Exclusive: IFC looks to cut small cheques, invest in early stage companies in India

International Finance Corporation, which is known for its later stage investments, is now turning its focus to early stage investments with smaller cheque sizes in India and the South Asian region. For IFC, which is the private investment arm of the World Bank, South Asian region comprises  India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, of which India dominates the investment pie. IFC’s venture capital portfolio includes consumer internet companies like Big Basket, Lenskart, health-tech firms like Portea and NephroPlus; and cleantech companies like Azure Power. Most recently, the IFC, has committed to invest up to $15 million in education tech firm Byju’s.