We plan to bring eChai across 100 cities in India. It starts with eChai Startup Demo Day on 26 September, all in person. 13 cities confirmed, 684 founders registered. Any city that reaches 20 interested founders is on too. See your city

Raise money

Should you raise? VC vs bootstrap

Raise only if the fuel buys escape velocity.

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Should I raise venture capital or bootstrap my startup? Raise VC only if your business needs a big pile of cash to reach escape velocity before someone else does, and if a 10x-in-a-few-years outcome is g... Beginner 3 resources → What kind of businesses are actually a good fit for venture capital? VC math only works for companies that can plausibly return the whole fund on one bet, which means a huge market, a business that gets more valuable... Intermediate 3 resources → What do I give up when I take VC money? You give up equity, a chunk of control (board seats, protective provisions), and the freedom to build a merely-good business. You also sign up for ... Intermediate 3 resources → How much money should I actually raise in my first round? Raise 18 to 24 months of runway to hit the next real milestone, not the biggest number you can get. Over-raising sets a valuation you then have to ... Intermediate 2 resources → Should I raise from Indian VCs or try to get a US or global fund on my cap table? Raise from whoever gives you the fastest, cleanest capital and genuinely understands your market, not from the flag on the fund's website. For an I... Intermediate 3 resources → What is the real difference between angels, micro VCs, and institutional VCs, and who should I approach first? Start with angels and micro VCs who write small checks fast and take real risk on unproven ideas; institutional seed funds usually want more proof ... Beginner 3 resources → What traction or metrics do I actually need before a seed round in India? There is no fixed bar, but you need one metric moving fast enough that an investor's fear of missing out beats their fear of losing money. For most... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I value my pre-revenue startup, and who actually sets the price? At pre-seed the market sets the price, not a spreadsheet: valuation is mostly a function of stage, team, market size, and how competitive the round... Advanced 3 resources → SAFE or priced round: which instrument should I use for my first raise, and does it work in India? Use a SAFE or convertible note if you want to close fast and defer the valuation fight, and a priced round when investors want defined ownership an... Advanced 3 resources → Should I raise money from an accelerator like Y Combinator or an Indian program, and is the equity worth it? Join an accelerator for the network, forcing function, and credibility, not for the check, which is usually small relative to the equity you give u... Beginner 3 resources →

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