyond major cities into Tier 2 and 3 markets.

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