Nikhil Kamath
About Nikhil Kamath
Nikhil Kamath is an Indian entrepreneur and investor. He co-founded the retail stockbroker Zerodha with his brother Nithin Kamath in 2010. Zerodha's flat-fee discount broking model grew without venture funding.
In 2020 he co-founded True Beacon, an asset management company that manages money for ultra-high-net-worth individuals through privately pooled investment vehicles. In 2021 he co-founded the investment firm Gruhas with Abhijeet Pai.
He also runs programmes for young founders. WTFund, launched in April 2024, is a non-dilutive grant fund for entrepreneurs aged 25 and under. In December 2025 he and Kishore Biyani launched The Foundery, a 90-day residential entrepreneurship programme in Alibaug.
Tracxn dates his startup investing to 2015 through Zerodha Capital. It lists 37 portfolio companies and names Ather Energy and Licious among the most notable. Crunchbase lists 34 personal investments and shows him as lead investor in the seed round of Third Wave Coffee.
Some deals are made personally and others through Gruhas. In 2025 he bought a 5% stake in D'yavol Spirits, founded by Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan.
Aignosis (October 2026): Aignosis is a Jaipur healthtech startup that screens young children for autism and developmental conditions using AI. Kamath co-led its ₹4 crore seed round with Antler. Varun Dua and IIMA Ventures also took part. The company is deployed in more than 20 government Primary Health Centres in Rajasthan. Kamath said it is built for government health centres and small clinics rather than metro private hospitals.
Superleap (August 2026): Superleap is a Bengaluru startup building an AI-native CRM for large sales teams. Its ₹36 crore round was led by Peak XV's Surge programme, and Kamath is listed among its angel investors. Gruhas is an existing investor. Press coverage calls the round pre-Series A, while the Lounge deals desk records it as a $3.8M seed.
Gruhas invests in early and growth-stage startups in climate tech, consumer brands, senior care, sustainability and PropTech. Tracxn lists his top sectors as consumer and retail, and his investments span India, the United Kingdom and two other countries. His recent AI deals are in healthtech and enterprise software at seed and pre-Series A. Kamath has not published a personal check size, so none is stated here.
- Aignosis: AI-assisted autism and developmental screening in India; co-led the ₹4 crore seed round in October 2026.
- Superleap: AI-native CRM for enterprise sales teams; angel investor in its August 2026 round.
- Third Wave Coffee: specialty coffee chain; lead investor in its seed round per Crunchbase.
- Ather Energy: electric two-wheeler maker; named by Tracxn as a notable investment.
- Licious: online meat and seafood retailer; named by Tracxn as a notable investment.
- D'yavol Spirits: spirits brand founded by Shah Rukh Khan and Aryan Khan; 5% stake bought in 2025.
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikhil_Kamath
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nithin_Kamath
- indianstartupnews.com/funding/antler-nikhil-kamath-invest-rs-4-crore-i
- biospectrumindia.com/news/16/28591/aignosis-raises-rs-4-cr-in-seed-rou
- indianstartupnews.com/funding/bengaluru-based-superleap-raises-rs-36-c
- tracxn.com/d/people/nikhil-kamath/__kfpwSbbACTsKF9qc3WWKCIV6Jg5cVpOKmA
- crunchbase.com/person/nikhil-kamath
- crunchbase.com/funding_round/third-wave-cofee-seed--0d0deacc
Investing activity
Nikhil Kamath appears in 2 AI deals tracked by the Lounge deals desk, and led 1 of them. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $4M. The most recent are Aignosis (Seed, ₹4Cr, Oct 2026) and Superleap (Seed, $3.8M (INR 360.0M), Aug 2026).
Nikhil Kamath most often invests alongside Antler, Varun Dua, IIMA Ventures and Surge, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Nikhil Kamath
Does Nikhil Kamath invest in AI startups?
Yes. He co-led Aignosis's ₹4 crore seed round in October 2026 and is an angel investor in Superleap's August 2026 round. Both are AI companies, in healthtech and enterprise software.
What is Nikhil Kamath's typical check size?
He has not published a check size. The Aignosis round was ₹4 crore in total and he co-led it with Antler, so his own share is not public.
What stage does Nikhil Kamath invest in?
His recent AI deals are at seed and pre-Series A. Gruhas, his investment firm, lists pre-Series A, seed and Series A as its stage focus.
Which sectors does Nikhil Kamath back?
Gruhas covers climate tech, consumer brands, senior care, sustainability and PropTech. Tracxn lists consumer and retail as his top sectors, and his AI deals include healthtech and enterprise CRM.
How can founders reach Nikhil Kamath?
He is on X and LinkedIn as nikhilkamathcio. He also runs WTFund, a grant fund for founders aged 25 and under, and co-launched The Foundery programme.
Does Nikhil Kamath lead rounds or follow?
Both. He co-led Aignosis with Antler and was lead investor in Third Wave Coffee's seed round. In Superleap's round, Peak XV's Surge led and he joined as an angel.
Is Nikhil Kamath an angel investor?
Yes. Nikhil Kamath invests personally as an angel.
What AI companies has Nikhil Kamath invested in?
Nikhil Kamath's AI investments include Aignosis and Superleap. The 2 rounds on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Nikhil Kamath invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Nikhil Kamath has invested at Seed, with a median round of $4M. Nikhil Kamath led 1 of those rounds.
Who does Nikhil Kamath co-invest with?
Nikhil Kamath's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Antler (1 deal), Varun Dua (1 deal), IIMA Ventures (1 deal), Surge (1 deal) and Anupam Mittal (1 deal).