Growth stage investments-focussed VC fund Playbook Partners, founded by former Jio president Vikas Choudhury, has already made two investments in 2026 — a $15 Mn infusion into a foodtech firm and another lead investment into an AI led digital transformationstartup with a deal size of $15-20 Mn. The VC firm is looking to close seven to eight growth stage deals, in a mix of primary and secondary infusions, in the consumer tech, fintech and AI segments in 2026. With a fund corpus of $250 Mn and a first close of $130 Mn, the VC firm’s current and past portfolio includes Curefoods, Renee Cosmetics, Exotel, InMobi, Fractal, Rapido and Myntra, among others. The fund positions itself in the post-VC, pre-PE stage, supporting founders who prefer independence and public markets over large, control-driven private equity deals. Also, while not a pre-IPO fund, Playbook invests in IPO-bound firms and retains significant post-listing stakes, betting on long-term value rather than quick exits. The VC firm counts Aakash Chaudry of Aakash Educational Services, Manish Choksi of Asian Paints, and Milan Sheth, Partner at EY, as operating partners. Its advisors include InMobi’s Naveen Tewari and Nazara’s CEO Nitish Mittersain. “We only do growth capital… Series C,… Read MoreInc42 Media
