Surge, Sequoia Capital India’s rapid scale-up program, on Wednesday announced its fourth cohort of 17 early-stage startups. Most of the companies are headquartered in India and Southeast Asia, with one coming from Australia.
“The cohort is a reflection of how the region’s startup ecosystem will look and think for the next few years, possibly impacting entire economies,” said managing director Rajan Anandan in a statement. “Businesses are going beyond home markets, thinking digital-first, and leveraging technology to solve problems at scale for industries around the world.”
The participants are operating in a wide range of sectors, including edtech, fintech, healthtech, B2B marketplace, and software-as-a-service (SaaS). More than half of them are building for cross-border markets. The startups have collectively raised USD 45.35 million from Surge and other investors, including institutional and angel investors.
Similar to the previous batch, the participants in this cohort will attend the program virtually until March 2021.
Launched in March 2019, the 16-week Surge program provides startup founders with up to USD 2 million in seed capital and various workshops led by experienced mentors. So far, it has helped 150 founders from across the globe. In July, Sequoia Capital India closed two new India and South East Asia focused funds, split into a USD 525 million venture fund, and a USD 825 million growth fund.