India has a very intriguing startup scene (and overall economy) — lots of innovation, high economic growth, a good and improving education and good demographics.
It can be hard to find good investment opportunities unless you live in India. But those opportunities do exist. And I believe they’re worth the effort.
I was lucky enough to get one investment in an Indian company called Cleartax. I invested in Cleartax through one of FundersClub’s Y Combinator Demo Day funds. This is a $10,000 minimum fund that gives you access to 8-12 startups from Y Combinator’s Demo Day (when all the new YC startups pitch investors). And Cleartax has grown into one of the largest fintech startups in the country.
Hopefully, our ability to invest in Indian startups will improve in the near future.
I occasionally see Indian startups on AngelList. These deals are for startups that are established as a U.S. corporation (like Cleartax was). Some of these deals have come from Sumon Sadhu’s syndicate. He’s probably one of the best bets for Indian startup investment opportunities going forward.
And a few years ago, AngelList established an Indian branch. For now you have to be an Indian resident to invest. But I’m hoping they open it up to international investors in the near future.
I’m continuing to watch this space closely, and will update you as I come across news or syndicate opportunities.