Global early-stage VC Antler has announced its launch in India to enable more entrepreneurs to build start-ups through their platform, support and global reach. Antler plans to invest in up to 40 companies within its first year of operations in India through an India-dedicated fund and plans to expand to other major cities in the next three to five years.

The local operation will start in Bengaluru, led by Rajiv Srivatsa, co-founder of Urban Ladder, who is joining as Partner.

Rajiv Srivatsa, told BusinessLine , “We will raise up to $50 million for the India Fund which will be deployed over the next 3-5 years across multiple cities and are looking to build over 150 start-ups in the same period. Today, India is at the stage where China was a decade ago. In the coming years, we have the potential to take this ecosystem into the next orbit and build hundreds of world-class start-ups at scale,” he said.

The inaugural Antler India program will kick off in Bangalore in the next three to four months with 70-100 entrepreneurs.