Silicon Road Ventures, a US-based venture capital firm, has announced the launch of an India-focused Alternative Investment Fund (AIF) to back startups in the B2B agentic AI commerce space. The fund aims to raise a corpus of $50 million to invest in early-stage companies that are leveraging agentic artificial intelligence to transform enterprise commerce.
Focus on Agentic AI in Commerce
The new AIF will specifically target startups that combine B2B commerce with agentic AI—a technology that enables autonomous agents to perform tasks, make decisions, and interact with systems without human intervention. This includes areas like automated procurement, supply chain optimization, intelligent pricing, and personalized B2B sales platforms.
Silicon Road Ventures believes that India, with its strong tech talent pool and growing startup ecosystem, is well-positioned to lead innovation in this space. The fund will invest in seed to Series A rounds, providing not just capital but also mentorship and access to global networks.
Investment Strategy
The fund will typically invest between $500,000 and $2 million per startup, with a focus on companies that have a clear product-market fit and are ready to scale. The sectors of interest include manufacturing, logistics, retail tech, and enterprise software platforms that use AI agents to automate complex business processes.
“We are excited to support Indian entrepreneurs who are building the future of B2B commerce using agentic AI,” said a spokesperson from Silicon Road Ventures. “India offers a unique combination of technical expertise and market opportunity, making it an ideal destination for our first country-specific fund.”
Market Potential
The global market for agentic AI in commerce is expected to grow exponentially in the coming years, driven by the need for efficiency and automation in B2B transactions. Indian startups have already made significant strides in AI and machine learning, and the fund aims to capitalize on this momentum.
Silicon Road Ventures has a track record of investing in technology startups across the US and Europe. This is their first dedicated fund for India, signaling increased interest from global investors in the Indian startup ecosystem.
Impact on Indian Startup Ecosystem
The launch of this AIF is expected to provide a significant boost to Indian startups working on agentic AI solutions. It will not only bring in much-needed capital but also global expertise and connections. The fund plans to invest in 15-20 startups over the next three years.
Industry experts view this as a positive development for the Indian tech landscape, particularly in the B2B segment which has seen rapid digitization post-pandemic. The focus on agentic AI aligns with global trends where autonomous systems are becoming integral to business operations.
Silicon Road Ventures is currently accepting applications from startups and expects to make the first investments in the coming months.
