India's Top 20 Founder-Friendly VCs: Your Guide to Accessible Mentors (2025)
The Mentor in the Boardroom: How the Right VC Can Make or Break Your Startup
In the recalibrated Indian startup ecosystem of 2025, securing funding is about more than just capital, it's about finding a strategic partner who can provide mentorship, guidance, and unwavering support. The most successful ventures are often built on a foundation of strong founder-investor relationships, where the VC acts as a trusted advisor and an extension of the founding team. This list moves beyond traditional metrics to spotlight the individuals and firms renowned for their founder-first philosophy, accessibility, and commitment to nurturing entrepreneurs through the challenges of building a company.
This curated guide is designed for founders seeking more than a cheque. It focuses on investors who are known for being accessible, sharing relevant insights for the Indian market, and actively mentoring their portfolio companies. From former entrepreneurs who have navigated the startup journey themselves to community-builders who foster a collaborative ecosystem, these investors represent the true mentors of India's venture capital landscape. Use this intelligence to connect with partners who will not only fund your vision but will also champion your growth every step of the way.
Top 20 Founder-Friendly VC Investors in India (2025)
Full Name and Title/Role | Fund / Platform / Network | Investment Focus | Recent Investments Led | Top 3 Themes They Discuss | Preferred Method of Contact |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Shailendra Singh, Managing Director | Peak XV Partners | Backing audacious founders building category-defining companies | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on AI/Deep Tech and category-defining companies | Founder authenticity over hype; Building enduring companies; India's AI/Deep Tech future | Through a program (e.g., Surge) or Warm Intro |
Karthik Reddy, Co-founder & Managing Partner | Blume Ventures | Building a founder family, not a portfolio | Led $4M round in iDO Devices (Sep 2025); Active in Q3 2025 with focus on B2B SaaS and hardware startups | Ecosystem & community building; VC transparency & metrics; Path to public markets | Warm Intro or Direct Email |
Avnish Bajaj, Founder & Managing Director | Matrix Partners India (Z47) | Partnering with founders in India's nation-building journey | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on nation-building startups and portfolio optimization | India's digital nation building; Founder-first mentality; The India market opportunity | Direct Email (via official channels) or Warm Intro |
Prashanth Prakash, Partner | Accel | Nurturing category-defining startups with ecosystem support | Co-led Dezerv $40M Series C (Oct 2025); Angel investment in Biopeak $3.5M (Jun 2025) | Advanced manufacturing & Deeptech; Applied AI for India; National ecosystem development | Warm Intro or Office Contact |
Vani Kola, Founder & Managing Director | Kalaari Capital | Mentoring ambitious entrepreneurs to build great companies | Led Pascal AI Labs $3.1M seed round (Sep 2025); Active in Q3 2025 with focus on AI and product-centric startups | Product-centric founder advice; Entrepreneurial resilience; Leadership & personal growth | Website Application Form |
Tarun Davda, Managing Director | Matrix Partners India (Z47) | Backing talented, ambitious, and hungry founders | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on AI/DeepTech and ambitious founder partnerships | VC funding & milestones; AI & Deeptech investments; Founder journeys & leadership | Direct Email (via official channels) or Warm Intro |
Mukul Arora, Co-Managing Partner | Elevation Capital | Partnering with customer-obsessed founders to become leaders | Participated in Dezerv $40M Series C (Oct 2025); Active in Q3 2025 with focus on B2B SaaS and customer-obsessed founders | Founder mindset & skills; B2B SaaS & AI strategy; India's startup inflection point | Warm Intro Only |
Anand Lunia, Founding Partner | India Quotient | "Entrepreneur is the king, not the VC" | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on "Bharat"-focused startups and capital-efficient models | Building for "Bharat"; Founder-centricity; Capital efficiency focus | Direct Email (via official channels) |
Ritesh Banglani, Partner | Stellaris Venture Partners | Solving uniquely Indian problems with technology | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on uniquely Indian problem-solving startups and fintech | Solving uniquely Indian problems; Fintech & Account Aggregator; Technology as a differentiator | Direct Email (via official channels) |
Pranav Pai, Founding Partner | 3one4 Capital | Backing mission-driven founders with thesis-driven insights | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on consumer brands, deep tech, and mission-driven founders | India's macro & policy; Deep Tech & AI; New consumer brand playbook | Website Application Form |
Sanjay Nath, Co-founder & Managing Partner | Blume Ventures | Mentoring Indian SaaS startups for global markets | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on global SaaS startups and cross-border AI companies | Global Go-To-Market strategy; Cross-border AI & SaaS; Entrepreneur-VC dynamic | Warm Intro or Direct Email |
Vaibhav Domkundwar, Founder & CEO | Better Capital | Founder-first, fast decisions for software startups | Consistently active in early-stage software startups with focus on global market potential | Software is eating world; Founder-first, fast decisions; Building for global markets | Warm Intro Only |
Sanjay Mehta, Founder & Partner | 100X.VC | Democratizing seed funding with mentorship at scale | Active in 2025 as top seed-stage investor with focus on democratizing funding across sectors | Democratizing seed funding; Mentorship at scale; Sector-agnostic opportunity | Website Application Form |
Mitesh Shah, Co-founder | Inflection Point Ventures | Angel investing at scale with network-driven mentorship | Led SnapE Cabs $2.5M bridge round (Sep 2025); Highly active in Q3 2025 with 12 deals including Samaaro | Angel investing at scale; Supporting a diverse portfolio; Value beyond capital | Website Application Form |
Bipin Shah, Partner | Zeropearl VC | Founder-to-founder support with speed and conviction | Active in Q3 2025 with 8 seed-stage deals focusing on founder-to-founder support model | Founder-to-founder support; Speed and conviction; Ecosystem enablement | Website application form/Warm intro |
Pratik Poddar, Partner | Nexus Venture Partners | Backing product-first companies with global potential | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on AI-first enterprise solutions and product-first companies | AI-first enterprise solutions; Product-first company focus; Cross-border ambition | Warm Intro Only |
Ranjith Menon, Managing Director | Chiratae Ventures | Accelerated seed investing with access to mentors | Active in Q3 2025 with focus on next-gen AI applications and deep tech sectors | Next-gen AI applications; Deep Tech & strategic sectors; Accelerated seed investing | Warm Intro Only |
Pranay Mathur, Founder & CEO | Backrr | Pre-seed and seed stage investing via a founder network. | Active platform-based investor supporting startups like HouseEazy, LarkAI, and Zeko.AI through founder-first approach | Founder-first fundraising; Why startups fail; Scaling from scratch | Website Application Form (startup.backrr.com) |
Nitin Sharma, Partner | Antler India | Day zero investing to help build companies | Co-invested in Pascal AI Labs (Sep 2025); Active in Q3 2025 with 12 AI-focused investments including AIGnosis and Nugen | Day zero investing; The AI thesis; Building global companies | Program Application |
Sasha Mirchandani, Founder & Managing Partner | Kae Capital | Providing the first institutional check with hands-on support | Active in Q3 2025 with 6 first institutional check deals focusing on sector-agnostic tech startups | First institutional check; Deep founder mentorship; Sector-agnostic tech focus | Warm Intro Only |
Beyond the Cheque: The Enduring Value of a Strategic Investor Relationship
Choosing an investor is one of the most critical decisions a founder will make. The ideal partner is one who offers not just financial backing but also strategic guidance, industry connections, and genuine mentorship. The individuals on this list have distinguished themselves through a proven commitment to a founder-first ethos, demonstrating that they are dedicated partners in the truest sense. By focusing your outreach on investors who align with your values and are known for their accessibility and hands-on support, you significantly increase your chances of building a resilient company and a lasting relationship that will prove invaluable long after the ink on the term sheet has dried.
