Fundraising & Investors

How is raising a seed round in India different from the US?

A starting point

The instruments and paperwork differ: India commonly uses the iSAFE (a CCPS-based cousin of the US SAFE) and CCPS-heavy term sheets to fit Indian company law. Angel networks, micro-VCs like 100X.VC, and DPIIT recognition shape the early game. Learn the local structures before you sign, because a US SAFE won't map cleanly onto an Indian Pvt Ltd.

Go deeper

Listen

🎧 Podcast
India Free Intermediate

Prime Venture Partners Podcast: Fundraising Masterclass for Founders

On Prime Venture Partners Podcast by Prime Venture Partners 30-50 min per episode

Why we picked it

A leading early-stage Indian VC firm answering the questions founders wish they could ask a VC face-to-face, including how they pick startups and why pitch decks fail. Direct from the people writing the cheques in India.

  • Learn how an Indian early-stage fund actually filters and selects the few startups it backs
  • Understand common pitch mistakes from the investor's side of the table
  • Get realistic expectations on the Indian seed process and what earns conviction
Listen on Spotify open.spotify.com →

Read

📄 Article
India Free Advanced

Decoding Term Sheets for Early-Stage Startups

From Inc42 by Siddarth Pai, Roma Priya, Yagnesh Sanghrajka 30 min read (guide)

Why we picked it

A practical India-specific guide to term sheets and iSAFEs, written by working Indian VCs and startup lawyers (3one4 Capital, Burgeon Law, 100X.VC). It maps global concepts onto Indian legal structures like CCPS.

  • Covers valuation, investor rights, restrictive covenants, and exit terms in the Indian context
  • Explains the iSAFE / CCPS structure and how it differs from a plain US SAFE
  • Helps founders prepare for common Indian term-sheet negotiation points
Open inc42.com →

Use

🛠️ Tool
India Free Intermediate

iSAFE: The Founder-Friendly Fundraising Instrument for Early-Stage Founders

From 100X.VC by 100X.VC template + explainer

Why we picked it

100X.VC pioneered the iSAFE, India's answer to the US SAFE, and offers the standardized document plus a plain explanation. Indispensable for any Indian founder raising their first cheques the local way.

  • iSAFE is the India-adapted SAFE, structured as compulsorily convertible preference shares to fit Indian law
  • It avoids an immediate valuation and expensive negotiation, using a short standardized document
  • Understand the conversion mechanics before issuing iSAFEs to multiple investors
Open 100x.vc →

People also ask

How does seed fundraising actually work, step by step? You build enough proof (traction, team, or a compelling wedge) to make investors believe, then run a tight, time-boxed process where you talk to ma... Beginner 3 resources → How much money should I raise at seed, and how much equity do I give up? Raise enough to hit a meaningful milestone with buffer, typically 18-24 months of runway, and plan to sell roughly 10-20% of the company at seed. D... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I find and get intros to angel investors and seed funds? Warm intros beat cold outreach massively, so map your network and get founders in each investor's portfolio to introduce you. Build a target list r... Intermediate 3 resources → How do I create momentum and FOMO so investors commit instead of stalling? Run the whole process in parallel and time-boxed so investors feel a real deadline and real competition, because a 'maybe' is almost always a polit... Advanced 3 resources → What does an early-stage VC actually look for before writing a cheque? At seed it's mostly team, market, and evidence you can move fast and learn faster, because there's rarely enough traction to lean on numbers alone.... Intermediate 3 resources → How do SAFEs and term sheets differ in India versus the US? India can't use the plain US SAFE directly because of company-law constraints, so founders use the iSAFE (structured as compulsorily convertible pr... Advanced 3 resources →