Axilor Ventures: A Bengaluru Fund Founded by Infosys Co-Founders
Axilor Ventures is a Bengaluru-based seed fund and accelerator founded by Infosys co-founders Kris Gopalakrishnan and S.D. Shibulal in 2014. The firm invests mainly at the seed stage, writing checks between $500,000 and $1.5 million, with more than 75 percent of startups going on to raise a series A. It has backed 166 companies, including MetalBook, with one IPO and 20 acquisitions to date.
Overview
Axilor Ventures is a seed fund and accelerator based in Bengaluru. Infosys co-founders Kris Gopalakrishnan and S.D. Shibulal founded the firm in 2014. Professor Tarun Khanna, Srinath Batni, and Ganapathy Venugopal joined as fellow founders. Gopalakrishnan now serves as chairman, and Shibulal as co-founder. The firm combines seed capital with hands-on accelerator support. It backs founders across supply chain, enterprise tech, healthcare, agri, and fintech.
Investment Focus and Stage
Axilor Ventures primarily invests at the seed stage. It typically writes checks between $500,000 and $1.5 million per startup. The firm follows on into many of its own portfolio companies. More than 75 percent of its startups go on to raise a series A round. Its community includes more than 400 founders sharing learnings across the portfolio.
Fund Size and Portfolio
Axilor Ventures has invested in 166 companies as of late 2025. Its track record includes one IPO and 20 acquisitions to date. MetalBook counts among its confirmed seed portfolio companies. Wiz Freight, UrbanPiper, ReshaMandi, and Niramai also sit within its portfolio. Sage, Pocket Aces, and Scapic rank among its notable acquisitions.
Leadership
Kris Gopalakrishnan serves as chairman of Axilor Ventures. He co-founded Infosys and led the company as CEO from 2007 to 2011. S.D. Shibulal co-founded Axilor Ventures and also co-founded Infosys in 1981. He served as Infosys CEO and MD between 2011 and 2014. Both bring decades of enterprise technology leadership to the fund.