Aakrit Vaish's Activate closes maiden VC fund at $105 million

Former Haptik CEO backs Indian AI startups in a $105M debut for the venture firm.

Aakrit Vaish, the former CEO of Haptik, has closed Activate's first venture capital fund at $105 million. The fund will back AI startups, primarily in India.

Published 2026-09-16 · significance 56 of 100 (medium) · 1 source

What happened

Aakrit Vaish-led venture firm Activate has announced the final close of its inaugural fund at $105 million. The fund is designed to invest in AI startups.

Why it matters

This capital deployment reflects growing domestic appetite to fund India's AI ecosystem and provides a significant cheque size for early-stage founders. It signals confidence in the market maturity and commercial viability of AI ventures in India.

What changes

Indian AI founders now have access to a dedicated $105 million fund from an operator-turned-investor with direct startup experience.

India angle

Activate's $105M fund directly supports early-stage AI ventures in India, providing domestic capital at scale that would otherwise require fundraising overseas.

Sources

Aakrit Vaish’s Activate Closes Maiden VC Fund At $105 Mn To Back AI Startups — Inc42

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