eChai Chennai

eChai's home for Chennai founders. Free and open.

Chennai runs deep in SaaS and fintech, from the OMR IT corridor to the IIT Madras research belt. This is the map: who is building, where founders meet, and how to plug in.

Upcoming eChai events in Chennai

eChai's free, open founder meetups across the city. RSVP and walk in.

No dated events on the calendar right now. eChai's recurring Chennai formats:

See eChai's events

A look back at recent eChai gatherings in Chennai, newest first.

mon
1
dec
eChai's Chennai Startup Mixer
Dec 1, 2025 · Chennai
sat
1
feb
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers &amp; the community.</div>
Feb 1, 2025 · Hub five Perungudi, No 104, developed plots, Origin Building,2nd floor,North Wing, Industrial Estate, Perungudi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
sat
23
nov
Global Market Entry 101: Insights for INDIAN Startups Entering Japan
<div>Discover the secrets to entering and thriving in the Japanese market at this exclusive business meetup hosted by <strong>Vijayalakshmi Karuppasamy</strong>, Founder &amp; CEO of FOX Academy KK, Japan. Vijayalakshmi brings firsthand insights from her journey of navigating startup and business manager visas, building partnerships in Japan, and introducing Japanese business collaborators to India.<br><br></div><div>📅 <strong>Date</strong>: Saturday, November 23<br>🕕 <strong>Time</strong>: 6:00 PM onwards<br>📍 <strong>Venue</strong>: Raman Hall, Ground Floor, E Block, IIT Madras Research Park, Chennai<br><br></div><div>Key Takeaways:<br><br></div><div>👉 Proven market entry strategies for startups<br>👉 Navigating visa options for entrepreneurs<br>👉 Insights on investment opportunities and subsidies<br>👉 Japan's legal framework and business culture<br>👉 Building business connections and partnerships<br><br></div><div>This event is an excellent opportunity to learn from real experiences, gain actionable insights, and connect with entrepreneurs and business professionals keen on exploring cross-border growth opportunities.<br><br></div><div>The session is powered by: <strong>eChai Ventures</strong>, <strong>STEP Sapporo</strong>, <strong>North Greenation Japan</strong>, <strong>Deep Tech Core Sapporo</strong>, and <strong>NetDoor Hokkaido, Japan</strong>.<br><br></div><div>🌟 Don’t miss this chance to connect with the Chennai startup community and unlock new horizons in Japan.<br><br></div>
Nov 23, 2024 · Raman Hall - IIT Madras Research Park, Ground Floor, E Block, IIT Madras Research Park, MGR Film City Road, Kanagam, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113. · Chennai
sat
28
sep
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with the community.<br><br>For any queries, you can reach out to Nihal Ahamed over Whatsapp at 78108 21122 or <a href="https://wa.me/917810821122">https://wa.me/917810821122</a>.</div>
Sep 28, 2024 · Paperflite, 383, First Cross Street, Old Mahabalipuram Rd, Nehru Nagar, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
sat
27
jul
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with the community.<br><br>For any queries, you can reach out to Nihal Ahamed over Whatsapp at 78108 21122 or <a href="https://wa.me/917810821122">https://wa.me/917810821122</a>.</div>
Jul 27, 2024 · Paperflite, 383, First Cross Street, Old Mahabalipuram Rd, Nehru Nagar, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
1 went
sat
6
jul
eChai D2C Day in Chennai
<div>Join us for eChai D2C Day in Chennai on July 6, 2024! This event will feature candid panel conversations with top D2C founders and operators.&nbsp;<br><br>Gain valuable insights from their experiences, challenges, and successes as they share strategies for building and scaling direct-to-consumer brands.<br><br>Whether you're an established brand, a startup, or simply interested in D2C, you'll gain actionable insights and awesome set up startup folks to network with.</div>
Jul 6, 2024 · Gallabox, 3rd Floor Brigade Vantage, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Perungudi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
1 went
sat
29
jun
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with the community.<br><br>For any queries, you can reach out to Nihal Ahamed over Whatsapp at 78108 21122 or <a href="https://wa.me/917810821122">https://wa.me/917810821122</a>.</div>
Jun 29, 2024 · SurveySparrow, Chennai One SEZ, Phase 2, NorthBlock, 10th Floor, Module 7, Thoraipakkam Pallavaram, 200 Feet Radial Rd, Thoraipakkam, Tamil Nadu 600097. · Chennai
P Prem went
sat
25
may
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with the community.<br><br>For any queries, you can reach out to Nihal Ahamed over Whatsapp at 78108 21122 or <a href="https://wa.me/917810821122">https://wa.me/917810821122</a>.</div>
May 25, 2024 · Paperflite, 383, First Cross Street, Old Mahabalipuram Rd, Nehru Nagar, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
sat
27
apr
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers &amp; the community.</div>
Apr 27, 2024 · SurveySparrow, Chennai One SEZ, Phase 2, NorthBlock, 2nd Floor, Module 7, Thoraipakkam Pallavaram, 200 Feet Radial Rd, Thoraipakkam, Tamil Nadu 600097. (https://goo.gl/maps/oBHPS6EUGw6yTe25A) · Chennai
sat
17
feb
eChai's Micro-SaaS Social in Chennai
Feb 17, 2024 · Chennai
sat
27
jan
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers &amp; the community.</div>
Jan 27, 2024 · Sevita Tech, Jayanth Tech Park, 6th Floor, Padmini Gardens, Mount Poonamallee Rd, Nandambakkam, Tamil Nadu 600089. · Chennai
tue
16
jan
eChai's National Startup Day Meetup in Chennai
<div>Join us on Tuesday, January 16th, for a special celebration on National Startup Day. The eChai's National Startup Day Meetup in Chennai is a convergence of ideas and aspirations.<br><br>🎉 We're bringing together startup founders from diverse backgrounds in an informal, vibrant setting. It's the perfect stage for candid conversations 💬, where stories are shared, and genuine connections are forged.</div><div><br>This gathering is tailor-made for both the seasoned entrepreneur and those newly stepping into the startup world. 🌐 It's an opportunity to network 🤝, learn, and be inspired by the entrepreneurial spirit that drives us all. As the evening unfolds, each interaction promises to open doors to new possibilities and friendships. 🌃</div>
Jan 16, 2024 · DevRev Office, 4th floor, D’ Block, IITM RESEARCH PARK, Kanagam, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113. · Chennai
sat
25
nov
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers &amp; the community.</div>
Nov 25, 2023 · Facilio (Indiqube), 10th Floor, A-19 and 20, Guindy Industrial Estate, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600032. · Chennai
sat
28
oct
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
<div>eChai Demo Days are held every month in Chennai.<br><br></div><div>It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers &amp; the community.</div>
Oct 28, 2023 · DevRev Office, 4th floor, D’ Block, IITM RESEARCH PARK, Kanagam, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113. · Chennai
sat
30
sep
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the September 2023 edition of eChai Demo Day in Chennai on 30th September, Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Sep 30, 2023 · ZoomInfo, 6th Floor, SRP Stratford, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, PTK nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041. · Chennai
sat
9
sep
eChai SaaS Startups Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the 'Chennai SaaS Meetup' with SaaS Founders and enthusiasts on 9th September, Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm.
Sep 9, 2023 · Facilio (Indiqube), 10th Floor, A-19 & 20, Guindy Industrial Estate, SIDCO Industrial Estate, Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600032 · Chennai
sat
26
aug
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the August 2023 edition of eChai Demo Day in Chennai on 26th August, Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Aug 26, 2023 · CUBE84, 4th Floor, Ampa Skywalk Mall, No:1, Nelson Manickam Road, 627, Poonamallee High Rd, Aminjikarai, Chennai - 600029. · Chennai
1 went
sat
29
jul
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the July 2023 edition of eChai Demo Day in Chennai on 29th July, Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Jul 29, 2023 · ZoomInfo, 6th Floor, SRP Stratford, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, PTK nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041. · Chennai
sat
24
jun
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the June 2023 edition of eChai Demo Day in Chennai on 24th June, Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Jun 24, 2023 · The Hive - Flexible Workspaces, ZoomInfo, 6th Floor, SRP Stratford, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, PTK nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041. · Chennai
sat
17
jun
Building D2C Brands: Chennai edition
eChai Ventures and Gallabox will be hosting the 'Building D2C Brands' panel conversation with D2C founders and leaders on 17th June, Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Jun 17, 2023 · Gallabox, IndiQube - 3rd Floor, Brigade Vantage, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, Perungudi, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
1 went
sat
27
may
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the May 2023 edition of eChai Demo Day in Chennai on 27th May, Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm.
May 27, 2023 · SurveySparrow, Chennai One SEZ, Phase 2, NorthBlock, 2nd Floor, Module 7, Thoraipakkam Pallavaram, 200 Feet Radial Rd, Thoraipakkam, Tamil Nadu 600097. (https://goo.gl/maps/oBHPS6EUGw6yTe25A) · Chennai
2 went
sat
29
apr
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the April 2023 edition of eChai Demo Day in Chennai on 29th April, Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Apr 29, 2023 · ZoomInfo, 6th Floor, SRP Stratford, Rajiv Gandhi Salai, PTK nagar, Thiruvanmiyur, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600041. · Chennai
sat
25
feb
eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the February 2023 edition of eChai Startup Demo Day in Chennai on 25th February, Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Feb 25, 2023 · Paperflite, 383, First Cross Street, Old Mahabalipuram Rd, Nehru Nagar, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
sat
7
jan
eChai SaaS Social in Chennai at Paperflite
eChai Ventures and Paperflite will be hosting the curated gathering with the SaaS founders and enthusiasts to connect, share and collaborate.
Jan 7, 2023 · Paperflite, 383, First Cross Street, Old Mahabalipuram Rd, Nehru Nagar, Perungudi, Kottivakkam, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600096. · Chennai
4 went
sat
17
sep
Startup Growth Networking Meetup in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the Startup Growth Networking Meetup in Chennai on 17th September, Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Sep 17, 2022 · Writer's Cafe - Taramani, 1, CSIR Rd, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113. · Chennai
1 went
sat
30
jul
FinTech Founders Meetup in Chennai
eChai Ventures, IAMAI and IIT Madras Research Park will be hosting the FinTech Founders Meetup in Chennai with FinTech Founders and leaders on 30th July, Saturday from 5 pm to 7 pm.
Jul 30, 2022 · E Block, Mini Auditorium, IIT Madras Research Park, 32, Kanagam Rd, Kanagam, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113. · Chennai
3 went
sat
9
jul
web3 Builders Meetup in Chennai
eChai Ventures and Foundership will be hosting the in-person web3 Builders Meetups with web3 builders and leaders in 7 Cities in India on 9th July, Saturday.
Jul 9, 2022 · GUVI, IITM Research park - phase 2, module #9, 3rd floor, D block, Kanagam Rd, Tharamani, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600113. · Chennai
sat
2
jul
Startup Growth Networking Meetup in Chennai
eChai Ventures will be hosting the in-person Startup Growth Networking Meetups with startup founders and leaders in 15+ cities on 2nd July, Saturday.
Jul 2, 2022 · 7th floor , Awfis space solutions , Prestige Cosmopolitan, Door 36 , Sardar Patel road , Guindy , Chennai , Tamil Nadu ,600032 · Chennai
2 went
sat
5
mar
Startup Growth Networking Meetup in Chennai x Awfis
eChai Ventures and Awfis will be hosting the Startup Growth Networking Meetup in Chennai on 5th March, Saturday from 4 pm to 6 pm.
Mar 5, 2022 · Level 7 ,Awfis Space Solutions, Prestige Cosmopolitan, Door No : 36, Sardar Patel Road , Guindy, Chennai, Tamil Nadu. 600032. · Chennai
2 went
sat
18
dec
Startup Growth Stories from Chennai
eChai Ventures and PitchGround will be hosting the Startup Growth Stories panel discussion and networking meetup with founders and leaders from Chennai on 18th December, Saturday from 4 pm to 5 pm.
Dec 18, 2021 · Zoom · Chennai
4 went

People in the Chennai eChai community

Some of the founders who've been to eChai meetups in Chennai over the years. Always more to add.

Arun Karunagaran
Arun Karunagaran
Product & Growth Marketing Mngr, Crayon'd
Vasanth Tamilselvan
Vasanth Tamilselvan
Founder, Ariro toys
Gopinathan C P
Gopinathan C P
Co-Founder, 361 Degree Minds
Sharon Natarajan
Sharon Natarajan
Founder, Astrea Skincare
Kiru Maikkapillai
Kiru Maikkapillai
Founder, The Divine Foods
Yathindhar Panchanathan
Yathindhar Panchanathan
Co-Founder, Gallabox
Arun Thathachari
Arun Thathachari
Executive Director, Anicut Capital
Shreyans Nahar
Shreyans Nahar
Co-Founder & CEO, Finsire
Kirithiga Sundaramoorthy
Kirithiga Sundaramoorthy
Senior Content Strategist, CUBE84
Shruthi Rajaram
Shruthi Rajaram
Lead,Employee Experience Automation, Yellow.ai
Karthick Raajha
Karthick Raajha
Founder & CEO, SaaS Marketing
Deepak Kumar
Deepak Kumar
Founder & CEO, Scrollme.today
Nihal Ahamed M
Nihal Ahamed M
Product Marketer, SaaStock
Sandeep John
Sandeep John
Director of Demand Generation, Outplay
Srikanth Meenakshi
Srikanth Meenakshi
Co-Founder, PrimeInvestor.in
Balakrishna Trivedi
Balakrishna Trivedi
Head Of Operations, Nvayo Global Services
Vandhana Ramanathan
Vandhana Ramanathan
Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer, Shevolve
Jahnavee Ramalingam
Jahnavee Ramalingam
Founder, Dali
Padmini Janaki
Padmini Janaki
Co-Founder & CEO, Mind and Mom
Yash Rathod
Yash Rathod
Co-Founder, Diginoor
Khuzema Siamwala
Khuzema Siamwala
CEO, Siam Computing
Lakshmanan Raman
Lakshmanan Raman
Senior Growth Marketer, Vmaker
Satya Chakravarthy
Satya Chakravarthy
Co-Founder, The ePlane Co.
Kuppulakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Kuppulakshmi Krishnamoorthy
Global Head, Zoho For Startups
Sathish Sampath
Sathish Sampath
Founder, MediaMetrics
Swaathi Kakarla
Swaathi Kakarla
Co-Founder, Skcript & Hellonext
Vanipriya Jayaraman
Vanipriya Jayaraman
Director (Co-Creation), Exotel
Goda Raghavan
Goda Raghavan
Partner, AK Law Chambers
Antony Kattukaran
Antony Kattukaran
CEO, Tagalys
Vaijayanthi Narasimhan
Vaijayanthi Narasimhan
Product Marketing Manager, Zoho
Vaishnavi Ketharnathan
Vaishnavi Ketharnathan
Founding Marketer, Trainn.co
Srivardhan Kosuru
Srivardhan Kosuru
Student
P
Prem Mudit
Founder & Head of Narrative · Toasty Media Co.

The Chennai ecosystem, on a map

Startups, investors, spaces and cafes you can look up, placed where they sit. Filter by type or area, or find what's nearest you.

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VCs Incubators Coworking Cafes

97 places on the map

Startups by category

Pick a category to meet the founders building in it.

SaaS 14 Fintech 12 Deeptech & space 9 D2C 7 Consumer brands 7 Healthtech 7 AI 6 Ecommerce 6 Gaming 5 Mobility & logistics 4 Climate tech 4 Foodtech 3 Edtech 3 Agritech 2

Notable companies

The household names that built Chennai.

Freshworks SaaS

Girish Mathrubootham, Shan Krishnasamy

Customer engagement and IT service management software (Freshdesk, Freshservice, Freshsales). Born in Chennai; HQ moved to San Mateo, California in 2018 — large Chennai R&D base remains.

HAP (Hatsun Agro Product) Foodtech

R. G. Chandramogan

India's largest private dairy company; brands include Arun Icecreams, Arokya Milk, Hatsun Curd/Paneer/Ghee, Ibaco. Headquartered in Chennai.

Chargebee SaaS

Krish Subramaniam, Rajaraman Santhanam, Saravanan KP, Thiyagarajan T

Recurring billing and subscription revenue management platform for SaaS and e-commerce. Born in Chennai; HQ now San Francisco/North America; significant Chennai engineering base.

Uniphore AI

Umesh Sachdev, Ravi Saraogi

Enterprise conversational-automation and emotion AI for contact centers. Born in Chennai; global HQ now Palo Alto, California — Chennai R&D remains.

Vivriti Capital Fintech

Vineet Sukumar, Gaurav Kumar, Soumendra Ghosh

Tech-enabled NBFC providing debt to mid-market enterprises; sister to CredAvenue/Yubi. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Yubi (formerly CredAvenue) Fintech

Gaurav Kumar

Unified digital debt platform: loan origination, co-lending, securitization, supply-chain finance. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Zoho Corporation SaaS

Sridhar Vembu, Tony Thomas

Bootstrapped SaaS giant offering 55+ integrated business apps (CRM, finance, productivity) to 100M+ users globally. HQ in Chennai with flagship campus in Tenkasi, Tamil Nadu (genuine TN HQ).

CultureMonkey SaaS

Joseph Christopher, Senthil Kumar Muthamizhan, Tushar Kalia

Employee-engagement and experience platform using surveys and feedback analytics for HR teams. Headquartered in Chennai.

Grinntech Climate tech

Puneet Jain, Nikhilesh Mishra

Designs and manufactures intelligent lithium-ion battery packs and BMS for electric vehicles. Headquartered in Chennai.

HackerRank SaaS

Vivek Ravisankar, Hari Karunanidhi

Developer-skills assessment and technical-hiring platform used by enterprises. Born in Chennai; HQ moved to Silicon Valley (Mountain View, CA).

M2P Fintech Fintech

Madhusudanan Rangarajan, Prabhu Rangarajan, Muthukumar Ayyakkannu, Dinesh Desu, Siddharth Kukatlapalli

API infrastructure powering cards, banking, lending and payments (embedded finance). Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Mad Street Den AI

Ashwini Asokan, Anand Chandrasekaran

Vertical AI platform (Vue.ai) for retail personalization and enterprise automation.

Netmeds Ecommerce

Pradeep Dadha

Online pharmacy for prescription and OTC medicines, wellness products and diagnostics. Founded and headquartered in Chennai; now a Reliance Retail company.

Vaya (Vaya Life) Consumer brands

Vashist Vasanthakumar

Premium homeware/kitchenware D2C brand known for vacuum-insulated tiffin boxes and bottles; design team in Tokyo, ops in Chennai. Headquartered in Chennai (industrial design team in Tokyo).

WayCool Foods Logistics

Karthik Jayaraman, Sanjay Venkat Dasari, Vignesh Kumar Manogaran

Food and agri supply-chain company sourcing from farmers and distributing to retailers, restaurants and via own brands. Headquartered in Chennai.

Agnikul Cosmos Deeptech

Srinath Ravichandran, Moin SPM, Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy

Space-tech maker of small-satellite launch vehicles with 3D-printed Agnilet engines (Agnibaan rocket). Headquartered in Chennai (IIT Madras Research Park).

Apollo HealthCo (Apollo 24|7) Healthtech

Apollo Hospitals group (Sangita Reddy et al.)

Digital health platform of the Apollo group: online consultations, pharmacy delivery and diagnostics; houses Apollo Pharmacy. Headquartered in Chennai.

Aquaconnect Agritech

Rajamanohar Somasundaram, Sanjai Kumar, Shanmuga Sundara Raj

AI-based full-stack platform for shrimp and fish farmers offering advisory, inputs, financing and market linkage. Headquartered in Tiruvanmiyur, Chennai.

CaratLane Consumer brands

Mithun Sacheti, Srinivasa Gopalan

Omnichannel D2C fine-jewellery and diamond brand pioneering try-at-home and online jewellery retail in India. Headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.

Cbazaar Ecommerce

Sarala Nahar, Ritesh Katariya, Rajesh Nahar

Online global ethnic-wear marketplace selling sarees, salwars, lehengas and menswear to the Indian diaspora worldwide. Headquartered in Chennai.

ChennaiGames Gaming

Mohan Doss, Narendra Babu

Mobile game developer of casual titles such as MR RACER and Emoji Smasher. Headquartered in Chennai.

Chrysalis Edtech

K-12 curriculum provider aligned to CBSE/ICSE/state boards with a digital component (Techmate). Headquartered in Chennai.

CynLr (Cybernetics Laboratory) Deeptech

Gokul NA, Nikhil Ramaswamy

Object-agnostic visual-intelligence robotics for manufacturing (universal factory robot). HQ Bengaluru, not Chennai (included for verification; likely EXCLUDE).

Detect Technologies Climate tech

Tarun Mishra, Daniel Raj David, Harikrishnan A S, Kumar Abhishek

Industrial AI for asset integrity: ultrasonic pipeline-corrosion monitoring (GUMPS), inspection drones and video-AI safety. Headquartered in Chennai.

Everstage SaaS

Siva Rajamani, Vivek Suriyamoorthy

No-code sales commission and incentive compensation automation platform.

Fabheads Automation Deeptech

Dhinesh Kanagaraj, Abhijeet Rathore

Continuous carbon-fiber composite manufacturing tech for aerospace, drones and mobility. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Facilio SaaS

Prabhu Ramachandran, Rajavel Subramanian, Yogendra Babu, Krishnamoorthi Rangasamy

AI-driven property operations and sustainability platform for large commercial buildings. Headquartered in Chennai (also US ops); founder ex-Zoho.

Fipola Ecommerce

Sushil Kanugolu (per company; verify)

Fresh and ready-to-cook meat, seafood and poultry retailer via app and retail outlets. Headquartered in Chennai.

FundsIndia (Wealth India Financial Services) Fintech

C.R. Chandrasekar, Srikanth Meenakshi

Online mutual-fund and wealth-management investment platform for retail investors. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Fyn Mobility (formerly Pi Beam) Logistics

Visakh Sasikumar

Micro-mobility EV solutions (electric three-wheelers/last-mile vehicles) and EV data analytics. Headquartered in Chennai.

Garuda Aerospace Agritech

Agnishwar Jayaprakash

Drone manufacturer and drone-as-a-service provider for agriculture (spraying, mapping), surveillance and industrial use. Headquartered in Chennai.

GUVI Edtech

Arun Prakash M, SP Balamurugan, Sridevi Arunprakash

Vernacular tech-upskilling platform teaching coding and IT skills in regional Indian languages. Headquartered in Chennai.

HipBar Consumer brands

Prasanna Natarajan

Digital alcohol-beverage wallet and delivery/ordering platform; India's first drinks-delivery app. Headquartered in Chennai.

Hotfoot Technology Solutions Fintech

Vivek Naidu, Rajesh Venkatesan

Digital lending platform (RAPID) for loan origination, onboarding and disbursement. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

iGold Technologies Gaming

Indie game studio making puzzle/word/casual games like Unblock Ball, Swiped Fruits and Word Swipe. Headquartered in Chennai.

Indium Software SaaS

Ram Sukumar, Vijay Balaji

Digital engineering, data and quality-assurance services company. Headquartered in Chennai (also US offices).

Indix AI

Sanjay Parthasarathy

Structured product-information / catalog data platform (product data as a service). Chennai origin (also Seattle); now part of Avalara.

Kabo (Kaveri/Kabo Fashion) Consumer brands

Vino Jeyapalan

Fashion-tech / apparel D2C venture led by Tamil-origin founder Vino Jeyapalan. HQ uncertain; verify whether Chennai or overseas.

Kaleidofin Fintech

Sucharita Mukherjee, Puneet Gupta

Financial-inclusion platform providing goal-based savings/credit infrastructure to banks, NBFCs and MFIs for the underbanked. Headquartered in Chennai (IIT Madras Research Park).

Kissflow (OrangeScape) SaaS

Suresh Sambandam, Mani Doraisamy

Low-code/no-code work and process automation platform used across 160+ countries. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

KPN Farm Fresh Ecommerce

Farm-to-fork organic grocery / supermarket chain sourcing fresh produce directly from farmers. Headquartered in Chennai / Tamil Nadu (verify exact city).

LifeCell International Healthtech

Mayur Abhaya Shreedhar (led by; founded by Abhaya Kumar family)

Stem-cell/cord-blood banking, diagnostics and reproductive/genomics services. Headquartered in Chennai.

Manna Foods Foodtech

Nazar Isak, Syed Sajan

Packaged foods brand producing health mixes, breakfast mixes, spices and staples. Headquartered in Chennai.

Mylapay Fintech

Mohanraj Ravi, Sundar B

Unified payment-processing infrastructure for banks and fintechs (switching/acquiring). Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Nesh (Nesh Live) SaaS

Venkat Nathan

Full-stack connectivity/telematics SaaS for automotive manufacturers. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Nextwave Multimedia Gaming

Rajendran P.R., Jayashree P.R.

Mobile game studio best known for the World Cricket Championship (WCC) cricket-game franchise. Headquartered in Chennai.

OroCorp (Oro) Fintech

Gold-backed financial services connecting users to institutions for doorstep gold loans. Headquartered in Nungambakkam, Chennai.

Outlier Games Gaming

Independent PC/console studio developing an action-adventure title rooted in Indian mythology. Headquartered in Chennai.

PickYourTrail

Hari Ganapathy, Srinath Shankar

Online platform to plan, customise and book personalised international holiday itineraries. Headquartered in Chennai.

Planys Technologies Climate tech

Prabhu Rajagopal, Vineet Upadhyay, Tanuj Jhunjhunwala, Rakesh Sirikonda, Krishnan Balasubramaniam

Underwater robotics (ROVs) and AI for inspection of ports, dams, ships and offshore/energy assets; launched a defence arm. Headquartered in Chennai.

RACEnergy Deeptech

Arun Sreyas, Gautham Maheswaran

Battery-swapping infrastructure and retrofit kits for electric two/three-wheelers.

Raptee.HV Logistics

Dinesh Arjun, Keerthivasan Ravi, Phunith Kumar, Karthikeyan Adhikesavan

High-voltage electric motorcycle maker; positions its bikes as having 'electric car DNA'. Headquartered in Chennai.

Signzy Fintech

Ankit Ratan, Ankur Pandey, Arpit Ratan

AI-powered digital onboarding and identity verification for banks and NBFCs. HQ Bengaluru/Mumbai, not Chennai — flagged for verification.

Skill-Lync Edtech

Suryanarayanan Paneerselvam, Sarangarajan V Iyengar

Online engineering upskilling platform offering job-oriented courses in mechanical, automotive, CS and more. Headquartered in Chennai.

Swadhika Foods Foodtech

Swarnamugi R Karthik

Supplier and exporter of premium IQF frozen fruits/vegetables, freeze-dried produce and frozen fruit pulp. Headquartered in Chennai.

Sweet Karam Coffee Consumer brands

Nalini Parthiban, Anand Bharadwaj, Srivatsan Sundararaman

D2C brand for authentic South Indian sweets, savouries (karam), snacks and filter coffee, preservative-free. Headquartered in Chennai.

TenderCuts Ecommerce

Nishanth Chandran, Sasikumar Kallanai, Venkkatesan R

Omnichannel fresh meat, seafood and poultry retailer with online ordering and physical stores. Headquartered in Chennai.

The ePlane Company Logistics

Satya Chakravarthy, Pranjal Mehta

Developer of compact electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for urban air mobility and cargo. Headquartered in Chennai (IIT Madras).

Uravu Labs Climate tech

Swapnil Shrivastav, Venkatesh R Y, Govinda Balaji, Pardeep Garg, Sandeep Chandra Nutakki

Climate-tech firm producing water from air using liquid-desiccant tech powered by renewable energy. Chennai-associated / South India; HQ commonly listed as Bengaluru-Chennai — flag: verify primary HQ (Bengal...

Vasta Biotech Healthtech

Biotech producing functional food ingredients, additives and nutraceuticals; offers testing/consultancy. Headquartered in Chennai.

VividMinds AI

No-code AI enterprise workflow automation platform. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Zuper SaaS

Anand Subbaraj, Rajeev Karunakaran

Intelligent field service management platform for scheduling, dispatch and workforce ops. Chennai origin; operates Chennai + Seattle (US-facing HQ).

Aerostrovilos Energy Deeptech

unknown (IIT Madras team)

Develops micro gas-turbine technology for clean, distributed power generation. Headquartered in Chennai (IIT Madras).

Aqgromalin AI

Prasanna Manogaran, Bharani CL

Platform enabling small farmers to take up animal husbandry and aquaculture with inputs and support. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

AssetPlus Fintech

Vishranth Suresh

B2B platform for mutual-fund distributors: onboarding, portfolio and transaction tools. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Bioni Healthtec Healthtech

Medtech company building AI-powered diagnostic/care devices; flagship TraceIN is an AI vein-visualisation device. Headquartered in Chennai (IIT Madras).

ChuChu TV Gaming

Vinoth Chandar, B. M. Krishnan, T. S. Subbiramanian, Ajith Togo, Suresh Bhoopathy

Kids' edutainment studio producing nursery-rhyme and educational animation; one of YouTube's most-subscribed channels. Headquartered in Chennai.

D'Moksha Homes Consumer brands

Eco-friendly home-fashion / home-textiles D2C brand (linens, furnishings). Chennai-linked (Chennai Angels portfolio); verify exact HQ city.

Ideas2IT SaaS

Murali Vivekanandan

Product engineering firm building custom software for Fortune 500 clients; spun off startups. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

IppoPay Fintech

Jai Kumar, Mohan Karuppiah, Thangaraj Sofiya

Payments platform for Tier 2/3 micro-merchants via QR, UPI and POS software. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Madras Merch Market Consumer brands

Shilpa Venkatesh

Homegrown Chennai merchandise brand printing Madras/Tamil-culture graphics on apparel and lifestyle products. Headquartered in Chennai.

Minkasu Fintech

Naveen Doraiswamy, Anbu Gounder

Biometric in-app bank payments / authentication technology. HQ Milpitas, California, USA — flagged, not Chennai-HQ.

Neos HealthTech Healthtech

Deep-learning / computer-vision SaaS platform for automated reporting of medical imaging scans. Headquartered in Chennai.

Paperflite SaaS

Vinoth Kumar, Yega Kumarappan, Anant Bhat

Content management and sales enablement platform for marketing/sales teams. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Prediscan Medtech Healthtech

Cloud-based AI diagnostic software detecting early systemic disease via retinal/eye scans. Headquartered in Chennai.

Skcript SaaS

Karthik Kamalakannan, Swaathi Kakarla, Paul-Bernard Popoun, Varun Raj

Enterprise automation and AI product studio / consulting firm. Headquartered in Chennai, India.

Symbionic Healthtech

Develops low-cost multi-articulated bionic prosthetic arms; flagship 'Titan' enables most daily activities. Headquartered in Chennai (IIT Madras).

The Chennai Silks Ecommerce

A. Kulandaivel Mudaliar (family founders)

Large textile and saree retail chain and online store; part of the SIVA/Kumaran textile group. Registered office in Tiruppur, TN with major Chennai retail/online presence; flag as Tamil Nadu (Tiruppur/Chenna...

Who's investing in Chennai

The funds, micro-VCs and angel networks based here. Jump to a type, or browse the list.

Venture capital firms 9 Micro-VCs 1 Family offices 1 Angel networks 4 Operator angels 15

Venture capital firms 9

Speciale Invest Chennai, Tamil Nadu

DeepTech hardware and software: enterprise SaaS, cloud infra, developer tools, EVs, space, robotics, climate tech, synthetic biology. Pre-seed and seed (plus a separate Growth Fund II). Agnikul Cosmos (Chennai space-tech), GalaxEye, The ...

8X Ventures Chennai, Tamil Nadu

DeepTech, cleantech, logistics, mobility, Industry 4.0, AI, robotics, IoT, 3D printing. Pre-seed, seed, seed-plus. Solinas (Chennai), Pantherun, Tiea Connectors, Xyma Analytics, Enerzi, LightSpeed Photonics, Trishul Space. Approx INR 2 C...

TVS Capital Funds (TCF) Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Financial services, consumer, food and lifestyle, business services, healthcare, technology. Early-growth to late stage. Nykaa, Five Star Business Finance, Yubi, GoDigit, RBL Bank, IEX; sponsored by TVS Group and Shriram Group. Growth ch...

Fulcrum Venture India (Fulcrum PE) Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Pharmaceuticals, healthcare, healthcare IT, B2B software, consumer. Early-stage and growth-stage SME. SpecsMakers, Nutri Synappzz, Brio Bliss Life Science (backed by SIDBI to invest under ~USD 2.5M). Approx USD 0.78M-2.5M (INR 5 Cr-15 Cr)

YNOS Venture Engine Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Cross-sector startup and investor intelligence. Data/analytics platform serving all stages; not a direct primary investor. Not a deploying fund; itself seed-funded by Arun Jain, Lakshmi Narayanan, Sarath Naru, Prashanth Prakash. unknown ...

AngelsTN (StartupTN platform) Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Sector-agnostic; Tamil Nadu startups + global Tamil investors. Idea to early stage (matchmaking, not a direct fund). Platform connecting TN startups to investors; not a deploying fund. unknown (platform)

CIIC (Chennai Institutional / StartupTN venture platform) Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Sector-agnostic Tamil Nadu startups. Early stage. unknown (facilitation/aggregation platform)

Ventureast Chennai roots/history but now primarily operated out of Hyderabad/Bengaluru

Sector-agnostic; tech, healthcare, consumer. Early and growth stage. MoEngage, Acko, Kissht, Lohum, Infinite Uptime. unknown (>USD 400M AUM across funds)

Blue Hill Capital Chennai

Clean-tech, deep-science tech, IoT infrastructure. Early-stage. Pi Beam (Chennai EV), AirGo, TerraNet, Skit.ai

Micro-VCs 1

MudhalVC Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Consumer, SaaS, deep-tech, healthcare, robotics, food; Tamil Nadu founders incl. Tier-2/3. Idea-stage and pre-seed (first institutional cheque). Meen Satti and other early TN startups (founded 2024 by Suresh Sambandam of Kissflow; portfo...

Family offices 1

Murugappa Family Group / Ambadi Investments (family office) Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Diversified; fintech, manufacturing, consumer, agri. Growth / strategic (varies). unknown (largely strategic/private; group also promotes Cholamandalam)

Angel networks 4

The Chennai Angels (TCA) Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Sector-agnostic; strong in deep-tech, agritech, consumer products, SaaS, fintech. Pre-seed, seed, early-revenue. Paperflite, Samaaro, NimbleBox.ai, GoStops, BatteryPool, Qoruz, Hoopr, ECOIL, Inspired Spirits/Quro (seed led by TCA, Mar 20...

Keiretsu Forum Chennai Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Deep tech, high tech, life sciences. Seed and Series A. Detect Technologies (Chennai; ~INR 16 Cr seed grew to INR 1,000 Cr+ valuation); 45+ companies backed. INR 50 lakh-5 Cr, with syndication across global chapters

IITM Incubation Cell / Little Angels Network Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Deep-tech and IIT Madras-linked startups. Idea to early seed. Numerous IITM-incubated deep-tech startups (e.g., Detect Technologies, Solinas, Planys ecosystem). Incubation seed/loans up to INR 50 lakh; Little Angels Network helps raise I...

Nativelead Foundation / Native Angels Network (NAN) Madurai, Tamil Nadu

Early TN tech, agritech, applied AI, consumer. Pre-seed, seed. MangoPoint (with TCA), mivipro, Uzhavarbumi; 242 angels across Madurai/Trichy/Coimbatore/Erode etc.. Approx INR 50 lakh-3 Cr syndicated (approx USD 60K-360K)

Operator angels 15

Gopal Srinivasan Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Fintech, edu-tech, professional services. Early to growth. ~19+ recent investments; TVS family third-generation entrepreneur; member of The Chennai Angels

Lakshmi Narayanan Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Community and lifestyle, sales and marketing, media and entertainment, deep-tech/semiconductors. Seed and early stage. Agnit Semiconductors, QpiAI, Vetinstant Healthcare; co-invests in ~17 Chennai Angels portfolio companies

Murugavel Janakiraman Chennai, Tamil Nadu

AI/ML, adtech, agritech, consumer internet. Seed and early stage. Multiple consumer-internet startups; member of The Chennai Angels

Krish Subramanian Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Enterprise applications, SaaS, fintech, consumer. Seed / early stage. Rocketlane, Threado, Drivetrain, Bluecopa, Everstage

Rajaraman Santhanam Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Software/SaaS, AI/ML, sales and marketing, B2B analytics. Seed / early stage. Everstage (with Krish Subramanian) and other SaaS startups

Prabhu Rangarajan Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Fintech, enterprise apps/infrastructure, sales and marketing, media and entertainment. Seed / early stage. Various fintech and SaaS startups

Vellayan Subbiah Chennai, Tamil Nadu

AI/ML, agritech and farming, clean-tech, manufacturing-tech. Early to growth. unknown (individual deals not fully public)

Sameer Mehta Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Consumer, healthcare, sector-agnostic. Seed / early stage. ~6 companies via The Chennai Angels network

Suresh Sambandam Chennai, Tamil Nadu

SaaS, consumer, deep-tech, Tamil Nadu founders. Idea-stage / pre-seed. Backs TN idea-stage startups directly and via MudhalVC. unknown (angel); MudhalVC INR 10 lakh-1 Cr

Mohan Karuppiah Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Manufacturing, commerce, hardware, fintech. Seed / early stage. unknown (specific deals not fully public)

Chandu Nair Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Sector-agnostic; industry and consultancy background. Seed / early stage. Active in The Chennai Angels deals

Ramaraj R Chennai, Tamil Nadu

AI/ML, agritech, apps. Seed / early stage. unknown (specific deals not fully public)

Sunilkumar Singhvi Chennai, Tamil Nadu

AI/ML, agritech, apps, clean-tech. Seed / early stage. Active via The Chennai Angels

Ramesh Mangaleswaran Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Apps, clean-tech, clothing and apparel. Seed / early stage. unknown (specific deals not fully public)

Girish Mathrubootham Born in and closely tied to Chennai

SaaS, product, edtech. Seed / early stage (angel) and via Together Fund. 60+ startups as an angel; many Chennai/India SaaS companies

Incubators & accelerators in Chennai

Incubators, accelerators, corporate programs and institutions. Jump to a type, or browse the list.

Incubators 4 Accelerators 2 Corporate programs 1 University & research 12 Government & public 6

Incubators 4

Villgro Innovations Foundation 3rd Floor, IIT Madras Research Park, Kanagam Road, Taramani, Chennai 600113

Impact/social enterprises: climate-smart agriculture, healthcare, climate action, clean energy, inclusive/underserved-market ventures. Seed funding/grants, mentorship, incubation, market linkages, follow-on investor access; cohort and fe...

TiE Chennai Chennai

Cross-sector entrepreneurship mentorship, angel/investor networking, founder programs. Mentorship, TiE Angels investor access, networking events, founder development programs (not physical incubation). Chennai chapter of global TiE; a fi...

Nativelead Foundation (Chennai chapter) Chennai chapter

Enabling, nurturing, incubating and investing in Tamil Nadu startups (Tier-2 emphasis). Native Angels Network angel funding, mentorship, startup-circle support; incubation facilitation. Native Angels Network 242+ investors (India's first...

Dvara (Dvara Holdings / Dvara Research) Chennai

Financial inclusion, fintech for low-income households, policy research and financial-services ventures. Venture building/incubation of financial-services entities, policy research, capital and platform support. Chennai-HQ'd financial-in...

Accelerators 2

The Startup Centre Chennai

Early-stage technology entrepreneurs and product startups. Mentorship, community, early-stage support, workspace; unknown current program cadence

Founder Institute Chennai Chennai

Sector-agnostic idea-to-launch pre-seed founders. Structured cohort curriculum, mentor network, launch support (equity-collective model); not physical incubation. unknown; Chennai chapter of global Founder Institute network

Corporate programs 1

Zoho for Startups Chennai

Sector-agnostic early-stage startups; software/tooling enablement. Zoho wallet credits (~Rs 1 lakh, 360-day validity) via partner incubators/accelerators/co-working spaces; not a physical incubation cohort. Launched 2017; run by Chennai-...

University & research 12

IITM Incubation Cell (IITMIC) IITM Research Park, Kanagam Road, Taramani, Chennai 600113

Deep-tech across sectors (AI, robotics, EV, semiconductors, SaaS, hardware, climate). Physical incubation space, seed/pre-seed funding, mentorship, investor access, technical support, NIDHI programs; cohort and rolling incubation. 350+ s...

Rural Technology and Business Incubator (RTBI) Module #6, 1st Floor, IITM Research Park, Kanagam Road, Taramani, Chennai 600113

ICT-enabled ventures for rural/underserved segments: agriculture, health, finance/inclusion, education, vocational, manufacturing. Incubation, mentorship, funding facilitation, pilots/field-testing in rural India; grants (World Bank Info...

IITM Bioincubator IITM Research Park, Taramani, Chennai 600113

Biotech, life sciences, medical devices, diagnostics, environment tech. Wet-lab and office space, 100+ shared equipment, centralized utilities, faculty mentorship, IP/legal/HR support, investor and grant access (BIRAC). Established 2014 ...

HTIC MedTech Incubator (MTI) Module 1B, Block C, 5th Floor, Phase 2, IITM Research Park, Kanagam Road, Taramani, Chennai 600113

MedTech, medical devices, healthcare technology at the intersection of healthcare and engineering. Technical assistance, prototyping labs, NIDHI PRAYAS grants, business support, clinical validation networks, incubation infrastructure. In...

AIC-Anna University Incubation Foundation (Anna Incubator) AC Tech Campus, Anna University, Chennai 600025

Deep-tech, IP-centric startups: smart-city tech, health-tech, agri-tech, edu-tech, fin-tech. AIM grant-backed seed support, infrastructure, mentorship, investor/mentor access, specialized equipment; cohort incubation. Section 8 company e...

Technology Business Incubator, Anna University (Centre for Biotechnology TBI) / AU-TEC Incubation Hub 3rd Floor, Kalanjiyam Building, Anna University, Chennai 600025

Sector-agnostic tech commercialization, biotechnology, IP/technology transfer, student and faculty startups. Incubation space, IPR support, DST-funded grants (TEC ~Rs 1 crore/yr), mentorship, technology-transfer/commercialization support...

Crescent Innovation and Incubation Council (CIIC) / AIC-CIIC Crescent campus, Vandalur, Chennai

Deep-tech: Industry 4.0, life sciences, aerospace & defence, smart & clean mobility, cobotics/AI. One-stop-shop incubation, seed/grant facilitation, mentorship, prototyping, co-innovation centre, government-grant access. 200+ startups nu...

AIC-Great Lakes Balachandran Incubator (AGBI) Great Lakes Institute of Management, Manamai

Fintech, edtech, healthtech, agritech, energy/ecology tech; AI/IoT/ML/blockchain-enabled platforms. 10,000 sq ft incubation facility, AIM grant support, mentorship, co-working, event/creative space, investor networks; cohort programs. Na...

SSN Incubation Foundation (SSN iFound) SSN Campus

Science and engineering tech ventures; sector-agnostic student/faculty and external startups. Mentoring, physical/technical/networking support, research labs, infrastructure; StartupTN South Chennai Circle lead. Nominated by StartupTN to...

Vel Tech Technology Business Incubator (Vel Tech TBI) Avadi, Chennai

E-waste & plastic-waste management, biotech, 3D printing, AI/ML/DL & digital services, IT and hardware innovation. Funding, incubation infrastructure, NVIDIA-supported AI labs, mentorship, industry networking, training; 6 thrust-area Cen...

SRM Bootstrappers' Research Council (BRC) / SRM Directorate of Entrepreneurship and Innovation (DEI) SRM IST, Kattankulathur, Chengalpattu

Early-stage startups in defence, e-mobility, healthcare, deep tech. Pre-incubation, incubation and acceleration programs, funding (seed/VC/angel/grants), mentorship networks, incubation labs. DEI founded 2015; BRC is a Section 8 non-prof...

MaDeIT Innovation Foundation IIITDM Kancheepuram Campus, Melakottaiyur, Off Vandalur-Kelambakkam Road, Chennai 600127

Design-driven tech: manufacturing, healthcare, transportation; student, engineer, women and SME startups. Pre-incubation, incubation, funding support, design-thinking/product-innovation labs, mentorship

Government & public 6

CI-TIC (Chennai Innovation and Technology Incubation Centre) Taylors Road, Kilpauk, Chennai

Technology ventures across sectors; high-tech and skill-based MSME ventures. Seed-fund support, 35 plug-and-play workstations, prototyping facilities, mentorship, AIM scale-up program (targeting 80 high-tech + 400 MSME ventures over 5 yr...

FinBlue (FinTech Centre of Entrepreneurship) STPI Chennai

FinTech: payments, lending, trading, banking, remittance, insurance, wealth advisory, risk & compliance. Plug-and-play co-working, FinBlue SandBox (core banking software, low-code, bank APIs), mentoring, funding facilitation, GTM support...

StartupTN (Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission / TANSIM) 10th Floor, Chennai Metro Rail Ltd Building, near Nandanam Metro Station, Chennai

Whole-of-state startup ecosystem enablement; sector-agnostic. Grants and seed schemes, infrastructure support, R&D promotion, mentorship, circles/networks, Open Innovation Portal, TNGSS global summit; not a single-cohort incubator. Estab...

Entrepreneurship Development and Innovation Institute, Tamil Nadu (EDII-TN) Parthasarathi Kovil Street, SIDCO Estate, Ekkaduthangal, Guindy, Chennai

Entrepreneurship education, MSME development, first-generation entrepreneurs, innovation promotion, TBI development/management. Entrepreneurship awareness/development programs (IEDP), skill development, business incubation, startup facil...

TN Emerging Sector Seed Fund (TNESSF) Chennai

Sector-agnostic early-stage equity investment in Tamil Nadu startups. Equity/convertible investment of Rs 3-10 crore per round; Rs 100 crore anchor corpus; growth capital (not physical incubation). Rs 100 crore anchor investment; SEBI-re...

TICEL Bio Park Taramani, Chennai

Biotechnology and pharmaceutical R&D; lab and co-working infrastructure. Built-up lab/office space (Phase I ~1.42 lakh sq ft, Phase II ~6.49 lakh sq ft), Biotech Core Instrumentation Facility (BTCIF, with DBT), shared scientific instrume...

Coworking spaces in Chennai

Where founders and early teams set up.

WeWork Olympia Cyberspace Guindy

Up to ~2,000 members; large premium enterprise-grade flagship, 1st & 3rd floors. High-speed internet, ergonomic furniture, phone booths, meeting rooms, wellness zones, on-site cafe, 24/7 security. WeWork India's first Chennai location; f...

WeWork OMR OMR / Old Mahabalipuram Road

Enterprise-grade coworking on IT corridor. High-speed internet, meeting rooms, phone booths, cafe, 24/7 security. Serves Chennai's IT corridor; part of WeWork India network. unknown (day pass ~Rs 650/day brand-wide)

WeWork DLF Cybercity (Manapakkam) Manapakkam

Newer enterprise-grade centre. Standard WeWork amenities: internet, meeting rooms, cafe, security. More recently opened WeWork Chennai location

Awfis Gemini Circle (Nungambakkam) Nungambakkam

~550 seats / 1,200+ workstations, 27,500 sq ft across 7 floors; busy CBD flagship. Cafeteria, lift, metro connectivity, meeting rooms, parking (2W/4W), power backup, printer, WiFi, pantry. Awfis's flagship/busiest Chennai centre; Awfis i...

Awfis Guindy (RR Tower / Centre Point) Guindy / Ramapuram

Spacious, well-run, value-oriented; near airport & IT/industrial belt. Cafeteria, meeting rooms, parking, power backup, WiFi, printer, pantry. Most price-sensitive Awfis Chennai option; good airport access. Day pass ~Rs 349/day (cheapest...

Awfis Sierra / OMR (Perungudi) Perungudi

Multiple OMR-corridor centres (~12,500 sq ft each at Perungudi); IT-startup heavy. Cafeteria, meeting rooms, parking, power backup, WiFi, printer. Three Awfis centres on the OMR corridor; 10+ Awfis centres total in Chennai. Dedicated des...

91Springboard Etica Malar (Guindy) Guindy Industrial Estate

~400 seats, 28,000 sq ft; ready private suites + built-to-suit; startup/SME focus. Fully furnished, ergonomic chairs, soundproofed meeting rooms with screens/whiteboards, community events. 91Springboard's FIRST Chennai hub (launched ~202...

91Springboard Olympia Cyberspace / Arihant Vaayu Guindy

Premium Grade-A hubs; modern-business focus. Fully furnished, meeting rooms, high-speed internet, community programming. Additional 91Springboard Chennai hubs beyond the Guindy flagship

Smartworks Guindy (Olympia National Tower) Guindy / Ekkaduthangal

Large managed campus; mid-to-large teams and enterprises. Cafeteria, meeting rooms, parking, power backup, WiFi, managed services. One of Smartworks' 6 Chennai centres; enterprise/managed-office focus. unknown (managed-office / large-tea...

Smartworks OMR (Arihant Verge) OMR

Large managed campuses on IT corridor; enterprise teams. Cafeteria, meeting rooms, parking, power backup, WiFi, managed services. 6 Smartworks centres in Chennai (Guindy, Anna Salai, OMR, Perungudi)

IndiQube (Guindy cluster: Alpine, Excellence, Viceroy, Ocean, Pinnacle, Kush) Guindy

Range from startup/SME-friendly (Kush) to enterprise (Viceroy); Palmyra ~26,900 sq ft. Furnished workspaces, meeting rooms, managed office services, parking, cafe/pantry. IndiQube's densest Chennai cluster is in Guindy; multiple branches...

IndiQube Brigade Vantage (OMR) OMR

Tailored for tech startups & IT professionals; collaborative. Furnished desks, meeting rooms, managed services, cafe, parking. IndiQube's flagship OMR presence for tech startups. Mid-tier ~Rs 7,500-10,499/mo (brand range)

IndiQube Wave / Rivera (Anna Salai & Egmore) Anna Salai

CBD / quieter professional environments. Furnished desks, meeting rooms, managed services, cafe. Extends IndiQube beyond Guindy/OMR into central CBD locations. Mid-tier ~Rs 7,500-10,499/mo (brand range)

Regus (IWG) Guindy, OMR, Teynampet, Vadapalani, Mylapore, Chetpet, Egmore

Serviced offices, private cabins, meeting rooms; corporate/professional. Virtual offices, coworking, private offices, meeting rooms, reception, business support. Widest neighbourhood spread of any Chennai operator (~9 centres); global IW...

Spaces (IWG) Guindy and other Chennai IWG buildings

Design-led premium coworking; professionals & enterprises. Coworking, private offices, meeting rooms, business lounge, cafe. IWG's premium-design coworking brand; frequently cited among top Guindy options

CoWrks OMR (RMZ Millenia Business Park) Perungudi / OMR

~657 workdesks, 40,000+ sq ft; premium enterprise-grade. Metro connectivity, cafeteria, phone booths, breakout areas, meeting rooms, parking, power backup, printer, WiFi. One of the priciest/most premium OMR options; often called among t...

The Hive (VR Chennai, Anna Nagar) Anna Nagar

~667 workstations, ~50,000 sq ft; premium city-centre mall setting. HVAC, high-speed internet, meeting/conference rooms, reception, mail handling, printing, housekeeping, 24/7 access & security, coffee/tea. Premium coworking inside VR Ch...

The Hive OMR (Thiruvanmiyur) Thiruvanmiyur / OMR

Up to ~1,500 members; large premium IT-corridor centre. High-speed internet, meeting rooms, reception, printing, 24/7 access & security, coffee/tea. Large-capacity premium centre at the top of the OMR corridor. Flexible plans from ~Rs 8,...

iSprout (Kochar Jade, Guindy) Guindy

Fully-serviced managed offices; SMEs and growing teams. Reliable internet, multiple meeting rooms, 24/7 access, flexible membership, managed services. Hyderabad-based operator serving Hyderabad, Vijayawada & Chennai. Mid-tier ~Rs 7,500-1...

DBS Business Center (DBS Workspaces) Cathedral Garden Rd

Serviced/business-centre style; professional, private-office heavy. Virtual office, shared office, conference & meeting rooms, serviced offices, parking. Long-established serviced-office brand; multiple metro cities. unknown (serviced-of...

Workafella Guindy

~400 seats; large spacious workstations; premium, 30+ amenities. 24/7 AC & access, high-speed IT infra, ample parking, gym, meeting rooms, cafe/lounge. Chennai-HQ homegrown chain; expanded to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Mumbai (~11 centres, 17...

WorkEZ OMR, Guindy, Anna Salai, Alwarpet, Velachery, Pallavaram

~12 centres, 22,000+ seats, ~1M sq ft; managed offices, private cabins, meeting venues. Managed office services, IT support, maintenance, meeting rooms, private cabins. Described as Chennai's largest managed office space provider; Chenna...

The Executive Zone Anna Salai

300+ seats, 25,000 sq ft, 10+ meeting rooms; premium, community-driven; startups/SMEs/enterprise. 1 Gbps leased-line, 24/7 biometric security, hot/dedicated desks, cabins, soundproof pods, executive lounge, pantry, virtual office, event ...

Ecowrkz Anna Nagar

Affordable, professionally managed; hot desks, dedicated desks, private cabins; local SMEs/startups. Modern infrastructure, meeting rooms, flexible plans, WiFi, pantry. Strong North/West Chennai (Anna Nagar belt) footprint where national...

Trend Works Anna Nagar

Hot desks, dedicated desks, private cabins; single seats up to ~150-seat setups; business/innovator focus. Private cabins, meeting rooms, flexible seating, WiFi. Anna Nagar-centred homegrown chain; useful for North Chennai teams

WOCO Spaces Nungambakkam

Boutique, design-led; social/networking vibe; freelancers, startups, small teams. Furnished desks, meeting rooms, WiFi, pantry, breakout areas. Boutique Chennai brand concentrated in premium CBD (Nungambakkam) and Anna Nagar

The Workvilla Nungambakkam

Entrepreneurial community vibe; startups & professionals; small-to-mid teams. Furnished desks, meeting rooms, WiFi, pantry. Nungambakkam CBD independent focused on entrepreneur community

OneCoWork (One Co.Work) Nungambakkam

Affordable CBD coworking; small teams/professionals. Lift, washrooms, pantry, chairs/desks, AC, meeting rooms, 2W/4W parking, charging, power backup, printer, WiFi, tea/coffee. Posh CBD (Nungambakkam/Thousand Lights) positioning at acces...

@Works OMR OMR

~3,000+ sq ft over two floors, seats 100+; startup/community vibe. Lightning-fast internet, cloud printing, backup generator, 8-seat conference room, 40-seat event floor. Community-driven OMR independent that hosts local startup events/w...

Startup communities & events in Chennai

The wider scene eChai is part of: communities, recurring meetups and annual conferences. Jump to a type, or browse the list.

Communities 17 Recurring meetups 16 Annual conferences 1

Communities 17

TiE Chennai (The Indus Entrepreneurs) Chennai chapter of global non-profit TiE

Broad entrepreneurship — mentoring, networking, funding access, women & youth programs. Monthly events (talks, mentoring, meet-and-greets); flagship TiECON Chennai conference; sub-programs TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE, high-schoolers), T...

StartupTN (Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission / TANSIM) Company under Tamil Nadu MSME Department

State nodal agency for startups & innovation — funding, mentorship, market access, incubation, policy. Funding schemes, partner VC network (200+ firms; ~$9.6M facilitated Aug 2024), incubation/acceleration support, flagship TNGSS summit;...

IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC) IIT Madras Research Park, Taramani, Chennai

Deep-tech / tech startups across sectors addressing national challenges. Incubation, funding, mentorship, corporate partnerships (Goldman Sachs, Wells Fargo, Amex, Bharat Innovation Fund); 120+ startups incubated. Active — continuous inc...

IIT Madras Research Park IIT Madras

Industry-academia R&D collaboration; startup incubation space integrated with IITM departments. Hosts startups & R&D centres, centres of excellence, incubation space. Active — ongoing

E-Cell IIT Madras Student-run body at IIT Madras

Student entrepreneurship — fostering founders across all stages. Flagship E-Summit (ISO 9001:2015 certified); Entrepreneurship Development Drive (EDD, 9th edition); workshops, mentoring; nurtured Detect Technologies, HyperVerge. Active —...

The Chennai Angels (TCA) Independent

Early-stage angel investing + mentoring — Agritech, EV, deep science/tech, healthtech, fintech, D2C, Web3. Angel investing (150+ investors, 177+ deals, ₹193Cr+ invested), founder mentoring, investor connect, network access. Active — regu...

SaaSBOOMi (now AIBoomi) Volunteer-driven non-profit

SaaS & product founders (rebranding toward AI as AIBoomi) — pay-it-forward peer learning, global scaling. Annual SaaSx / SaaSBOOMi Annual conferences, city meetups, curated founder sessions; 4,000+ startups. Active — annual flagship + on...

NASSCOM 10,000 Startups Warehouse Chennai NASSCOM

Early-stage tech startup incubation, mentoring, cloud/partner credits. ~8,000 sq ft, houses up to 50 startups; connect sessions, early-stage mentoring, resources from Google/AWS/Microsoft/IBM/Kotak. Launched March 2016 with TN govt/ELCOT...

NASSCOM (Chennai/TN activities) National association

IT/tech industry advocacy; GCC ecosystem, product/startup showcases. GCC Playbook for Tamil Nadu, Product Conclave (NPC), Digital Innovation Conclave, member events. Active nationally; NPC and conclaves recur (Digital Innovation Conclave...

FOSS United Chennai Chapter of FOSS United Foundation

Free & Open Source Software promotion. Meetups, workshops, hackathons; part of FOSS United national network. Active — city chapter runs regular meetups; exact 2025 count unknown

Women Techmakers (WTM) Chennai Google Women Techmakers program

Visibility, community & resources for women in tech. Meetups, IWD events, workshops (aligned with GDG). Active — recurring (esp. around International Women's Day); exact 2025 cadence unknown

NextGenCyberWomen Independent

Women in cybersecurity. Awareness, upskilling, community events. Active (community directory); exact 2025 cadence unknown

Women Who Code Chennai Former chapter of Women Who Code

Women in software engineering / tech careers. Historically meetups, study groups, career events (launched Chennai 2017). DORMANT — global Women Who Code dissolved April 2024 due to funding; local chapter no longer operating under WWCode ...

FICCI FLO Chennai (FICCI Ladies Organisation) Chennai chapter of FICCI FLO

Women entrepreneurship, leadership, professional excellence. Workshops, seminars, conferences, training, capacity-building; FLO Chennai Women Achievers Awards. Active — regular programming (chapter founded 1992, 1,300+ members)

The Fintech Meetup (Chennai edition) National fintech community

Fintech founders, financial institutions, investors. Multi-city fintech meetups — networking, demos, panels. Active — runs roughly every two months rotating across Mumbai/Delhi/Bangalore/Chennai/Hyderabad (since 2018); Chennai is one nod...

NativeLead Foundation Non-profit

Building inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem in Tier-2/3 Tamil Nadu; angel investing. Mentoring, angel network, online-offline platform for young entrepreneurs. Active (founded 2012)

Keiretsu Forum Chennai Chapter of global Keiretsu Forum

Early-stage / seed angel investing. Pitch forums, investor screening, syndicated angel deals (co-invests with TCA, NativeLead). Active — regional chapter of global Keiretsu Forum (global HQ San Francisco; Chennai is a regional presence)

Recurring meetups 16

Headstart Network Foundation — Chennai (Startup Saturday Chennai) Chennai chapter of Headstart Network Foundation

Early-stage founders and aspiring entrepreneurs — networking, demos, launches, learning. Startup Saturday monthly meetups (traditionally 2nd Saturday); past SaaS workshops with Microsoft for Startups; demo/launch slots. National body act...

GDG Chennai (Google Developer Group) Google Developer Groups

Google technologies, open source, general dev ecosystem. Meetups, conferences, workshops, study jams, hackathons. Active — regular events (started 2010 as GTUG Chennai)

GDG Cloud Chennai Google Developer Groups

Google Cloud Platform, open-source cloud tech. Meetups; flagship Cloud Community Days (Cloud Community Days 2025 Chennai — AI/ML/cloud infra). Active — regular meetups + annual Cloud Community Days

Chennaipy (Chennai Python User Group) Independent Python user group

Python — core Python, data science, web dev, scientific computing, security. Monthly meetups (talks, lightning talks) at IMSc Taramani. Active — reliable monthly cadence through 2025 (Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Sep 2025 meetups confirmed)

Chennai React Independent

React.js, React Native, Next.js, modern web/mobile dev. Regular meetups, talks, networking; Discord + GitHub community. Active — regular meetups

JS Lovers Chennai Independent

JavaScript ecosystem — fundamentals to advanced frameworks. Meetups, talks. Active (listed on tamilnadu.tech community directory); exact 2025 cadence unknown

Chennai Web Engineering Independent

Web engineering professionals — knowledge sharing, collaboration. Meetups, networking sessions. Active (Meetup group); exact 2025 cadence unknown

OWASP Chennai Chapter Chapter of OWASP Foundation

Application & web security. Meetups, webinars, conferences. Active — operating since 2009; recurring events (exact 2025 cadence unknown)

ILUGC (Indian Linux Users Group Chennai) Independent

Linux & open-source software. Monthly meetups, talks (long-running). Active — one of India's oldest LUGs, operating since 1997

Cloud Native Chennai CNCF-supported community group

Cloud-native tech, containers, Kubernetes, microservices. Regular meetups; associated KCD Chennai (Kubernetes Community Days) CNCF conference. Active — regular events + KCD conference

AWS User Group Chennai AWS-affiliated community group

AWS / cloud technology, networking with cloud practitioners. Meetups, tech talks; occasional AWS Community Day. Active (Meetup group); exact 2025 cadence unknown

Namma Flutter Independent

Flutter / Dart mobile development. Meetups, workshops, events. Active (listed on tamilnadu.tech); exact 2025 cadence unknown

KUG Chennai (Kotlin User Group) Kotlin User Group

Kotlin programming. Meetups, workshops, hackathons. Active (community directory); exact 2025 cadence unknown

Build2Learn Independent

Learning by building microproducts / practical projects. Build sessions, demos, hands-on meetups. Active (community directory); exact 2025 cadence unknown

MongoDB User Group Chennai MongoDB-affiliated user group

MongoDB database technology. Meetups, knowledge sharing. Active (community directory); exact 2025 cadence unknown

PyLadies Chennai Chapter of global PyLadies

Women in Python — core Python, data science, web dev, security. Monthly meetups, mentoring; goal of 50% women in local Python community. Active — monthly meetups (some quieter periods; verify latest 2025-26 activity)

Annual conferences 1

UmagineTN Government of Tamil Nadu

Frontier tech & innovation — AI, blockchain, quantum, cybersecurity, AVGC-XR, deep tech, GCCs. Two-day global tech & innovation summit — keynotes, startup showcase, investor connect, policy sessions; 4,000+ delegates. Active — annual. Um...

Cafes to work from in Chennai

Laptop-friendly cafes founders actually work from. Jump to your area, or browse the list.

Adyar & South 6 Nungambakkam & Central 12 Across Chennai 3 OMR & IT Corridor 6

Adyar & South 6

Backyard Adyar

solo deep work / team offsite / workshops & small-group sessions / casual

Anti-cafe: pay for time not coffee; rotating home-chef menu; event/workshop venue

Mon–Sat 10:00 AM–6:00 PM (coworking); events by booking. Closed Sun

Map ↗ Website ↗
Ciclo Cafe Kotturpuram

investor/business meetings / casual / solo work

Italian/Continental; cycling-lifestyle theme (bike sales & service on-site)

8:00 AM–12:00 AM (midnight) daily

Map ↗ Website ↗
The Board Room Mylapore

team offsite / casual / solo work (on the work floor) / small meetings

700+ board games; veg/vegan menu, 30+ teas

11:00 AM–10:00 PM

Map ↗ Website ↗
The Brew Room Mylapore

solo deep work / investor & client meetings / 1:1s

Specialty coffee & teas, fresh bakes, sandwiches

unknown — verify (hotel-cafe, generally daytime–late evening)

Map ↗ Website ↗
Ashvita Bistro R.A. Puram

investor/client meetings (private rooms) / solo work / 1:1s

Fusion Asian & European; rentable private meeting rooms; art/design association

Open through the day — verify exact hours

Map ↗ Website ↗
Chamiers Cafe R.A. Puram

casual / relaxed 1:1s / solo light work

Cafe menu; attached lifestyle/boutique store (Amethyst group)

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗

Nungambakkam & Central 12

Beachville Coffee Roasters Alwarpet

solo deep work / casual / 1:1s

One of India's early specialty roasters; American coffeehouse style, in-house roasting

7:00 AM–10:00 PM daily

Map ↗ Website ↗
Sortd Cafe Alwarpet

solo deep work / video calls (pods) / investor & client meetings

Private work pods + cafe; membership/subscription access

24 hours (per aggregator) — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
Cafe Ave Besant Nagar

solo deep work (silent room) / casual / 1:1s

Cafe menu with a designated silent work room

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
The Garden Cafe (by Harrington Room) Chetpet

casual / relaxed solo work / small hangouts

Garden cafe with books and board games

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
Writer's Cafe — Gopalapuram (flagship) Gopalapuram

solo deep work / casual / writers & creatives

Vegetarian menu + bookstore; social enterprise (burn/DV survivors)

Approx 10:00 AM–10:00 PM (some sources 7 AM–11 PM)

Map ↗ Website ↗
Brews & Beyond Nungambakkam

solo deep work / casual / relaxed 1:1s

Affordable specialty coffee; signature Arctic Biscoff, Milo Mocha, fruit cold brews

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
KUP Coffee Roasters Nungambakkam

casual / late-night solo work / relaxed catch-ups

In-house coffee roasting; late hours

Until ~2:00 AM (night-owl friendly)

Map ↗ Website ↗
SOWL Nungambakkam

solo deep work / casual / 1:1s

Cafe menu; bright modern interiors

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
Southwest Coffee Roasters Nungambakkam

solo deep work / video calls (pods) / investor & client meetings / small teams

In-house specialty roasting; vegan options; work pods bookable (also on Qdesq)

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
Amethyst Cafe (Wild Garden Cafe) Royapettah

investor/client meetings / casual / relaxed work

Garden setting, Continental/Thai, hosts cultural events; boutique attached

10:00 AM–11:30 PM (some sources to 10:00 PM)

Map ↗ Website ↗
Chai Central T Nagar

casual / short work sessions / hangouts

Chai and cafe menu; outdoor seating, free parking

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
Coffee Shastra T Nagar

casual / coffee-focused solo stints

Specialty coffee

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗

Across Chennai 3

Coco Jaunt 1728 Anna Nagar

late-night solo work / casual

Late-night cafe menu, coffee & desserts

Until ~3:00 AM (late-night option)

Map ↗ Website ↗
India Brew House Anna Nagar

casual / relaxed work / hangouts

Artisanal coffee, brewing precision, burgers & desserts

unknown — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗
Origins Coffee Anna Nagar

solo short work stints / coffee-serious 1:1s

Concentrated single-origin brews, customizable espresso; Chikmagalur filter, salted coffee

unknown (also has late-night coffee reputation) — verify

Map ↗ Website ↗

OMR & IT Corridor 6

11 O' Cafe OMR

solo deep work / casual / relaxed 1:1s

Expert-crafted coffee, coffee-focused hosts; burgers/sandwiches/pizza

Approx 11:00 AM–10:30 PM

Map ↗ Website ↗
Cafe Coffee Day — Thoraipakkam (OMR) OMR

casual / quick work between meetings / short calls

Standard CCD espresso menu

9:00 AM–11:00 PM

Map ↗ Website ↗
Dollar Cafe OMR

casual / quick caffeine stop

Affordable quality coffee

6:30 AM–10:00 PM

Map ↗ Website ↗
Soroco House (OMR) OMR

solo deep work / casual coffee catch-ups / small 1:1 founder meetings

SCA 80+ specialty coffee, locally sourced beans; Continental/Mexican food

Approx 9:00 AM–11:00 PM (varies by branch; verify per outlet)

Map ↗ Website ↗
Starbucks — BSR Mall Thoraipakkam OMR

casual / short work sessions / quick video calls in a corner

Standard Starbucks espresso menu, seasonal drinks

9:00 AM–11:00 PM

Map ↗ Website ↗
Writer's Cafe — Taramani Taramani

solo deep work / casual / writers & creatives

Vegetarian menu + attached bookstore; social enterprise

Approx 10:00 AM–10:00 PM (some sources 7 AM–11 PM; verify outlet)

Map ↗ Website ↗

Answers about the Chennai startup scene

What does the startup ecosystem in Chennai look like?

Chennai's ecosystem is strongest in SaaS, Fintech and Deeptech, with a deep bench of companies building across the map. The Founder Circuit and vertical pages above list who is building what, filterable by vertical.

Where do founders network in Chennai?

Mostly at community meetups rather than conferences, clustered around hubs like OMR / Rajiv Gandhi Salai (IT Corridor). eChai runs free, open founder meetups in Chennai, alongside the vertical communities listed below. The simplest first step is to RSVP to an upcoming event.

How do I find a co-founder in Chennai?

Go where founders already gather. Most pairings start informally at meetups, not on platforms. Come to a few eChai events in Chennai, meet people building adjacent things, and the conversations tend to find their own way to co-founder fit.

How do I join the startup community in Chennai?

eChai is free and open: pick an upcoming Chennai event above, RSVP, and walk in. There is no application or membership fee, and the meetups are built so first time founders and seasoned operators end up in the same conversation.

Which are the top startup verticals in Chennai?

SaaS, Fintech and Deeptech lead, with active clusters in several more. Use the vertical chips above to browse the companies in each, or open a vertical page to see the names rising in that category.

Who are the active investors and VCs in Chennai?

Chennai has a working layer of VCs, micro VCs, family offices and angel networks. The investors section below lists the firms and networks active here, grouped by type.

Which incubators and accelerators are in Chennai?

The city has a mix of university and institutional incubators, government backed programs and private accelerators. The incubators section below lists them, alongside the coworking spaces where early teams set up.

What are the best startup events and meetups in Chennai?

The upcoming events block above is live: RSVP to the next Chennai meetup. eChai's events are free and open, and the communities section lists the other vertical meetups and conferences worth following.

New to Chennai's startup scene? Start here.

eChai runs free, open founder meetups in Chennai. No membership, no fee, just show up. RSVP to the next one and meet the people building the city.

See upcoming Chennai events