Saha Asset Advisors

Saha Asset Advisors

Saha Asset Advisors was founded in Bangalore as India's first venture capital fund dedicated to women entrepreneurship. Ankita Vashistha serves as CEO and Managing Partner, building a thesis around data showing women-led private technology companies achieve 35% higher return on investment when venture-backed. The firm targets businesses run by women, those employing a majority-female workforce, or those creating products and services explicitly for women. The fund deploys capital across early-stage startups spanning enterprise software, digital health and fitness, agritech, and consumer platforms. Confirmed portfolio companies include LoveLocal, a hyperlocal commerce platform digitizing neighborhood retailers; Fitternity, India's largest fitness discovery and booking service; and Phenom People, an AI-powered HR platform for talent experience management. Additional positions include Shoptimize, an enterprise SaaS platform for online sales, and GoCoop, an online marketplace connecting handloom cooperatives directly with buyers. The firm operates primarily across India, with portfolio reach extending to global markets through companies like Phenom People. Saha's team includes Partner Usha Amin and CFO Deepak Aggarwal, supported by advisors Mohandas Pai and Avinash Vashistha. The firm maintains its headquarters in Bangalore's Dollars Colony, serving as both investment manager and advocate for women's economic participation. No verifiable fund size, total deployment, or recent operational event within the last 24 months is publicly documented beyond the portfolio composition displayed on the firm's website. Vashistha's firm operates at the intersection of venture capital and gender-lens investing — a structural differentiator in India's startup ecosystem. By tying investment decisions explicitly to women's employment and products targeting women consumers, Saha creates a mandate that functions as both a return-seeking vehicle and a participation thesis. The firm deploys across standard venture stages without separate philanthropic or adjacent vehicles currently disclosed, positioning it as a pure-play thematic manager rather than a family office or diversified asset gatherer.