Campus Fund launches $100M to invest in student startups

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Campus Fund launches $100M corpus aimed at student startups. Forget boardrooms and pitch decks—this is a power move, plain and raw. Campus Fund is throwing down a ₹825 crore gauntlet, squarely in the direction of student-led chaos and brilliance. Already past the $50 million mark, the fund isn’t just money; it’s a full-throttle bet on raw, dorm-born dreams. And no, this isn’t a token pat on the back. Backers like 360 One and a fleet of heavyweight family offices are pouring belief into it.

The roots? 2020. Richa Bajpai ditches safe career lanes at London Business School and imagines a VC firm that champions dropouts and fresh grads, not the polished elite. Campus Fund is her rebellion in action. They don’t wait for perfection—they chase friction, wild bets, and the sort of ideas you’d whisper over hostel chai at 3 a.m.

Their cheque sizes aren’t pocket change either—₹1 crore to ₹8 crore per startup. Half the fund? Locked in for second chances. One of their early calls? Serendipity Space. They’re not building apps—they’re processing pharma in zero gravity. Yep, space.

Campus Fund doesn’t deal in clichés. It’s not about another app from Koramangala. It’s about the hacker in Surat, the dreamer in Bhopal. With 7,000+ applications reviewed annually and a student scout army spread across campuses, this isn’t a flash. It’s a fuse, already lit.

The big shift? The next unicorn might not be coded in Palo Alto. It might be scribbled on a hostel whiteboard beside leftover Maggi. And finally, someone’s betting real money on that possibility.

1. Introduction

1.1 Campus Fund launches $100M: More than money, it’s a mission

When Campus Fund launches $100M to support student startups, it’s not just stacking capital—it’s rewriting the rules. Led by Richa Bajpai, this new fund is their biggest bet yet, a powerful gesture toward the chaotic brilliance of student founders across India.

1.2 Betting on brains over polish

This is no cookie-cutter venture firm. With SEBI registration under AIF Category II, Campus Fund is wired differently. It exists for students, dropouts, or those fresh out of college—people full of messy, fearless ideas. “Dreamers? Nah. Doers,” says Bajpai. And she means it.

2. Background of Campus Fund

2.1 Born in a B-school classroom

What started as a thesis idea in London in 2020 turned into one of India’s most rebellious VCs. Campus Fund emerged from Bajpai’s academic research, and now it’s flipping the startup script.

2.2 First steps: Small pool, big waves

Fund I in 2020 was modest—₹7 crore spread across 10 bets. By 2022, Fund II pulled in $10 million. Now? Campus Fund launches $100M with Fund III, and the gloves are off.

3. Campus Fund launches $100M – Why this fund matters

3.1 No baby steps here

They’ve already hit over 50% of their target in the first close. That’s momentum most big-name VCs would envy.

3.2 Who’s backing this wild ride?

Everyone from 360 One to Kanwaljit Singh and Asha Jadeja Motwani is onboard. The ecosystem sees something special brewing here.

4. Investment strategy and funding model

4.1 Casting a wide net—but with precision

Campus Fund plans to invest in up to 80 startups in four years. They’re keeping enough firepower for second and third bets on promising names.

4.2 Checks that matter

They’re writing cheques between ₹1 crore and ₹8 crore. Not chump change, especially for students testing their first ventures.

4.3 Hunting across verticals

Biotech, fintech, space-tech, blockchain—you name it. They’re not playing safe. They’re playing bold.

5. A model built for chaos

5.1 Scouted by students, for students

Over 100 student scouts help Campus Fund find raw diamonds among 7,000+ applications each year. This is decentralised discovery at its finest.

5.2 Forget the IITs for a second

They don’t care if you’re from Bhopal, Surat, or an Ivy League school. If your idea’s crazy enough to work, you’ve got their attention.

6. Portfolio punch

6.1 First moves in Fund III

Two startups are already locked in. Serendipity Space is one of them. They’re taking pharma into orbit. Need we say more?

6.2 Past bets that paid off

Their track record includes:

• Expand My Business
• Digantara
• EtherealX
• Sarla
• D-Nome
  Several have even caught the eye—and the money—of VC giants like Accel, a16z, and Peak XV.

7. What problems are they solving?

7.1 Tearing down gatekeeping

Campus Fund launches $100M not just to fund ideas, but to smash the idea that founders need a pedigree to be credible. This opens the floor to fresh voices.

7.2 Tech built for tomorrow

Whether it’s AI, clean energy, or genomic decentralisation, they’re putting capital where the world’s headed, not where it’s been.

8. Zooming out: Industry vibes

8.1 India’s startup graph just won’t flatten

India now ranks third globally in startup volume. But the biggest growth? It’s coming from towns the metro crowd rarely mentions.

8.2 Students = the new startup mafia

Startups like Stripe and Dropbox were founded by students. India’s finally catching on. And fast.

9. Playing the field

9.1 Not much real competition

No one else in India is laser-focused on students like Campus Fund. That makes them the anomaly. The good kind.

9.2 Who’s sorta in the same game?

There are angel networks, incubators, and university-led efforts. But none have the Campus Fund’s model or reach.

10. The people behind the push

10.1 Richa Bajpai isn’t just another VC

She built Goodera, then built Campus Fund out of her own college dorm story. When she backs students, it’s personal.

10.2 The network is serious

Names like Asha Jadeja Motwani and Kanwaljit Singh don’t just show up for hype. They’re betting real money and real belief.

11. Business logic

Campus Fund makes money the old VC way—management fees, carried interest. But underneath it all is a fire to prove that India’s wildest founders aren’t the ones in glass towers.

12. Risky? Absolutely. But worth it.

12.1 Student ventures wobble a lot

That’s the truth. But the fund’s model buffers this with follow-ons and a wide funnel of discovery.

12.2 Global scale, Indian grit

Scaling student ideas internationally is tough. But Campus Fund’s network is stitched with people who’ve done just that.

13. Why this matters right now

13.1 Students don’t have safety nets

Seed capital and mentorship can be life-changing. Campus Fund gets that.

13.2 India’s venture scene needs this shake-up

This isn’t charity. It’s strategic disruption. And it might be just what the ecosystem ordered.

14. About Foundlanes

foundlanes.com is your go-to if you’re hunting for more than just headline-level noise. As Campus Fund launches $100M, expect this platform to deliver the kind of startup stories that don’t make the big wires—but should. From clean-tech in Kanpur to blockchain in Coimbatore, we’ve got eyes on it.

15. Lessons for anyone bold enough to build

Campus Fund launching $100M teaches us:

• Bet on people, not polish.
• Build pipes to find the overlooked.
• Save fuel for the second lap.
• Stay flexible with sector bets.
• Follow the pulse of the next generation—not just the past playbook.

16. Final thoughts

Campus Fund launches $100M, and it’s not a whisper—it’s a roar. It signals a deeper shift in India’s startup scene, where students aren’t just watching from the sidelines. They’re now on the field, calling plays. And this fund? It’s their playbook, their amplifier, and their safety rope all rolled into one. Watch this space.