🌍The WhatsApp Message That Started a Climate Revolution

What if I told you that a single WhatsApp message between two friends changed how India thinks about climate investing forever?

📖 The Story Unfolds

Back in 2015, Indian VCs were obsessed with the next Flipkart or Ola. Climate tech? That was a Western luxury India couldn’t afford. After all, we were still figuring out basic internet adoption.

But the Kamath brothers saw something different. While Silicon Valley was chasing the next social media unicorn, they realized India's real opportunity lay in solving India's real problems. 💧 Water scarcity 🌫 Air pollution 🥬 Sustainable food systems

The first Rainmatter climate investment? A small dairy company called Akshayakalpa that was trying to create a sustainable milk supply chain. Most VCs laughed at the "boring" business model. Nithin saw the future.

"We may be early," Kamath said in his LinkedIn post, "but our thesis right now is that climate and health will be megatrends of the future."

📊 The Numbers Game

Fast forward to 2024:

₹275 crores deployed in just one year

47 startups backed

₹120 crores specifically to climate tech (that's 44% of total investment)

Zero board seats demanded

Zero exit mandates imposed

Compare this to traditional VC math:

Average Indian VC: 8 to 12 investments per year

Rainmatter: 47 investments in 2024 alone

Industry average hold period: 5 to 7 years

Rainmatter approach: Patient capital with no exit pressure

🔁 The Plot Twist

Here's what nobody talks about. Rainmatter isn't just an investment fund. It's a parallel economy experiment.

Every rupee of profit gets reinvested back into the ecosystem. No LP returns, no management fees, just pure reinvestment into solving India's climate puzzle.

While Sequoia and Accel optimize for unicorns, Rainmatter optimizes for impact. Their portfolio reads like a climate solutions directory.

SolarSquare: Making rooftop solar accessible to every Indian home

Climes: Carbon offsetting for the masses

Boson: Industrial water recycling

BluJ Aero: Hydrogen-electric aviation

🌏 The Bigger Picture

But here's why this matters beyond one fund's portfolio. Rainmatter is proof that Indian capital can think differently.

While global climate tech funding dropped 40% in 2024, Indian climate investments grew 37% quarter over quarter.

The message is spreading. Former KKR India CEO Sanjay Nayar recently launched Peak Ventures focused on cleantech. Eversource Capital is raising $1 billion for climate solutions. Even government-backed funds are joining the party.

🚀 The Future Shock

What started as a WhatsApp message between brothers has become a movement.

Rainmatter plans to deploy ₹1,000 crores over the next few years. That's enough to fund 50 to 100 early-stage climate startups.

But the real revolution isn't the money. It’s the mindset. A generation of Indian entrepreneurs now sees climate solutions as business opportunities, not charity projects.

📌 What This Means For You

If you're an investor: The climate megatrend isn't coming. It's here. Patient capital is becoming the smart capital.

If you're a startup: The market for climate solutions in India is real and growing. But success requires solving real problems for real people at real prices.

If you're watching from the sidelines: The next decade will be defined by companies that make sustainability profitable and scalability sustainable.

Thanks for reading the very first issue of this newsletter. If this story resonated with you, I’d love to hear your thoughts ; reply, share, or just reflect. Climate investing isn’t a niche anymore. It’s the future, and we’re all part of writing that story.