“Departure of Nexus’ Leading Partner Sameer Brij Verma Signals Launch of Independent Fund”

Sameer Brij Verma, a high-profile investor at the Indian venture firm Nexus, will be leaving the fund later this year, he confirmed to TechCrunch. Verma plans to launch his own venture firm, with the inaugural fund expected to have a corpus of at least $150 million, a source familiar with the matter said. The timing of his departure is also peculiar as Nexus raised a $700 million fund, its largest, just last year. Verma has been working with his portfolio startups to hand over board seats to other partners at Nexus for several months, the source said, requesting anonymity. Verma plans to launch his own fund by the end of the year where he plans to adopt a strategy that sets him apart from other investment firms in India.

In a surprising turn of events, Sameer Brij Verma, one of the most prominent investors at Indian venture firm Nexus, has announced his departure later this year. Verma confirmed the news to TechCrunch, revealing his plans to launch his own venture firm with a significant fund of at least $150 million.

“Verma’s decision to leave Nexus is unexpected, as he has been the face of the firm and a highly active dealmaker,” stated industry peers.

The Indian startup community holds Verma in high regard for his notable contributions to Nexus Venture Partners. He has led or co-led some of the firm’s most successful investments, including Postman, Hasura, Infra.market, Unacademy, and Ultrahuman, which just announced new funding on Wednesday.

Verma has been praised for his willingness to provide strategic guidance and support to startup founders, even if they didn’t secure a deal with Nexus. This approach has earned him respect and admiration from entrepreneurs in the industry.

The timing of Verma’s departure is peculiar, as Nexus recently raised its largest fund of $700 million just last year. Typically, the lead-up to new fundraises sees major leadership shifts within a firm. However, sources say that Verma has been working with his portfolio companies for months to hand over board seats to other partners, requesting anonymity.

When asked about his departure, Verma declined to comment beyond confirming his plans. However, sources say that Verma has set his sights on establishing a new fund by the end of the year, adopting a unique strategy that sets him apart from other investment firms in India.

“Verma’s new fund will take a hands-on approach, actively engaging in the operations of portfolio companies rather than solely focusing on returns,” revealed a person briefed on the matter.

The fund will also back startups at all stages, an approach different from Verma’s previous focus on power law returns. His departure plans were first reported by Indian daily Economic Times.