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The Venture Codex

SMBC Asia Rising Fund

88 Market Street #33-01, CapitaSpring, Singapore, 048948

Overview

SMBC has co-founded the corporate venture capital fund “SMBC Asia Rising Fund” with Incubate Fund in the Republic of Singapore for the purpose of accelerating business development and partnerships through investments in high potential Asian start-ups.

Total investments
4
Lead investments
3
Investments · 12mo
3
Active investors
1
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Investment portfolio

  • Centricity

    Led · Series A · Aug 2026

    Founded in 2022 by former Citibank, Deutsche Bank, Kotak and 360 ONE WAM executives, Centricity offers a technology-led wealth management platform that gives advisors and distributors access to mutual funds, insurance, bonds, portfolio management services, alternative investment funds, broking, GIFT City opportunities and offshore investment solutions. Its platform automates portfolio consolidation, reporting, risk analytics and investment monitoring to help advisors and family offices manage multi-product, multi-region portfolios. Three years after founding, Centricity reports over ₹15,000 crore in assets under management, more than 20,000 partners, over 100,000 investors and relationships with more than 250 family offices, with 60% of assets generating recurring revenue. The company says its business grew nearly 200% year-over-year and is on track to surpass ₹150 crore in revenue in FY27. Centricity has expanded internationally via Centricity Global Private Client to serve non-resident Indians and global investors through GIFT City and DIFC offerings and plans to scale its private-banker headcount domestically and for NRI business as part of its growth strategy.

  • Smartcoin

    Participated · Series B · Feb 2026

    Founded in 2016, Olyv has built a credit-first digital lending platform that targets India’s tier-2, tier-3, and rural populations who are often overlooked by traditional lenders. The company has amassed more than 50 million registered users and has disbursed loans totaling over ₹10,000 crore to date. It has maintained profitability for 11 consecutive quarters, demonstrating strong unit economics and disciplined scaling. Leveraging proprietary credit data, Olyv plans to evolve into a full-stack financial services provider by adding insurance, UPI payments, and business loans to its suite. Management is aiming to surpass $1 billion in assets under management and double its user base to 100 million within the next three years. The firm positions itself as a key player in digitizing financial services for India’s next half-billion users.

  • Aerem

    Led · Series B · Jan 2026

    Founded in 2021, Aerem provides a comprehensive platform that combines solar system design, an equipment marketplace, financing solutions, and post-installation asset monitoring to simplify distributed solar deployment. The company primarily targets MSMEs, homeowners, EPC contractors, and financial institutions, giving them a single interface to procure, finance, and oversee rooftop solar projects. Aerem claims to have enabled more than 1,200 MW of solar capacity and financed over 2,000 projects nationwide. Its network includes 3,200 installation partners operating in 150 Indian cities, underscoring its broad geographic reach. Revenue details are not disclosed, but the company’s total capital raised now stands at roughly $34.5 million. With fresh funds, Aerem plans to widen its pan-India footprint, deepen its EPC and installer network, and invest in affordability, execution quality, and system-performance visibility to drive solar adoption among MSMEs and residential customers.

  • Shivalik Small Finance Bank

    Led · Equity · Aug 2025

    Shivalik SFB converted from an urban cooperative bank (established in 1997) into a small finance bank in 2021 and has a retail banking legacy. It serves over 900,000 customers through 79 branches and 114 business correspondent outlets across 11 states. The bank's business size crossed ₹6,700 crore, its headcount rose to about 1,000, and it reported revenue of ₹423 crore in FY25. Approximately 90% of the bank's business is secured lending, with roughly 50% comprising affordable home loans, business loans and gold loans. Management says it is building a strong digital foundation to serve MSME and retail customers; the fresh equity will be used to strengthen the technology stack and expand product, engineering and operations teams. Besides organic expansion, the bank is open to acquisitions in affordable housing finance or secured MSME lending for faster growth. Shivalik Small Finance Bank operates as a small finance bank focused on digital-first retail and small-business banking products. The bank plans to use new funding to enhance its tech stack, strengthen its team, and further develop its product proposition. It aims to accelerate growth by leveraging digital banking adoption among small business and retail customers. Shivalik serves over eight lakh customers and runs 175 branches across Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Madhya Pradesh, NCR, Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu. The company positions itself to drive inclusive growth for MSMEs and underserved segments through expanded digital capabilities and product development.

Team