Zephyr Peacock India

Check fit before you write

• Be past the idea stage. The firm says it invests in businesses with proven business models and a path to market leadership, so show traction rather than a concept.
• Match one of four sectors. Fintech, food and agriculture, infratech and advanced manufacturing are the sectors it names. Companies outside them are not what the site describes.
• Be tech-enabled and India-focused. Its portfolio page describes companies benefitting from India's digital transformation.
• Expect an operating partner, not a passive cheque. It says it recruits management teams, builds governance and helps with pricing, sales networks and financial planning.

Send a clear first note

• Use the form on the Contact page, or the Upload Business Plan button on the site.
• In the free-text box, say in a few lines what the business does, where it is in its growth and what you are looking for.
• Attach your business plan or latest deck. The form asks for a file under 5Mb.
• The site states no response time and no open window, so do not assume a reply by a date. A follow-up call to the Bengaluru office number on the Contact page is an option.

Zephyr Peacock India is the India investing arm of Zephyr Management, L.P., a firm headquartered in New York. Its India team works from an office in Indiranagar, Bengaluru, and describes its strategy as providing equity financing for fast growing, early to growth stage companies led by strong entrepreneurs and management teams.

Stage and sectors

The firm says it focuses on emerging and underserved growth stage enterprises, and that it invests in businesses with proven business models and a path to market leadership. That is a narrower bar than a pre-revenue seed fund: it is looking for companies that already work. Its stated target sectors are fintech, food and agriculture, infratech and advanced manufacturing. The portfolio page frames the thesis as tech-enabled companies benefitting from India's digital transformation.

What the portfolio looks like

The site shows a set of illustrative holdings, and says plainly that they are examples, not the full list. They include Ripplr, a tech-enabled distributor serving retailers; ZippMat, a supply chain services provider for construction companies; BatX Energies, which recovers rare metals from used EV batteries; Curefoods, a cloud kitchen operator; Varthana, which lends to affordable private schools; Poshn, an online wholesale marketplace for agri-commodities; MPower Financing, which offers education loans to international students; and 20Cube Logistics, a digital freight and logistics company. A longer list of portfolio names is on the portfolio page.

What it offers beyond capital

The firm says it builds companies through active engagement. It lists five areas of support: management and governance, technology, human resources and talent management, business operations, and capital raising, where it connects portfolio companies to its global network of lenders. It also states an impact framework covering formal job creation, financial inclusion, gender equality, environmental sustainability, food security and business sustainability.

How to reach them

The site has a Contact page with a short form for first name, last name and email, a free-text box for what you have in mind, and an upload for a business plan or latest deck. The site's header also carries an Upload Business Plan button on every page. The Strategy page says that if you are an entrepreneur, the team would love to hear from you. The Contact page gives a Bengaluru office address and a telephone number. The site does not state a response time, a review process or an open application window, and it publishes no cheque size.

Who runs it

The Bengaluru team is led on research and investments by an M.D. based in India, with analysts, associates and finance staff in the same office. The parent firm was founded in 1994 to support businesses in emerging markets.