India's Top 20 Founder-Friendly VCs: Your Guide to Accessible Mentors (2025)
This guide curates the top 20 most founder-friendly, accessible, and insightful venture capital investors in India for 2025. We go beyond just listing investors; we are highlighting the mentors who are known for their hands-on support and deep market knowledge. This is your essential list for finding a true partner for your early-stage (Pre-seed to Series B) startup.
Backrr Team
Oct 15, 2025
0
min read
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 Name | Investment Focus (4-8 words) | Recent Investments Led (Post-June 2024) | Top 3 Themes They Discuss (Post-March 2025) | Preferred Method of Contact |
Shailendra Singh, Managing Director | Peak XV Partners | Backing audacious founders building category-defining companies | Led Series A in GoodScore (Oct 2025), $60M round in Partior (Jul 2024), $10.5M round in Cloudphysician (Jun 2024) | 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 | Backed PowerUp Money (Jun 2025); Led Series A in Zoplar (Jan 2025) | 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 | Co-led Series A in Seeds Fincap (Jul 2024); Participated in Series A for InPrime Finserv (Jul 2025); Co-led Seed in Neysa (Apr 2024) | India's digital nation building; Founder-first mentality; The India market opportunity | Direct Email (namaste@z47.com) or Warm Intro |
Prashanth Prakash, Partner | Accel | Nurturing category-defining startups with ecosystem support | Led $47M round in CityMall (Sep 2025); Co-led $40M round in Dezerv (Oct 2025); Angel investment in Biopeak (Jul 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 Seed in Pascal AI Labs (Sep 2025); Led $5.9M round in ByteXL (Jul 2024); Invested in Equilibrium (Sep 2025) | 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 | Backed Dashverse (Aug 2025); Participated in Series C for SuperOps.ai (Jan 2025); Co-led Series A in Seeds Fincap (Jul 2024) | VC funding & milestones; AI & Deeptech investments; Founder journeys & leadership | Direct Email (tarun@z47.com) or Warm Intro |
Mukul Arora, Co-Managing Partner | Elevation Capital | Partnering with customer-obsessed founders to become leaders | Led Seed in Belong (Jul 2025); Participated in Seed for Adopt AI (May 2025) | 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" | Led Pre-Series A in True Diamond (Jun 2025); Invested in Home Essentials (Mar 2025); Invested in Kyzo (Mar 2025) | Building for "Bharat"; Founder-centricity; Capital efficiency focus | Direct Email (anand@indiaquotient.in) |
Ritesh Banglani, Partner | Stellaris Venture Partners | Solving uniquely Indian problems with technology | Led Seed in Peeko (Aug 2025); Participated in Series A for Dashverse (Aug 2025); Participated in funding for Techfino (Jun 2025) | Solving uniquely Indian problems; Fintech & Account Aggregator; Technology as a differentiator | Direct Email (ritesh@stellarisvp.com) |
Pranav Pai, Founding Partner | 3one4 Capital | Backing mission-driven founders with thesis-driven insights | Led Series B in R for Rabbit (Aug 2025); Participated in Series B for ELIVAAS (Aug 2025) | 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 | Co-led Seed in SiftHub (Apr 2024); Participated in Series A for Zoplar (Jan 2025) | 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 ranked as a top active early-stage investor in India | 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 | Top seed-stage investor in H1 2025; recent investments include Fery Rides and Contrails.ai | 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 | Highly active in Q3 2025 with 12 deals including Samaaro and Snap-E Cabs | Angel investing at scale; Supporting a diverse portfolio; Value beyond capital | Website Application Form |
Bipin Shah, Partner | Titan Capital | Founder-to-founder support with speed and conviction | Active in Q3 2025 with 8 deals including Hiezen, Peeko, and Sookti AI | Founder-to-founder support; Speed and conviction; Ecosystem enablement | Warm Intro Only |
Pratik Poddar, Partner | Nexus Venture Partners | Backing product-first companies with global potential | Led Seed in The Medical Travel Company; Co-led Seed in Obot AI; Led Seed in Aurva | 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 | Recent investments include HouseEazy, Pepsales, Mili, and Zilo | Next-gen AI applications; Deep Tech & strategic sectors; Accelerated seed investing | Warm Intro Only |
Pranay Mathur, Founder & CEO | Backrr / Realtime Angel Fund | Empowering founders with capital and strategic mentorship | Backed startups like HouseEazy, LarkAI, Zeko.AI, Myway.ai, and Redesyn | 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 | Active in Q3 2025 with 12 investments, including AI startups AIGnosis, Nugen, and Pascal AI Labs | 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 deals including KNOT, Eternz, and Cartesian | First institutional check; Deep founder mentorship; Sector-agnostic tech focus | Warm Intro Only |
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.