Info Edge commits Rs 250 crore to new B8 Fund I to back growth-stage tech startups in India

Info Edge has approved a commitment of up to Rs 250 crore to B8 Fund I, a newly launched scheme under B8 Trust, marking another step in the company’s expanding alternative investment strategy.

In a regulatory filing on Thursday, the company said its board had approved entering into a contribution agreement with B8 Fund I, a scheme launched by B8 Trust. The trust is registered with the Securities and Exchange Board of India as a Category II Alternative Investment Fund under the SEBI (Alternative Investment Funds) Regulations, 2012.

The commitment of up to Rs 250 crore will be made directly and or through wholly owned subsidiaries, including Smartweb Internet Services Limited. Smartweb will act as the sponsor and investment manager of the fund and its schemes.

B8 Trust is a trust registered under the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. It is registered with SEBI as a Category II AIF. The scheme, B8 Fund I, was launched on February 12, 2026. As the trust and the scheme were incorporated and launched in FY26, financial details such as turnover, profit after tax and net worth are not applicable for the previous three financial years.

The fund’s address is Ground Floor, 12 A, 94, Meghdoot Building, Nehru Place, New Delhi – 110019.

The objective of the scheme is to generate long-term growth for contributors and to support the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem by investing in growth-stage, tech-enabled companies in India or those primarily focused on India, in accordance with the SEBI AIF Regulations and other applicable laws.

The life of the scheme will be eight years from the first closing, defined as the execution of the contribution agreement. It may be extended by up to two years with the consent of two-thirds of the contributors. Actual drawdowns will take place over the life of the fund, depending on investment opportunities, market conditions and fund expenses.

The consideration will be in cash. The aggregate value of transactions under the contribution agreement will be up to Rs 250 crore. The company will acquire units of B8 Fund I at face value in one or more tranches, subject to the terms of the agreement.

The transaction will be treated as a related party transaction once the investment management agreement is entered into between the trustee of the fund and Smartweb. Under Regulation 2(1)(zb) of the Listing Regulations, the fund and its schemes would then be regarded as related parties of the company. The filing stated that the promoter, promoter group and group companies have no interest in the investment and that the transaction is being undertaken on an arm’s length basis.

Late last year, Info Edge approved an investment of Rs 100 crore in its wholly owned subsidiary Redstart Labs to meet capital requirements and fund potential investments. Redstart invests in startups across deeptech and SaaS sectors and has backed companies such as Unbox Robotics, BrainSight AI, Skylark Drones, The ePlane Company and CynLr.

The Rs 100 crore infusion marked a revision of an earlier plan approved in October 2024, when the board had authorised Rs 30 crore for Redstart through compulsorily convertible debentures. The latest equity investment increased the capital available for deployment.

In recent years, the company has also invested in AI-focused startups including Pascal AI Labs, Zwayam Digital and Attentive.ai.

Separately, Info Edge had announced plans for a Rs 1,000 crore venture fund focused on AI, SaaS and deeptech startups, underscoring its continued push to institutionalise and scale its investment platform alongside its core operating businesses.