

Prosus sees long runway in India portfolio
Mint.Through 2025, the technology investor deployed $675 million in companies such as Urban Company, PayU, Rapido, Ixigo, Wiom, Deccan AI, CodeKarma and Arivihan.While these companies have reached some size and scale, they are still risky bets. “They're not mature businesses in that while their core offerings might be mature, they continue to add new verticals, so they're not mature in that sense,” said Sharma.The firm’s conviction in long-term bets comes as India’s tech ecosystem enters a more mature phase, marked by a wave of listings.
Several of its portfolio companies, including Swiggy, Meesho and Urban Company, have gone public over the past two years, while others such as Captain Fresh and PayU are expected to refile IPO papers this year. With domestic consumption rising, investors across the board are betting that there is still room for disruptive companies to emerge.For Prosus, there are no fixed exit timelines for its investments, given that it invests off balancesheet and doesn't raise capital from other firms or individuals (i.e., limited partners).
As a result, leaders at the firm have no strict mandate for the kinds of investments they should make or at what stage to invest.While the firm has traditionally focused on large, late-stage growth investments, it continues to see value in companies that could drastically change a sector over time. Its investments in artificial intelligence-led edtech Arivihan and AI-powered code development platform CodeKarma underscore this push.The firm backed Arivihan, its first edtech investment since the collapse of Byju’s.
“We don't get bogged down just because one of our investments didn't work,” Sharma said. “There's no denying that the supply and demand gap for quality
. Read on livemint.com