Paytm Founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma Backs AWE Funds, Signalling Stronger Investor Confidence in India’s Deeptech & Innovation Economy
AWE Funds, an early-growth venture equity platform focused on backing scalable deeptech and technology-led innovations across Climate, Health, and the Future of Work, today announced that Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Founder & CEO of Paytm, has joined the fund as an investor.
The development marks a significant milestone for AWE Funds as it continues to deepen its strategic network of operators, entrepreneurs, and ecosystem leaders supporting India’s next wave of innovation-led startups.
Widely regarded as one of India’s most influential technology entrepreneurs, Vijay Shekhar Sharma has played a defining role in shaping India’s digital economy and fintech ecosystem. His commitment to AWE Funds comes at a time when India is witnessing rising investor interest in sectors such as AI, climate-tech, deeptech, enterprise technology, healthcare innovation, and future-of-work solutions, sectors where long-term value creation is increasingly being driven by strong technological capabilities and scalable innovation.
Over the years, AWE Funds has built a differentiated investment thesis focused on identifying and supporting founders solving large-scale challenges through technology-led businesses with global relevance and long-term market potential. The fund has actively focused on companies building in sectors critical to India’s next decade of economic and technological growth.
Speaking on the development, Seema Chaturvedi, Founder & Managing Partner, AWE Funds, said, “We are delighted to welcome Vijay Shekhar Sharma as an investor in AWE Funds. Vijay’s entrepreneurial journey and contribution towards building one of India’s most influential technology companies makes his association extremely valuable – not just for the fund, but for the larger founder ecosystem we work closely with. His understanding of building and scaling innovation-led businesses aligns strongly with our vision of supporting founders creating transformative and globally scalable companies from India.”
The announcement further reflects the increasing convergence of experienced technology founders and institutional capital towards supporting India’s innovation economy, particularly in sectors expected to define the country’s next phase of growth and global competitiveness.
