Nikhil Kamath's Gruhas, Brigade launch Rs 300 cr realty-focused fund

Both partners have contributed about 15% each to the overall Rs 200 crore Sebi-registered Category II AIF, which includes a Rs 100 crore green-shoe option

Bengaluru-based real estate giant Brigade Group has teamed up with Nikhil Kamath’s investment firm, Gruhas, to launch India’s first Earth Fund—an investment initiative focused on real estate tech and sustainability. The fund also aims to collaborate with the government to address nationwide issues.

 

Nirupa Shankar, joint managing director, Brigade Group, told Business Standard that eventually, the plan is to collaborate with the government to explore how these technologies can be implemented across cities in India to tackle broader urban challenges like water and solar management.

 

"The Earth Fund aims to invest in technology nationwide—Tier I or Tier II. Being based in Bengaluru, we see more applications from within the city, which is also India’s startup capital," added Shankar.

 

 

Both partners have contributed about 15 per cent each to the overall Rs 200 crore Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi)-registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), which includes a Rs 100 crore green-shoe option. Earth Fund will launch in the coming days. It aims to invest $1-2 million in startups with a proven product-market fit and seeks capital to scale. The fund has shortlisted several startups and plans to build a portfolio of 5-6 companies by 2025.

 

Set up under Brigade’s subsidiary Zoiros Projects Private Limited, the fund aims to back high-growth startups solving challenges in the built world through sustainability and innovation. Earth Fund will invest in pre-Series A and Series A tech startups innovating in real estate, construction, and sustainability.

 

"We typically look at startups with at least two founders, raised potential funds, and multiple customers in their portfolio in the realty space related to proptech. From a sustainability point of view, they can be related to any industry. In all, we are looking at growth and the ability to scale up quickly," added Shankar.

 

Brigade REAP Accelerator has mentored and invested in over 80 urban tech and sustainability startups, offering industry integration, market access, go-to-market acceleration, strategic fundraising, and growth support beyond capital. Meanwhile, Gruhas, with investments in 50-plus proptech, climate tech, sustainability, and consumer startups, focuses on identifying and nurturing high-impact ventures.

 

The fund targets breakthrough innovations in urban tech—spanning proptech, construction tech, real estate, and asset utilisation—and sustainability, covering climate tech, clean tech, smart mobility, and energy.

 

Abhijeet Pai, co-founder, Gruhas, said, "Earth Fund aligns with our vision of using technology to drive sustainable growth in real estate and construction. With India’s population surpassing 1.4 billion, modernising our built environment is more urgent than ever. By bridging traditional real estate with emerging technologies, we’re accelerating ventures that redefine urban spaces, construction, and resource efficiency."