Bertelsmann India Investments

What is Bertelsmann India Investments?

Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) is a venture capital fund that operates as the strategic investment arm of Bertelsmann SE & Co.

KGaA, specifically targeting the Indian market. Established in 2012, BII is a sector-agnostic investor primarily focusing on early to growth stage investments (Series A to D).

Bertelsmann India Investments seeks opportunities across a variety of sectors including digital, education, media, and services. The firm's aim is to partner with pioneering entrepreneurs to cultivate leaders of tomorrow, thereby contributing to India's dynamic start-up ecosystem.

Over the past decade, BII has carved out a niche by investing in category-defining companies such as Eruditus, Licious, Shiprocket, and Pepperfry, among others. Its portfolio also demonstrates a disruptive presence in sectors like healthtech, fintech, agritech, edtech, and others, aiming to scale tech-driven startups to unicorn status.

As part of Bertelsmann Investments, BII benefits from the global footprint of its parent company, including a comprehensive network of funds with around 100 holdings and a collective investment of over $1.06 billion in innovative companies. BII is known for its value-adding partnerships offering strong operational expertise, sector knowledge, and a commitment to maintain long-term relationships with its investee companies.

Not limited to financial investment, Bertelsmann India Investments leverages the widespread Bertelsmann network, providing market access, and operational support to portfolio companies. Its team consists of domain experts with significant operational and investing experience both within India and internationally.

BII's mission is articulated through a variety of actions and contributions including facilitating access to global education, developing the logistics infrastructure, enhancing the growth of the rural commerce, and fostering advancements in home diagnostics and chemical manufacturing, among other initiatives.

What they say:

We are an investment firm.

What we look for: We invest in companies across the digital, education, media, and services sectors.