Breaking the ‘class’ ceiling: Student-focused funds help campus start-ups take wings Premium

It was a conversation with Prof. Jawahar Doreswamy, CEO of PES Institutions, that prompted Suresh Narasimha to start CoCreate Ventures, a venture capital fund that focuses on student start-ups.

It was a conversation with Prof. Jawahar Doreswamy, CEO of PES Institutions, that prompted Suresh Narasimha to start CoCreate Ventures, a venture capital fund that focuses on student start-ups.

“Jawahar asked me why there are no funds that invest in ideas of students. That made me think. I started researching on it and structured a fund that would invest in students building start-ups, at the idea stage,” says Narasimha.

Being a student entrepreneur and raising money can be tough. In India, funds that focus on student start-ups have been far and few. Whereas, within the larger venture capital ecosystem, there exists a certain scepticism about student ventures, very often for justifiable reasons.

But, it’s not all doom and gloom for those who, in their dorm rooms, are dreaming of entrepreneurship. Lately more funds seem to be emerging with a dedicated focus on student start-ups.

While student start-ups have managed to raise funding, ecosystem players point out that it has been more of an exemption than a norm.

So, what created the high entry barrier for student start-ups in terms of fund raising?

Naramasimha points out that among VCs there is scepticism about student start-ups even today, and for the right reasons.