The Top 10 Angel Networks In India You Should Know: Full Guide
If you’re looking for capital for your startup in India, reaching out to angel investors are great way to start! Angel networks are increasingly active in India: they are syndicates (groups) of angel investors that get together to invest in high-growth startups.
In this article, we’ll tell you everything you should know about angels and angel investment networks. Also, we’ve compiled below a list of the top 10 angel networks in India so you can start reaching out to them. We’ll cover:
What (Exactly) Is An Angel Investor?
Also referred to as “angel”, an angel investor is a private individual who has the financial capacity to provide initial capital for a business or a startup. In return for their investment, angels get shares in the company in the form of equity or convertible debt.
Angel investors may sometimes provide a one-time investment to startup businesses in order for them to launch their company. Most often however, angel investors pledge continued financial support: they reinvest in further rounds as the startup scales up, until it makes a profit.
Make no mistake: angels rarely invest out of pure altruism, and their investment is never free money. Instead, angel investors look to generate a profit out of their investment.
Because angels often invest very early on (unlike VC funds – more on that below), they typically look for significant return on investment. A study actually looked at the returns of 3,097 investments by 538 angels worldwide. On average, their return was 2.5 times, meaning an impressive IRR of 27%.
When we think about Angels, we often only refer to high-net-worth individuals yet there are other types of angel investors. Actually there are 4 different types of angels: friends & family members, private individuals, groups of investors, and crowdfunding platforms. For more information on what they are and how they differ from each other, read our article here.
What Is An Angel Network?
Some angel investors sometimes also invest in groups. This partnership makes it easier to cover a larger geographical area or pull their resources to focus on one specific industry. They also form groups to invest more funding and resources to businesses than they can muster independently.
Every angel investor group has a different application process. Also, like any other investor, they receive a ton of pitches. The best way to impress them is to make sure your pitch deck stands out among the crowd.
5 Ways To Find Angels In India
There are a number of ways to contact, and find angel investors. They are:
1. Networking
Friends and family are the most common sources small business owners turn to when finding angel investors.
While this is usually fine if you happen to be related to a multi-millionaire, you might want to pass on considering financial help from your loved ones if you want to avoid falling out with them. If you are determined to seek financial aid from family and friends, make sure you have a legally binding contract, not just an informal agreement.
Don’t hold out on telling your friends about looking for funding. Even if none of the people you know can invest in your business, you can get their help in asking their contacts for an angel. The more people, the likelier somebody is to know somebody willing to invest. In addition, a personal referral can go a long way.
By attending industry events and meet-ups, you can potentially meet angel investors yourself. Even if Dedicated “angel events” help you connect with investors looking for new opportunities. Since angels are usually acquainted with other angels, they may introduce you to other investors.
2. Angel investor groups
Some angel investors work in groups. This partnership makes it easier to cover a larger geographical area or pull their resources to focus on one specific industry. They also form groups to invest more funding and resources to businesses than they can muster independently.
Every angel investor group has a different application process. Also, like any other investor, they receive a ton of pitches. The best way to impress them is to make sure your pitch deck stands out among the crowd.
We’ve listed further below a list of the top 10 angel networks in India so you can reach out to them!
3. Website platforms
Other than social networking platforms like LinkedIn, other websites are specifically dedicated to connecting angel investors and startups that need funding.
Examples of these website platforms include AngelList or FundingPost.
4. Do your research
Several websites like Crunchbase and Pitchbook allow the public to access their curated lists of angel investors.
That way, you can review through their lists of investors, search for those that fit your niche, region, and requirements. While Pitchbook requires you to pay, you can access the list curated by Crunchbase for free.
5. Startup incubators and accelerators
Startup incubators and accelerators are organizations that offer support and services to startups at their earliest stages.
They have an extensive network of mentors as well as angel investors and venture capitalists. When you avail of their services, they often put you in contact with these investors and other networks that may benefit your business. They also offer mentoring from other local businesses and accomplished professionals.
Have a look at our article on the top 10 startup accelerators and incubators in India.
The Top 10 Angel Networks In India You Should Know
| Angel network | Number of investors | Deals (to date) | Ticket size (to date) | Investment focus |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Indian Angel Network | 450+ | 72 | Up to $1M | Sector agnostic |
| Venture Catalysts | N/A | 117 | $200k – $1M | Artificial Intelligence, Ad Tech, IoT, EdTech, Ecommerce |
| LetsVenture | 7,000+ | 320 ($140M total) | Typically under $250k | Sector-agnostic |
| The Chennai Angels (TCA) | N/A | 50+ | $25k to $500k | EdTech, Ecommerce, IT |
| Mumbai Angels | 550+ | 170+ | $50k to $500k | Sector agnostic |
| Lead Angels Network | 165+ | 45+ | $100k to $300k | Sector agnostic |
| Hyderabad Angels | 120+ | 35+ | Up to $500k | Food, Agri Tech, Ecommerce, Consumer, Health Tech |
| Chandigarh Angels Network | 45 | 17 | Up to $500k | Sector agnostic |
| CIO Angel Network | 50 | 4 | Up to $500k | Sector agnostic |
| JITO | 200+ | 31 | Up to $1M | Sector agnostic |
1. Indian Angel Network
An initiative of the Indian government itself, the Indian Angel Network was founded in 2006.
In addition to funding, the network also provides access to mentoring, angels’ own networks and advisory.
They typically invest up to $1 million, the average size of a deal being $400-600k.
2. Venture Catalysts
Venture Catalysts is one of the most active angel networks in India. Indeed, since their inception in 2016, they have invested in over 117 startups!
Their average ticket size is between $100k to $500k.
3. LetsVenture
LetsVenture is an angel investment network with no more than 6,000+ angels. Since their inception in 2013, they have invested in 320 startups for a total of $140M.
4. The Chennai Angels (TCA)
The Chennai Angels (TCA) is an angel investor network founded in 2007 and headquartered in Chennai. They focus on Ed Tech, Ecommerce and IT sectors.
Since their inception, they have invested INR 110 Cr in more than 50+ startups. Also, their average ticket range from $25k to $500k.
5. Mumbai Angels
Mumbai Angels was founded in 2006. Since then, their network of 550+ investors has invested in more than 170 startups, and exited 70 of those already.
They are sector agnostic, although all their investments are in tech-enabled businesses. Also, they typically invest anywhere between $50k to $500k per investment.
6. Lead Angels Network
Lead Angels was founded in 2014. Today, the network has more than 165+ members across India, Middle East, Europe and North America.
Their typical investment ticket is anywhere from $100k to $300k. Also, they have invested in over 45 startups to date, despite more than 15,000+ startup applications.
7. Hyderabad Angels
Hyperabad Angels is another of the most active angel networks in India. Since their inception in 2012, they have invested in over 35 startups (of which 5 exits already).
Although they are sector agnostic, most of their investments to date have been in Food, Agri Tech, Ecommerce, Retail, Health Tech and Consumer industries. Also, they have 120+ members who offer mentorship and guidance to their portfolio companies.
8. Chandigarh Angels Network
Chandigarh Angels Network is an angel investor network with more than 45 members to date. They have invested in 17 startups in a variety of industries such as Ed Tech, SaaS, FinTech, Health Tech, Food and Retail.
9. CIO Angel Network
CIO Angel Network is an angel investor network based with over 50 members. They are sector agnostic and have invested in 4 startups to date.
10. JITO
Jain International Trade Organisation (JITO) is another major angel network in India. They have over 200 members today. Since their inception, they have invested in 37 companies for a total of 60Cr+.
JITO is not only an angel network, they also have a 6-month incubation program that 51 startups have already participated to.
