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.
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!
How to Apply
Welcome to The Chennai Angels! We are glad you have approached us and our endeavor will be to provide you with a quick and definite response.
Submit your business plan
FAQs
After you’ve taken a look at our process and funding criteria, you are now ready to fill out our application form and get started.
The Chennai Angels use their own platform designed to support the activity of Angel Networks. We prefer that all entrepreneurs apply for funding using the questionnaire in the online application. To apply for funding please visit TCA Platform
Ventures with unique ideas with potential for rapid, scalable growth within a reasonable time frame.
Businesses with proprietary technology, early market lead and other strong barriers to entry.
A strong management team to execute the business plan, with relevant and successful experience.
Entrepreneurs who can provide evidence of the validation of their concept and particularly those who have begun to engage with the market have a stronger proposition.
A team with a desire for mentoring and coaching.
A reasonable valuation that fits within the risk/reward expectations of our members.
A credible exit strategy for investors.
On receiving your application, the application goes through a certain process. Click here to view the process
Brief Elevator Pitch, Vision and Mission Statement, Market and Industry Environment, Value Proposition, Key Products/Services and Differentiation, Competitive Scenario and Entry Barriers, Business Model and Sales/Marketing Strategy, Market Traction, Management Team, Organization, Financials, Exit Strategy, Capital, Risks and Gaps. Please refer Entrepreneur resources link for business plan format.
On an average the funding would range between Rs. 50 Lakh to Rs 3 Crore. Members may invest more or less depending on the funding requirements of the company and the interest of the members. If the investment size is larger, 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.
Depending on complexity, from start to finish it can take anywhere from 4 to 6 months to get funding. The goal is to complete due diligence as quickly as possible while undergoing a thorough review of the business. The entrepreneur can expedite due diligence by having the information available ahead of time, making yourself and your team available for meetings, and by being proactive in driving the process. At the conclusion of due diligence, it is important that the entrepreneur and investors are both comfortable with each other and can have a productive partnership.
A deal facilitation fee of 2.5%
(Two and a half percent) on the funds raised.
Cost for conducting Financial, Legal,and Business Due Diligence by agencies appointed by TCA, at actuals ranging from 1%-2% of & the total fund raise.
b) On the deals led by other investors
A consolidated fee of 2.5% (Two and a half perfect) on the funds raised, towards deal facilitation and review of Financial, Legal, and Business Due Diligence conducted by Agencies appointed by the Lead Investor.
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 a Director or Observer will not participate in the fundraise initiated by competing start-ups.
