Kerala Infrastructure Fund Management Limited (KIFML) - Kerala Innovation Fund

Before you apply

• Check the Kerala link first. KIFML says it raises and deploys funds primarily in Kerala, so a startup with no operations or founders there should ask before filling a form.
• Pick the right fund. The home page lists two. For a startup the Kerala Innovation Fund is the relevant one; the infrastructure fund is aimed at infrastructure projects.
• Expect no published criteria. The site gives no cheque size, sector list or timeline. Prepare the usual pitch material and be ready to explain the impact side, since the firm says it looks at ESG and impact metrics.

How to get in touch

• Use the Apply Now button for the Kerala Innovation Fund on the home page.
• For questions, use the contact form or write to coordinator@kifml.com, or call the office landline listed on the contact page.

Kerala Infrastructure Fund Management Limited (KIFML) is an asset management company based in Thiruvananthapuram that raises and deploys funds primarily in Kerala. It runs more than one SEBI-registered Category II alternative investment fund. One of them is the Kerala Innovation Fund, which is the one early-stage founders will care about. The other is an infrastructure fund. KIFML says it invests in early-stage startups, SME enterprises and infrastructure upgrades, and that it wants risk-adjusted returns together with development impact in the state.

Who it backs

The firm describes its mandate as early-stage startups and small and medium enterprises, with a Kerala focus. On its statutory information page the Innovation Fund is registered under the scheme name Kerala Innovation Fund for Emerging Sectors, with Kerala Financial Corporation as sponsor and KIFML as fund manager. The site does not publish a list of sectors, a stage table or a cheque range, so check those with the team rather than assuming them. It does say it invests across sectors and stages to spread risk, and that it sees opportunity in Kerala's emphasis on sustainable development, tourism and urbanisation.

How it works

KIFML is run by a board with an independent investment committee. Its managing director is a retired senior Kerala civil servant, its chief investment officer leads fundraising and investments, and a small investment team handles deal sourcing, due diligence, portfolio management and impact and ESG reporting. The firm says it evaluates companies against ESG and impact metrics during due diligence and again after investing.

How to reach it

The home page lists each fund with an Apply Now button that opens an online application form. The site gives no eligibility criteria, intake window or deadline, so it does not say that applications are open to any particular cohort. A contact form and a general inbox, coordinator@kifml.com, are on the contact page, along with a landline number and the office address at KEK Tower in Vazhuthacaud, Thiruvananthapuram. If you are outside Kerala, ask whether the mandate fits before spending time on a full application.