Not clear which nations entering negotiations under plan: WSJ

Not clear which nations entering negotiations under plan: WSJ

Peak XV Partners, a prominent venture capital firm, is set to raise a new fund worth $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion, marking its first independent fund since separating from Sequoia Capital in mid-2023. The new fund will focus on early-stage startups across India and Southeast Asia, while Peak XV will continue to back later-stage firms through its separate growth fund [1].

This funding round comes amidst significant leadership changes and tighter scrutiny from limited partners (LPs). Over the past year, several senior leaders have exited the firm, including managing directors Shailesh Lakhani, Abheek Anand, and Piyush Gupta, along with key executives from various departments [1]. Despite these changes, Peak XV has been expanding its US play, recently bringing on Arnav Sahu, formerly with Y Combinator, as its first San Francisco-based investment partner [1].

The raise is significant for Peak XV, which has raised nearly $9 billion and realized over $6 billion in exits since its inception in 2006. The firm's earlier $2.85 billion fund, announced in 2022, was reduced by 16% in 2024, largely trimming the growth allocation [1].

Meanwhile, the Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is expected to tighten its oversight of the unlisted bond distribution market following the crisis at all-electric cab-hailing startup BluSmart. BluSmart raised over Rs 100 crore in the past year by issuing unlisted, unsecured corporate bonds, primarily via fintech platforms [2]. Sebi's actions aim to limit retail investor exposure to securitized debt instruments (SDIs) and may include new guidelines or penalties for non-compliant platforms [2].

In a separate development, AI is transforming coding practices at Indian startups. AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude are generating between 40-80% of codebases, saving time and boosting efficiency. Industry experts predict that this trend will reshape expectations for entry-level engineers [3].

References:
[1] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/newsletters/morning-dispatch/peak-xvs-new-fund-sebis-bond-crackdown/articleshow/120600547.cms
[2] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/newsletters/morning-dispatch/peak-xvs-new-fund-sebis-bond-crackdown/articleshow/120600547.cms
[3] https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/newsletters/morning-dispatch/peak-xvs-new-fund-sebis-bond-crackdown/articleshow/120600547.cms