Info Edge Pledges Rs 250 Cr to A88 Fund for Deeptech
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- Info Edge (India) Ltd will invest up to Rs 250 crore in A88 Fund I, a scheme by SEBI-registered Category II AIF A88 Trust, to back early-stage deep-tech companies in India or primarily focused on India.
- Smartweb Internet Services Ltd, Info Edge's wholly-owned subsidiary, will act as the sponsor and investment manager for the A88 Fund I scheme, per the company's regulatory filing.
- A88 Fund I aims to generate long-term growth for contributors and support the Indian entrepreneurial ecosystem through investments in early-stage deep-tech companies.
- In a separate transaction, Info Edge is exiting its 26.14% stake in associate company Shopkirana E Trading Pvt Ltd via a share-swap with Singapore-based Trustroot Internet Pvt Ltd (TIPL), with the stake valued at $32.97 million.
- Trustroot Internet (TIPL) will issue 1,04,868 preference shares to Info Edge's wholly-owned subsidiary Startup Investments (Holding) Limited — a 2.021% stake — while SIHL will also infuse $1.72 million in primary capital for 5,484 additional preference shares.
- Both share-swap transactions between Info Edge's SIHL and TIPL are expected to close by June 30, 2026.
Why it matters: Info Edge is making a Rs 250 crore bet on India's early-stage deep-tech pipeline while simultaneously cleaning up its portfolio by offloading a 26.14% Shopkirana stake for a 2.021% slice of Singapore-based Trustroot Internet — a dual move that funnels capital into frontier-tech ventures and converts an e-commerce associate into a cross-border equity position, with both transactions targeted to close by June 30, 2026.
