NikolEV
Founded by Arjun D Pawar
EV charging infrastructure across India.
A hillside in a light breeze. A seed planted in the ground sprouts, becomes a sapling and grows into a tree whose leaves carry the DMLRD colours from the ground up: teal at the base, violet through the body, pink at the crown. The tree bears fruit; one falls and becomes the next seed. The stages follow the startup life cycle: seed is pre-seed and seed, sapling is early stage and Series A, tree is growth from Series B on, fruit is the exit, and the fallen fruit is the returns backing the next founder. Each stage is described twice: once for founders raising money, once for backers who co-invest through the syndicates DMLRD Ventures leads or joins. Beneath the hills, the DMLRD group companies are the bedrock: DMLRD Tech builds the technology with the startups, DMLRD Internet Services provides hosting, compute and accelerated compute.
Backed from the first step.
The first cheque from our own capital, and our hands while it grows. Founders in food, water, energy and land pitch us; co-investors join the syndicates we lead or back, at the stage they choose.
FoundersA first cheque from our own capital, from idea to first productBackersWe go in first with our own money, then open the round to a syndicate
For founders
Raise your first cheque from people who build.
- A first cheque, from our own capital. Pre-seed or seed, in food, water, energy or land.
- Engineers, not just advisers. DMLRD Tech can build the technology with your team.
- Somewhere to run it. Your tech infrastructure can run on DMLRD Internet Services: hosting, compute and accelerated compute.
- Hands on, until it stands on its own. Then growth rounds alongside larger investors, and the exit.
For co-investors
Join the syndicates we lead or back.
- We go in first. Our own money is in before we open a round to anyone.
- Operators on the company. Product, engineering and go-to-market hands, not only a board seat.
- The group behind every bet. Engineers from DMLRD Tech, infrastructure from DMLRD Internet Services.
- Your stage, your sectors. Join at seed, Series A or growth; tell us what you back.
How it works
Seed, sapling, tree, fruit. Then the next seed.
- SeedPre-seed · Seed
Founders: a first cheque from our own capital, from idea to first product.
Backers: we go in first with our own money, then open the round to a syndicate.
- SaplingSeries A
Founders: first customers, PMF, we build the tech with you & run it.
Backers: lead or join a syndicate with us, with the group's engineers and network behind the company.
- TreeSeries B+
Founders: standing on its own, the group behind it.
Backers: growth rounds alongside larger investors, where the company sets the pace.
- FruitExit
Founders: acquisition or listing, the founder's win.
Backers: returns realised together, and the proceeds plant the next seed.
Focus
Food, water, energy and land.
FoodFarms, inputs, the cold chain
WaterSupply, reuse, irrigation
EnergySolar, storage, charging
LandSoil, sensing, land use
Portfolio
Six companies, two ways of holding them.
Held by DMLRD VenturesDMLRD Ventures is a shareholder.
EV Blue
Founded by Saurabh Rite
Green last-mile logistics, Pune.
Backed by our founderAngel bets held by our founder personally, not by DMLRD Ventures, directly or through the syndicates named on each card.
Garuda Aerospace 2023
Founded by Agnishwar Jayaprakash
Drones for agriculture and industry, Chennai.
DevDham 2023
Founded by Pranav Kapoor, Suyansh Taneja and Sagnika Chowdhary
Devotional platform connecting devotees with temples, previously DevDarshan.
Rapawalk 2022
Founded by Kashif Mohammad
Customisable, hand-crafted footwear, Bengaluru.
Inspacco 2023 – 2026
Founded by Sanket Nerkar
Services platform for residential societies and commercial spaces, Pune.
About
Founder‑led. Operator‑run. Rooted in Pune.
DMLRD Ventures is the investing arm of the DMLRD group, run by the people who run the group's own companies. We back founders in food, water, energy and land from the first cheque to the exit, and stay hands-on in between.
Every venture we back can take the support of the group entities: build its technology with DMLRD Tech and run its tech infrastructure on DMLRD Internet Services.
Can build the technology with your team
Hosting, compute and accelerated compute
The first cheque, and our hands while it growsTalk to us
Send us a ping on WhatsApp
Three short steps, then it is with us.
Tell us what brings you here, roughly the shape of it, and how to reach you. We read every message ourselves and reply within two working days.
Quick question? WhatsApp gets the fastest reply. Email works too: hello@dmlrd.com.