Backing India’s Founders
Capital & Beyond
We fund unique solutions
That shape our world
The Chennai Angels is a leading angel investment network based in Chennai City with 120+ active individual, institutional and corporate angel investors.
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Members of The Chennai Angels come from across multiple industries, and bring with them a vast pool of knowledge, expertise and financing capabilities to provide highly professional mentoring.
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Many of the startups we fund are recommended by our own members. However, we understand that there are founders who may not have connections with our members. We encourage these entrepreneurs to submit their pitch decks to us through the TCA Platform.
Is your startup Eligible for Angel Funding?
- You need to raise between 50 Lakhs INR to 2.5 Crores INR from an angel group.
- Â Your start up is currently in the early revenue stage.
- Â Your startup has gained traction in a large addressable market.
- Â Your startup provides unique solutions that are significantly different from competitors
- Â Your start up is headquartered in India.
Your pitch should be a comprehensive overview of business aspects such as products or services, clients, go-to-market strategy, etc.
Before you submit your deck, ensure that you have read the Eligibility Checklist below. We urge you to submit the best version of your presentation with relevant and concise data. You should include data on all the core team members and cover details such as your advisor’s qualifications, if any.
TCA Portfolio
About
The Chennai Angles
At The Chennai Angels (TCA), we focus on supporting early revenue-stage startups in India that show strong potential for growth and innovation. We seek passionate, experienced, and coachable founders with a deep understanding of their business, especially those leveraging disruptive technologies or innovative models to solve critical problems. Our interest lies in startups targeting large, addressable markets with a clear strategy to capture significant market share.
What We Look for in Startups
We look for teams that have a unique value proposition and a competitive edge that is difficult to replicate. Founders should be able to clearly articulate their advantages and demonstrate a thorough understanding of the competitive landscape. Intellectual property should be protected and well-managed. Startups need a solid business plan, realistic financial projections, and a strategic plan for sales and exits capable of delivering high returns. We also value entrepreneurs who are open to collaborating with TCA’s board and governance structure, aligning with our vision for impactful growth.
Required Documents
Angel Funding Eligibility Criteria
Experienced Team
TCA looks to work with coachable and energetic leaders with proven track records. The core team should be made up of people who have experience in their field with credentials to back it up. We also look for passionate founders and co-founders who understand the ins and outs of their business, be it financials or growth strategies.
Unique Solutions
There has to be a clear answer as to how the startup does things differently, be it the use of disruptive technology or new business models, etc. TCA prefers to work with startups that bring something new to the table. If your startup solves a critical problem for a customer or a business, and solves it in a way that is not only different from competition, but far more effective than existing solutions, you are more than likely to get funded by our investors.
Large Addressable Market
There needs to be a significant demand for the products/solutions. The startup should be capable of capturing a significant portion of the market share. TCA only funds businesses that can scale up over time.
Competition
The list of potential and existing competitors needs to be made clear. The startup needs to have significant competitive advantages in order to secure angel funding. Knowing what your competitor does and having a good hindsight into what their next move could be, would be a great bonus when you discuss competitive strategies with our investors. Let us know why someone else isn’t capable of reproducing what you have created.
Intellectual Property
Any and all intellectual properties that are used by the startup must be protected and the startup should not infringe on anyone else’s trademarks and patents. TCA performs thorough Due Diligence and it is best to have a clean slate when applying for funding with us.
Strategy
The startup needs to have a robust sales strategy in place. They need to explain how they are going to achieve further market penetration.
Financials
Founders need to provide honest financial projections and have proper knowledge of the same. This can include cash flow statements, balance sheets and income statements.
Exit Strategy
The startup needs to have the potential to provide 10x returns on Angel Investments. The types of exit strategies must be elaborated on.
Business Plan
All startups that apply for angel funding need to have a professional and methodical plan that perfectly articulates strategies or any key assumptions on how the business is to grow and operate.
Board of Directors
Startups that seek angel investing need to be ready to accommodate the board of directors from the Angel Group.
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If you think you’re ready, fill out the application form on the TCA platform to get started!
Mridula & Manikandan
Founders of Kreedo
Madhumitha & Jagadeesh
Founders of The Indus Valley
Kashyap and Keerti
Founders of Hitwicket
Parveen, Vinay, Harsh & Shashank
Founders of STAGE
Yega, Anant & Vinodh
Founders of Paperflite
Pankaj & Pallavi
Founders of goSTOPS
Balaji & Sadique
Founders of Chai Kings
How to Apply for Funding
Step 1:
Access Platform
Visit our Platform by clicking on the Login button on the top right corner on our website or Click Apply for funding below.
Step 2:
Complete Application
Complete online online application providing basic information, and upload presentation based on required format.
Need
Help?
If you encounter any issues accessing the platform or uploading your deal, please reach out to us on LinkedIn or email us at [email protected].
We look forward to being a part of your startup’s growth journey!
How to Apply for Funding
To apply for funding, please visit our Platform by clicking on the Login button on the top right corner.
We prefer all entrepreneurs to complete the online application, providing basic information about the startup and promoters. Additionally, you need to upload a presentation based on the format listed on the platform, to help us evaluate your application promptly.
If you encounter any issues accessing the platform or uploading your deal, please reach out to us on LinkedIn or email us at [email protected].
We look forward to being a part of your startup’s growth journey!
FAQs
Use our online platform to upload your ppt and required documents based on the format listed. Click on the Login button on the top right corder to create an account and get started.
Early revenue stage startups that have unique, scalable ideas and show strong potential for rapid growth can apply for funding. Businesses should have proprietary technology, early market traction, and defensible barriers to entry. We look for experienced management teams, validated concepts with early market engagement, and founders who are open to mentoring. A reasonable valuation, aligned with our risk/reward expectations, and a clear exit strategy are also essential.
Once we receive your application, it will be reviewed by our team of sector experts. If shortlisted, you will be invited to present your startup to them. Upon clearing this stage, you’ll move on to present to our full group of investors. If there is investor interest, a due diligence process will follow. Once due diligence is successfully completed, term sheets and agreements will be drafted for approval. After final clearances, the capital will be disbursed. Post-funding, quarterly review calls will be held to ensure continued alignment and support.
Depending on the complexity of the venture, the funding process can take anywhere from 4 to 6 months from start to finish. Our goal is to complete due diligence as efficiently as possible while ensuring a thorough evaluation of the business. Entrepreneurs can help accelerate the process by preparing key information in advance, being readily available for meetings, and proactively driving communication and next steps.
On average the funding would range between Rs. 50 Lakh to Rs 3 Crore. TCA Investors may invest more, or less, depending on the funding requirements of the company. If the investment size is larger than average, TCA may syndicate the investment with other investor groups.
TCA does not sign NDAs. TCA shares all plans received by it exclusively with its members. TCA members in turn, sign an undertaking with TCA. All members are bound by the undertaking.
For deals invested by TCA, there is a deal facilitation fee of 2.5% of the total funds raised.  Â
Due diligence costs (financial, legal, and business) are charged at actuals by agencies appointed by TCA.
TCA reserves the right to invest in competing start-ups. However, to ensure confidentiality and information protection, TCA lead investor(s) who are in the Board either as Director or Observer will not participate in the fundraise initiated by competing start-ups.
