Edtech, gaming to attract funding even in COVID-19 crisis: Rohit Sood, Bertelsmann India

The covid-19 crisis has shrunk the investment appetite for startups globally in 2020. In India, venture capital (VC) investments have fallen sharply to $2.2 billion in the first quarter of 2020, according to KPMG’s Venture Pulse report, reflecting the challenging times for startups in the ongoing economic slowdown. While the deal pipeline remains relatively robust in India, deal flow may become slow. Bertelsmann India Investments (BII), the VC fund of Bertelsmann, focuses on Series B and C stage investments in startups in the digital, education, media and services sectors. In an interview with Mint, Rohit Sood, principal, BII, spoke about the investment climate in the country and the impact on international funding amid the pandemic. Edited excerpts: