Raise funding for your brand

Know your numbers, weigh the options, and find the right investors and grants.

4 steps, 24 questions, laid out in the order you'll hit them

Each step is a topic with the real questions D2C founders ask; open whichever one you're stuck on for the answer and the resources on it.

1. 1
   Funding a D2C brand

   VC, revenue-based finance, venture debt, or none.

   Should I bootstrap my D2C brand or raise VC money? 4 → What is revenue-based financing and how does it work for D2C brands in India? 4 → What's venture debt, and when should I take it instead of - or alongside - equity? 3 → How do I finance inventory without giving up equity? 3 → Klub, GetVantage or Velocity - which RBF platform is actually right for my brand? 4 → All 6 questions in Funding a D2C brand →
2. 2
   D2C investors & accelerators

   Who backs consumer brands, and what they want.

   Which VCs actually invest in D2C and consumer brands in India? 4 → What do consumer VCs actually look for before writing a check? 2 → Are there D2C-focused accelerators in India worth applying to? 4 → Is Amazon's Propel accelerator or a similar marketplace program worth it for a small brand? 3 → How do I build a shortlist of investors instead of mass-emailing everyone I can find? 4 → All 6 questions in D2C investors & accelerators →
3. 3
   Grants & government schemes

   MSME, export incentives, and non-dilutive money.

   Do I need MSME/Udyam registration for my D2C brand, and what does it actually get me? 3 → What is the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) and can my D2C brand apply? 3 → What is RoDTEP and how does it help if I export through Amazon Global or Shopify? 4 → What other export incentive schemes exist besides RoDTEP for a D2C brand? 3 → Are there government loan schemes (CGTMSE, MUDRA, PMEGP) I should know about before going to a bank? 3 → All 6 questions in Grants & government schemes →
4. 4
   Financial modeling & forecasting

   See the cash before it surprises you.

   How do I build a basic financial model for my D2C brand from scratch? 4 → What's the difference between a P&L, a cash flow statement and a balance sheet - and which one actually tells me if I'll run out of money? 3 → How do I calculate my cash runway, and how do I know when I need to raise or borrow? 3 → Should I take on debt (working capital loans, invoice financing) instead of raising equity to fund inventory? 3 → What are the biggest financial modeling mistakes D2C founders make? 4 → All 6 questions in Financial modeling & forecasting →