AngelList India

Mar 18, 2023

For most startup founders, angel investors are truly angels in disguise as they help their business stay afloat and grow. Angel investing is the type of funding where wealthy individuals with prior experience in startups invest in budding startups in exchange for equity. According to Fortune India , India is now home to a 26,500-plus bustling angel investing community. While some angel investors prefer to do it solo, some form syndications or become part of business angel networks that help them invest smarter and better. This blog post lists the 10 most active angel networks for D2C startup funding in India. 10 Most Active Angel Networks In India For D2C Startup Funding AngelList India is a deal syndication platform for accredited angel investors to invest in Indian startups. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, AngelList entered the Indian market by launching its Syndicates platform, which allows angel investors to fund high-growth startups alongside other VCs and angel investors. AngelList India has made 39 investments to date. Their most recent investment was on May 25, 2022, when Almo Wear raised $150 million. Some of their other prominent investments include Hiver, Nap Chief, Pingo Learn, Crib, etc. AngelList India offers a Roll-Up Vehicle feature for founders where they get a single link through which accredited angels and operators can invest. AngelList India handles entity formation, KYC, accreditation, collection of funds, tax documents, signatures, and distributions. With this feature, founders can add a group of accredited, value-added investors as a single new entry to their cap table with zero friction. True to their words of going beyond funding, AngelList India also helps you hire tech talent from their platform, called AngelList Talent . Founder: Utsav Somani ah! Ventures is India’s only curated, sector agnostic, and the most significant fundraising platform for early-stage startups raising funds up to 10 MN USD. They have a strong network of 3000+ Investors, including 2000+ angel investors and 1000+ institutional investors & fund/family houses. ah! Ventures has made 85 investments. Their most recent investment was on June 1, 2022, when Kandee Factory raised ₹15M. Their prominent investments include Adyaway, Barney’s, Bibo, and more. ah!Ventures has a 4-level curation program that they follow religiously to select startups that they will fund. The angel platform offers startups an option to raise funds up to USD 1 Million, with a minimum investment of ₹5 Lakh or $ 7500 per investor. Founder: Abhijeet Kumar, Harshad Lahoti Inception: 2009 Mumbai Angels is a leading angel investing platform for early-stage venture investing. The network has one of the most robust portfolios in the country with 200+ companies, 100+ exits, and next-round investments with an IRR of 35%. The platform has 700+ investors spread across 60+ global cities. The average ticket size of their investment is between USD 70k – 272k. Mumbai Angels has made 185 investments. Their most recent investment was on June 9, 2022, when Spardha raised ₹80 million. Process and algorithm-driven, Mumbai Angels focuses not only on investing in the best start-ups but on the exits on the investments (36 of their portfolio companies saw successful exits/next rounds). Mumbai Angels also has an exclusive learning community called the MA Academy, where founders can unlock multiple learning opportunities from industry experts at a discounted price. Founders: Prashant Choksey, Praveen Chakravarty Inception: 2006 The Chennai Angels (TCA), formerly known as the Chennai Entrepreneurship Trust Fund, was established in November 2007 to foster entrepreneurship with a prime focus on nurturing and mentoring new generations of entrepreneurs. The Chennai Angels have made 64 investments. Their most recent investment was on May 5, 2022, when FREED raised ₹210M. The advantage of being a TCA investee is that, apart from high-quality mentoring, investors can handhold the entrepreneur through the life cycle of fundraising and open doors to customers and partners of a high order. The Chennai Angels use their own platform designed to support the activity of Angel Networks. On average, the funding would range between Rs. 50 Lakh to Rs 3 Crore. Members may invest more or less depending on the company’s funding requirements and the members’ interests. TCA may syndicate the investment with other investor groups if the investment is larger. Founder: Ramaraj R. Venture Catalysts is an integrated incubator that offers funding, mentorship, and network. It provides an investment of $500K to $2MN per startup with incubation support for 18-24 months. It is one of the largest early-stage players in India, with 4500+ angel investors spread across 36 cities in 6 countries. Venture Catalysts has raised a total of $56.8M across 4 funds, their latest being Growth-Stage Fund. Venture Catalysts has made 253 investments. Their most recent investment was on Jun 2, 2022, when Hesa raised ₹177M. Venture Catalysts is known for its startup-building capability, strategic guidance, generating business leads, leveraging its global network through its partners, and providing phenomenal returns to its investors. 200+ CXOs are a part of the Venture Catalysts’ Mentors panel. Indian Angel Network is one of the leading Angel Investors Network in India. The network has over 450 existing investors sprawled across 10 countries. Indian Angel Network has raised a total of ₹10.5B across 3 funds, their latest being Indian Angel Network Maiden Fund. This fund was announced on Nov 7, 2019, and raised a total of ₹3.8B. Indian Angel Network has made 166 investments. Their most recent investment was on Jun 9, 2022, when PMaps raised ₹50M. The average ticket size of their investment is USD 400K to 600K with a maximum of USD 1 million, exiting over a 3 to 5-year period through a strategic sale. The Network, in addition to money, provides constant access to high-quality mentoring, vast networks, and inputs on strategy and execution. Because of their background, the Network members can better assess the potential and risks at the early stage. Let’sVenture enables startups looking to raise money to create investment ready profiles online and connect to accredited Investors. LetsVenture has raised a total of $100M across 2 funds, their latest being LetsVenture Debt Fund. This fund was announced on Jan 15, 2021, and raised a total of $100M. LetsVenture has made 191 investments to date. Their most recent investment was on Jun 9, 2022, when PMaps raised ₹50M. The average ticket size of their investment is USD 34k – 250k for early-stage startups. To help founders, Let’s Venture has started an initiative called Founders First. It helps startup founders get actionable insights, mentorship, and support to help them grow, scale and succeed in their journeys. Lead Angels is alumni focused angel network facilitating investments of up to 300 lakhs in early-stage companies. Lead Angels has grown rapidly since its inception and currently has chapters in Mumbai, New Delhi, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, and Hyderabad. Lead Angels Network has made 49 investments. Their most recent investment was on May 5, 2022, when FREED raised ₹210M. The team works with the startup post-investment to assist it in key areas like future capital raise, business connections, PR, and talent search. For larger fundraise, Lead Advisory Services provides assistance to portfolios and other companies to connect with institutional investors. LA Management & Professional is available for support for compliance and other services. Founder: Dhruv Nath, Sushanto Mitra Inception: 2013