Kalaari's Kstart seed programme to partner with Google

Kstart, a seed programme launched by Indian venture capital firm Kalaari Capital, is partnering with Google for its seed-stage portfolio companies.

Under this partnership, Google will select a few Kstart portfolio companies for grants of up to $50,000.The partnership will provide select Kstart portfolio companies access to Google's mentorship, extensive global network and products, as per a statement.

The startups will receive mentoring from Google managers, access to invite-only beta products and Google credits for cloud infrastructure, ads and product support.

"Google is one of the most admired technology companies. Google's various programs to invest into the startup ecosystem is noteworthy. We are pleased that Kstart companies will be able to benefit from Google for continuous learning, scaling and access their key technologies and mentors," said Vani Kola, MD, Kalaari Capital.

Google will open its network of partners, mentors, investors and experts in Silicon Valley and other global locations.

Kalaari Capital is also planning to invest about $20 million (around Rs 135.7 crore) in 40 startups over the next two years as part of its seed and incubation programme.

Kalaari Capital has been active in India since 2006 and has $350 million under management. Currently, the VC firm provides capital to early-stage companies operating in India and US across sectors such as technology, cleantech, healthcare, education, pharma, food and beverages, technology enabled services, media and entertainment and retail. It typically invests between $1 million and $5 million in each startup.

Its portfolio companies include online marketplace Snapdeal, lingerie e-retailer Zivame, payment solutions provider Instamojo, education services provider SuperProfs.com, e-learning portal Simplilearn and online furniture store Urban Ladder, among others.

Kalaari Capital is an investor in YourStory. YourStory's offerings compete with some products of The VCCircle Network. VCCircle Network—whose businesses include subscription data products, events, training programmes and a subscription-led news website—was acquired by News Corp in March last year.