Mumbai: The Fidelity International-backed Eight Roads Ventures, which has invested in startups such as MoEngage, Shadowfax and Whatfix, expects to accelerate its funding in India this year, top executives at the firm said. “We see this year as a good time to be accelerating our investments in the country. I'm anticipating five to six deals we’d like to back in India, and we're seeing the deal flow in the market. So, we are keen to deploy more," Alex Emery, president at the firm, told Mint in an interview. H ...

Core Viewpoint - Goldman Sachs announced an agreement to acquire Industry Ventures to enhance its role in private markets, focusing on high-growth tech investments and liquidity solutions amid a post-IPO slowdown [1][7] Acquisition Details - The acquisition values Industry Ventures at an initial $665 million in cash and equity, with an additional $300 million in contingent payments based on performance through 2030, expected to close in Q1 2026 [2] - All 45 employees of Industry Ventures will be integrated into Goldman Sachs [2] Company Background - Industry Ventures, founded in 2000, manages $7 billion in assets, focusing on secondary investments, co-investments, and seed capital [3] - The firm has executed over 1,000 deals, partnering with over 325 venture funds and holding stakes in approximately 10,000 companies, representing about 20% of the U.S. VC ecosystem [4] Financial Performance - Industry Ventures' portfolio includes notable companies like Airbnb, Alibaba, and Uber, delivering a 2.2x return on capital and an 18% internal rate of return since inception [4] Strategic Implications for Goldman Sachs - The acquisition strengthens Goldman's External Investing Group, which manages over $450 billion, enhancing its capabilities in co-investments and secondary transactions [5] - Goldman has been a limited partner in Industry Ventures' funds for two decades, indicating a long-standing relationship that the acquisition builds upon [5][6] Market Context - The acquisition comes at a time when VC funds are facing prolonged IPO droughts, leading to increased reliance on secondary transactions for liquidity [7][8] - Analysts view the deal as timely, potentially accelerating Goldman's revenue streams in private markets [8]