How Hearth Ventures is supporting artisans and weavers

India’s tryst with art began back when not many civilizations even existed, but Indian traditional art is now dying a slow death. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem, with thousands of artisans rendered jobless.

Wednesday March 09, 2022 , 3 min Read

India’s tryst with art began back when not many civilizations even existed, but Indian traditional art is now dying a slow death. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the problem, with thousands of artisans rendered jobless.

This is where VC firm Hearth Ventures has stepped in to "reimagine Indian craftsmanship". Founded in 2021 by Shefali Chhachhi, Vinayak Kamath, and Vipul Jain, the Mumbai-based VC firm specifically looks at investing in businesses that support Indian handicrafts and arts, as well as circular economy companies.

"We want to play the role of a "mentor fund" in the Indian handicrafts and arts sector, and we truly believe that there’s immense opportunity for success in this space," Shefali tells YourStory.

Other than the impact on the artisan and crafts community, Hearth Ventures also looks at entrepreneurial talent, economics, scalability, and proof of potential success among other factors while deciding to invest.

Currently, it has US-based Shobitam Inc under its portfolio with an investment of $1.27 million. It is looking to make three more investments in the next two quarters.

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