Auctus Capital

What Auctus Capital does

Auctus Capital Services Pvt. Ltd. is a privately held venture investment and leadership coaching firm headquartered in Mumbai, India, founded in 2020 by Vikas Phadnis after his 2019 exit from EuroKids via a sale to KKR. The firm targets tech-enabled, fast-growth startups in India at the Series A/B stage or in bridge rounds, deploying growth capital alongside leadership coaching, operational guidance, and network access. It positions itself not as a typical VC but as a coaching-led investor that partners as rainmakers and enablers while preserving founder autonomy, drawing on Phadnis's credentials as an International Coaching Federation Associate Certified Coach and his University of Cambridge Advanced Leadership Coaching degree.

The firm's core offering is the deployment of intellectual, human, and financial capital into portfolio companies, with value delivered through direct engagement with founders rather than through a proprietary software or technology platform. Auctus claims five successful investments in its first 12 months of operations, with three portfolio companies growing 2x to 2.5x post-investment; named portfolio exposure includes UniAcco/UniCreds and ChaiPoint, spanning ed-tech, health-tech, EV, and corporate e-skilling. There is no disclosed fund vehicle, AUM, management fee structure, or revenue figure, and the firm operates with 1–10 employees from its Prabhadevi, Mumbai office.

Auctus monetizes through equity participation in portfolio companies and prospective gains from exits or subsequent funding rounds, with investment terms structured deal-by-deal. Its go-to-market is direct, founder-led outreach to "coachable" entrepreneurs driven by passion and conviction, leveraging Phadnis's two-decade operating network from scaling EuroKids to USD 200 million+ across 1,300+ pre-schools and 40+ K12 institutions. Distribution is entirely domestic (South Asia), with marketing reliant on the corporate website, founder reputation, and direct referrals rather than formal channel partnerships.

Name

Auctus Capital

Legal name

Auctus Capital Services Pvt. Ltd.

Website

https://auctuscapital.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Auctus Capital is a Mumbai-based venture investment and leadership coaching firm founded in 2020 by ex-EuroKids co-founder Vikas Phadnis, deploying growth capital into Indian tech-enabled Series A/B startups while providing founder coaching and operational network access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Venture Capital and Growth Equity Investment

NAICS

All Other Financial Investment Activities (52399)

SIC

Security Brokers, Dealers & Flotation Companies (6211)

akta.pro primary industry

Technology & Software Growth Equity (FSANACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Geography-Focused Venture Capital (Regional/Emerging Markets) (FSANAAAE)

Keywords

• Venture capital investment
• Growth capital funding
• Startup advisory services
• Leadership coaching
• Series A B investments

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Investment Returns / Equity Gains: As a growth-stage investment firm, Auctus Capital generates returns through equity participation in portfolio companies. They invest capital in exchange for ownership stakes and realize gains through exits, acquisitions, or subsequent funding rounds. Three portfolio companies have grown 2x to 2.5x post investment.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Auctus Capital provides growth-stage equity investment at Series A/B and bridge rounds to tech-enabled, fast-growth startups across sectors, alongside leadership coaching, mentorship, and operational expertise. The firm invests intellectual, human, and financial capital into portfolio companies while serving as enablers and rainmakers who respect entrepreneur autonomy.

Product overview

Auctus Capital Services Pvt. Ltd. is a venture capital and investment firm that provides growth capital, leadership coaching, and mentorship services to tech-enabled, fast-growth startups at Series A/B stage and bridge rounds. The firm does not offer a software product platform but rather invests intellectual, human, and financial capital into portfolio companies. Services include strategic guidance, operational expertise, and network access aimed at nurturing startup growth and building ethical organizational culture.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Growth Capital Investment (Series A/B & Bridge Rounds) Equity capital deployed into tech-enabled, fast-growth startups at Series A/B stage or bridge rounds, with terms negotiated deal-by-deal in exchange for ownership stakes.
• Leadership Coaching & Mentorship Coaching, mentoring, and operational guidance provided to portfolio company founders, grounded in ICF ACC credentialing and University of Cambridge Advanced Leadership Coaching, emphasizing enabler and rainmaker support without interfering in entrepreneur autonomy.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5 successful investments in first 12 months
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Blume Ventures: India-focused early-stage VC fund that invests in tech-enabled startups at pre-seed and seed stages, with strong emphasis on founder coaching and sector-agnostic theses. Closely comparable to Auctus on geography, stage, and coaching-led value-add approach.
• Kalaari Capital: Indian early-to-growth-stage VC focused on technology-enabled businesses across sectors. Comparable to Auctus on India geography and tech-enabled multi-sector thesis, though typically larger cheque sizes.
• 100X.VC: India-based pre-seed and seed VC firm backing tech-enabled startups; comparable to Auctus on Indian geography, tech focus, and founder-friendly engagement model at very early stages.
• Indian Angel Network: India's largest angel network investing in early-stage, sector-agnostic startups with active mentoring by successful entrepreneurs. Comparable to Auctus on the entrepreneur-led value-add model and Indian geography.
• LetsVenture: Indian online platform facilitating angel and early-stage venture investments in tech-enabled startups. Comparable to Auctus on India focus, early stage, and tech-enabled thesis with structured syndicate participation.
• Chiratae Ventures: India-focused tech VC investing across sectors including consumer-tech, SaaS, and emerging tech verticals. Comparable to Auctus on tech-enabled, multi-sector Indian investment thesis at growth stages.

Broad incumbents

• Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India): One of the largest India-focused VCs backing tech-enabled startups from seed to growth. Comparable to Auctus on geography and stage coverage, but operates at materially larger scale and broader portfolio scope.
• Accel India: Indian arm of Accel, investing in early and growth-stage tech-enabled startups. Comparable to Auctus on India geography, tech focus, and coaching-style founder support, but with significantly larger fund sizes.

Regional players

• Fireside Ventures: India-focused consumer brand and tech-enabled early-stage VC. Comparable to Auctus on India-focused, early-stage investing with operator-led mentoring and bridge-round participation in select deals.
• 3one4 Capital: Early-stage Indian VC focused on tech-enabled, sector-agnostic startups with strong founder-development orientation. Comparable to Auctus on India geography, stage, tech-enabled multi-sector thesis, and founder-coaching value-add.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses2 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments10 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Auctus Capital