The Great Metamorphosis: Private Market Investing Outlook, Insights & Projections 2023-24

A qualitative report on the private market ecosystem with key trends, data, and insights that point to a maturing startup ecosystem

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LetsVenture FAQs

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For Angel Investors
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For Lead Investor
Syndicates
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For NRI and Foreign Nationals
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Fundraising
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Startups / Angels
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When was it Founded? Where is LetsVenture registered?

LetsVenture was founded in May 2013, and is now registered as LetsVenture Technologies Pvt Ltd in India since March 2018. LetsVenture is India’s most trusted platform for Startups for seed/angel funding. We connect startups with Global angels, VCs and Startup programs. In past 5 years, LetsVenture has enabled 170+ transactions with more than USD 70M infused into startups like Innov8, DailyNinja, YourDost, Bobble App, MyUpchar, TestBook, Ayurveda Experience, Ketto, Adpushup, Little Black Book, Drivezy, Porter, Wishberry etc.

About LV General

How do I contact LetsVenture? What is the office address and contact number?

Please visit our contact us page to see office address, directions and also the phone number to contact.

About LV General

Is there any product guide or documentation about all the features on LetsVenture platform?

We will be coming up with shortly and will be made available to all the registered users where you will be able to search product documentation, search knowledgebase articles etc.

About LV General

What are the different browsers and browser versions supported by LetsVenture?

LetsVenture supports following browsers - Google Chrome (version 55 and above), Mozilla Firefox (version 52 and above), Apple Safari(version 10 and above) and Microsoft Edge (version 15 and above). Other browser versions are not officially supported by LetsVenture, so for best experience please upgrade to the versions above.

About LV General

How can I submit a product support issue?

Please send any product related question or issues to support@letsventure.com.

About LV General

I have some product ideas for LetsVenture, how do I send this to you?

That would be excellent! Please write to contact@letsventure.com with your suggestion.

About LV General

How do I partner with LetsVenture?

You can get in touch with our Patnership Team.

About LV General

Does LetsVenture conduct offline pitching events? How do I participate into that?

Yes, LetsVenture conducts focussed and very selected offline pitching events. We also conduct online pitching sessions for our featured Syndicates. You can talk to our Startup team or Investor Relations team for the same

About LV General

Why should I have a Lead Syndicate profile on LetsVenture?

By creating a Lead Syndicate profile on LetsVenture, you can aggregate backers and build visibility on corpus available for the deals you Lead. You get the following advantages: Personalized Platform: LetsVenture allows you to select the investors you want to invite to join the syndicate. You can also invite your own social circle who are outside LetsVenture , to participate in the transaction by inviting them on the platform. Personal Concierge: LetsVenture will allocate one analyst during the deal who will work with the Lead to create the investment thesis for the deal, which can be shared to all prospective investors. Program Management Support: LetsVenture team will provide complete support in program management of the investor communication during the deal. This includes - Standardized term sheet templates, which offers process efficiency Support with brief on term sheet and Share Holding Agreements (SHAs) Co-ordination for term sheet reviews, SHA signatures, PoA signatures (if applicable), share certificate issue. Any additional backend support needed for round closure Angel Reputation Management: All PR release made on the funding closure will include the Lead investor quote. Lead Carry: LetsVenture allows the Lead Investor to charge 0-15% carry through the Lead Syndicate. Business Model: LetsVenture charges a fee to the Startup based on the funds being raised on the platform and upto 5% carry from Investors.

For Lead Investor

How do Syndicates work on LetsVenture?

There are 2 ways in which syndicated deals work on LetsVenture: Featured deals - In a Featured deal, the Startup profile is visible to all the investors on the platform. This method is adopted to help close the round quickly. Stealth/Private deals - In a private deal, the Startup profile is not visible to all the investors on the platform. Only those investors who have been provided access to the startup can view the profile. This is used when either the Startup or the lead want to socialise the deal with strategic investors or with the lead’s co-investor group.

For Lead Investor

What does being a Lead Investor mean?

A lead Investor could be an individual or a group of 2 – 3 investors (who could co-lead the round). As a Lead Investor, the following is expected: Invest atleast 10-15% of the round Work with the startup to set the valuation and terms of investment Represent the investor syndicate during fundraise (pitch on behalf of the startup, review term sheet, answer investor queries) Based on the board seat allocated, sit on the board of the Startup or as an observer. Work with the Startup on the next rounds of funding

For Lead Investor

Why should I sign up on LetsVenture?

Started in 2013, LetsVenture.com is today India's most trusted platform for Angel Investing with access to highly curated and personalised deal flow from India and beyond. We have 3809 investors registered on our online platform. In past 5 years, LetsVenture has enabled 170+ transactions with more than USD 70M infused into Startups like Innov8, DailyNinja, YourDost, Bobble App, MyUpchar, TestBook, Ayurveda Experience, Ketto, Adpushup, Little Black Book, Drivezy, Porter, Wishberry etc. Here are the benefits for Angels - Access highly Curated Startups - LetsVenture curation process is a complex 3 tiered process. There is the first level of platform ranking based on our proprietary rating system, followed by the LV team conversation with the founders, and then crowd curation by the angels on the platform. All this put together ensures that as an investor you have access to the best, curated deal flow. Get Personalised & Matchmade Deals - Fine tune your investment preferences and we automatically send startups matchmade for you. Our ML based Recommendation engine also learns from your online behavior and shows you right startups. Search & Follow ‘Hot Deals’ - Power search through 58 sectors and over 500+ actively fundraising Startups. You can also browse through our Startup collections to find trending deals and more. Co-Invest - with the best lead investors as part of their syndicate, or with experienced angels. Connect with Founders instantly - our realtime chat platform helps you connect with founders quickly and engage in meaningful discussions privately and securely. Manage your Portfolio - with our quarterly Startup reporting and portfolio tracking. One point Contact - Relationship Manager is assigned to you as soon as you register on the platform and he/she is your single point of contact for queries, discussions going forward.

For Angel Investors General

Are you a lead investor?

Create your Syndicate - work with our team to create your Lead syndicate profile and get access to a large and active investor community Aggregate backers for your Lead Syndicate and close deals super-fast Manage your Syndicate - track commitments from backers in real-time, send personalised messages and close the deal quickly Personal Concierge - a dedicated LetsVenture analyst will help you manage your syndicate from zero to closure Avail Lead Incentive - receive 5-15% carry when you lead deals on LetsVenture. Easy Paperwork - LetsVenture will provide you complete support from commitment-to-closure (due diligence, term sheet, SHA and share allocation).

For Angel Investors General

Are you an early stage fund?

Build your Brand - create your profile and attract high quality startups Co-Invest with Marquee Investors Syndicate with investors who are aligned to your vision or bring expertise Manage your portfolio Centralise your investment reporting & progress

For Angel Investors General

Are you a family office ?

Register on trica a private platform created for you to get exclusive access to growth stage startups. Visit the Website (https://www.trica.co) to get started.

For Angel Investors General

How does LetsVenture work with Investors?

We break down the engagement with LetsVenture into 4 aspects: Pre-Commitment: Here you can login to the platform or the mobile app and browse startups. The startups are personalised to your profile. If a startup is of interest to you, you can connect to the founder, your RM at LV or to the lead investor. Based on the information available to you, you can commit on the platform. During commitment period: As the startups continues to syndicate, you will get updates on the deal progress. Once 80% of commitments come in, LetsVenture in partnership with the Lead Investor and founder initiate due diligence on legal and financial aspects of the startup. During this phase, you get weekly updates on the progress. Call for money is done once the DD is successfully completed and accepted by the Lead Investor. Post Commitment: LetsVenture pools the investments through a vehicle registered with SEBI (LV Angel Fund) so that all investors come on the cap-table of the startup as a single entity. LetsVenture will do the complete deal documentation (legal paperwork). Post investment: LetsVenture will provide a quarterly progress Report containing important business metrics, Financial health for all your portfolio Startups. We will also arrange for a quarterly conference call with your Portfolio Startups. We will also provide you with valuation report of your investments on an annual basis.

For Angel Investors General

Is there any eligibility criteria for Angel Investors to sign up on LetsVenture?

According to SEBI Angel Fund Regulations, "Angel investor" means any person who proposes to invest in an angel fund and satisfies one of the following conditions, namely, an individual investor who has net tangible assets of at least two crore rupees excluding value of his principal residence, and who has early stage investment experience (it means prior experience in investing in start-up or emerging or early-stage ventures, or has experience as a serial entrepreneur (it means a person who has promoted or co-promoted more than one start-up venture, or is a senior management professional with at least ten years of experience. a body corporate with a net worth of at least ten crore rupees an AIF registered under these regulations or a VCF registered under the SEBI (Venture Capital Funds) Regulations, 1996. An Angel Investor must invest a minimum of 25 lakhs INR over five years in the startups he/she likes, through the Angel Fund. Additionally LetsVenture equires that the Angel Investor is aware of the risks of investing in Startups as an Asset class. When you decide to invest, you will be required to complete the one time KYC (Know Your Customer) that requires your address and identity proof as per SEBI requirements.

How can Investors register on LetsVenture?

Investors can fill up the join form on LetsVenture.com or get referred by any other Investor (already on the platform). In both cases, our Investor Relations team will review and approve your credentials before providing you the login for the platform.

For Angel Investors General

How much fee does LetsVenture charge from Investors?

There is a one time fee of 25k INR to sign up to the Angel Fund 1% of the commitment is charged every time you commit through the angel fund (INR 5k being the minimum) LetsVenture charges a 5% carry on exit.

For Angel Investors General

How does LetsVenture do Investor accreditation?

There is no formal accreditation process for investors in India. However, LetsVenture does its own verification of credentials and identity as per SEBI regulations for Angel Fund (AIF) before onboarding any investor on the Platform.

For Angel Investors General

Which all information is required for my Investor profile?

Personal information - Linkedin profile URL, photo, designation, contact number etc. Investment preferences - Investment budget, preferred sectors for investment, investment thesis. Investment profiles - Financial information required for the paperwork. Startup portfolio - List of Startups showcasing your investments.

For Angel Investors General

Who is a Non-Resident Indian?

A Non-Resident Indian (“NRI”) is a person who is resident outside India but is a citizen of India.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Can NRI invest in Indian companies? Can a foreign national invest in Indian companies?

NRIs and foreign nationals are permitted to invest in an Indian Company in accordance with the existing Foreign Direct Investment Policy of India.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

As an NRI, what is the best way to transfer money to India?

As an NRI the investment amount can be remitted by the NRI from the bank account maintained in the country of residence or the NRO/NRE/FCNR accounts maintained in India.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

What are the bank account facilities that are available to NRIs in India?

Foreign Currency (Non-Resident) Account (Banks) Scheme - FCNR(B) Account Non-Resident (External) Rupee Account Scheme - NRE Account Non-Resident Ordinary Rupee Account Scheme - NRO Account

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Which sectors can an NRI invest in?

There is no such restriction for NRI investor when investing through our SEBI registered AIF (LV Angel Fund).

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Can an NRI invest in a Trust?

No. An NRI cannot invest in a Trust. The only exception is if a VCF is set up as a Trust, then the NRI can invest in the VCF subject to the approval of FIPB.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Can an NRI invest in an LLP?

Yes. An NRI can invest in an LLP subject to the following: An NRI can invest in LLP’s operating in sectors where 100% FDI is allowed through the automatic route and there are no FDI linked performance conditions, subject to the approval of the FIPB Foreign Capital participation in LLPs will be allowed only by way of cash consideration, received by inward remittance, through normal banking channels or through NRE/FCNR Accounts.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Can an NRI invest in an Indian company under the FDI Scheme?

Yes. An NRI can invest in shares/convertible debentures of an Indian company through: A remittance from its bank account outside India (“Foreign Bank Account”) A remittance from its NRE/FCNR(B) Accounts

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

What instruments can be issued by an Indian company to NRIs under the FDI Scheme?

Investment into an Indian company from a person resident outside India (including NRIs) will only be considered as FDI, if the investment is made into the following instruments (collectively FDI Instruments): Equity shares Fully and mandatorily convertible preference shares Fully and mandatorily convertible debentures

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

At what price can the FDI Instruments be issued to NRIs?

The price at which the FDI Instruments can be issued to NRIs shall not be less than the following (Pricing Guidelines): The price worked out in accordance with the SEBI guidelines, as applicable, where the shares of the company is listed on any recognised stock exchange in India The fair valuation of shares done by a SEBI registered Category - I Merchant Banker or a Chartered Accountant as per the discounted free cash flow method (DCF Valuation), where the shares of the company is not listed on any recognised stock exchange in India. The price as applicable to transfer of shares from resident to non-resident as per the pricing guidelines laid down by RBI from time to time, where the issue of shares is on preferential allotment. However, when NRIs subscribe to the Memorandum of Association of an Indian company as its initial subscriber, then such investments may be made at face value.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Are there any restrictions with respect to the convertible instruments that are issued to NRIs under the FDI Scheme?

Yes. The FDI policy provides that the price/ conversion formula of FDI Instruments should be determined upfront at the time of issue of the instruments. The price at the time of conversion should not in any case be lower than the fair value worked out, at the time of issuance of such instruments, in accordance with the extant FEMA regulations i.e. the Discounted Cash Flow Method (DCF) of valuation for the unlisted companies and valuation in terms of SEBI (Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, for listed companies.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

What are the filings that need to be undertaken by a Company if it issues FDI Instruments to an NRI ?

The filings that need to be undertaken would depend upon whether an NRI invests in FDI Instruments either through the FDI Scheme or the Non-Repatriation Scheme. Non-Repatriation Scheme: If an NRI invests in FDI Instruments through a Non-Repatriation Scheme using its NRO/NRE/FCNR(B) Accounts, then the investment would be treated as a domestic transaction and no reporting will have to be made by the investee company to RBI. FDI Scheme: If an NRI purchases FDI Instruments in an Indian company through funds that are available in its NRE/FCNR(B) Account or its Foreign Bank Account under the FDI Scheme, then the purchase would be treated as FDI and the be subject to the following: The FDI Instruments will have to be issued within 180 days from the date of the receipt of the investment amount by the Company. The Indian company receiving investments from an NRI, will through its Authorised Dealer, have to report the amount of investment that it has received within 30 days of the receipt of the investment amount with the Regional Office of RBI. The Company will need to file the Form FC-GPR with RBI within 30 days of the allotment of the FDI Instruments to the NRI.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Can an NRI freely transfer the FDI Instruments that it had purchased under the FDI Scheme?

Transfer of FDI Instruments by NRI to Non-Residents: An NRI can transfer the FDI Instruments to Non-Residents. A transfer of FDI Instruments by an NRI to Non-Residents will require the prior approval of RBI. Transfer of FDI Instruments by NRIs to NRIs: An NRI can transfer the FDI Instruments to other NRI’s. A transfer of FDI Instruments by an NRI to NRI will not require the prior approval of RBI. Transfer of FDI Instruments by NRIs to Residents: An NRI can transfer the FDI Instruments to Residents without the prior approval of RBI, subject to the sale of the FDI Instruments being in consonance with pricing guidelines as stated in point 11 above.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Post the sale of its FDI Instruments, can an NRI repatriate the sale proceeds outside of India?

Purchase of FDI Instruments through Non-Repatriation Scheme: If the NRI has purchased the FDI Instruments through the Non-Repatriation Scheme, then the sale proceeds cannot be repatriated outside of India. Purchase of shares through Foreign Bank Account or NRE/FCNR(B) Account under FDI Scheme and filing of Form FC-GPR: If the NRI has purchased the FDI Instruments through its NRE/FCNR(B) Account or through its Foreign Bank Account and the investment in the FDI Instruments has been reported through the filing of Form FC-GPR, then the sale proceeds can be repatriated outside of India.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

Can an NRI invest in a Partnership Firm/Proprietary Concern under the FDI Scheme?

Yes. An NRI can invest in the capital of a firm or a proprietary concern in India under the FDI Scheme, subject to the following: The amount is invested through inward remittance or out of NRE/FCNR(B)/NRO Account The firm or proprietary concern is not engaged in any agricultural/plantation or real estate business or print media sector. Amount invested shall not be eligible for repatriation outside India, except with the prior approval of RBI.

For NRI and Foreign Nationals

What are Syndicates?

Syndicates allow angel investors to join the investing circle of a Lead Investor, and solicit access to deals being led by him. Once you join the Syndicate, you become among the first ones to know about a new deal that is being launched by the Syndicate. For example, if you back Sanjay’s Syndicate, anytime Sanjay starts a new deal, you will be informed about the deal and can participate in the deal before anyone else. Note that Sanjay may also choose to share the deal only with a select list of backers first, based on his discretion.

Syndicates

Why should I join a Syndicate?

By joining a Syndicate, you leverage the experience of the Lead Investor and get early access to the Lead Investors deals. This is ideal for a new angel investor or an investor not having enough time to do his own due diligence on the Startup, and work with founders going forward to make the venture successful.

Syndicates

How can I join a Syndicate?

When you visit the Syndicate page, click the button “Join the Syndicate” in the sidebar and fill up the information requested by the platform. We allow the Lead Investor to have the option to accept or reject backers. If you are accepted as a backer, you will get notified when a new deal opens though that Syndicate.

Syndicates

What are the terms of investing through a Syndicate?

The terms of investment may vary from deal to deal when you invest through a Syndicate. The Lead Investor will announce the terms - Lead carry, min commitment per backer and time-limit for commitments when launching a deal through his Syndicate. Lead carry can vary between 0-15% and you can see it on the syndicate page when the deal is launched there.

Syndicates

What is the role of a Lead Investor in a Syndicate

Lead Investors is usually an experienced and well known Angel Investor in the ecosystem. He/She attracts high quality deals because of his/her high brand value. He/She will do thorough business diligence to select the best Startup, negotiate the valuation and termsheet for the Startup, invest maybe 10-20% of the round himself/herself before launching it through his/her syndicate. The Lead will also pitch along with the Founder during pitching sessions and answer questions to interested Angel investors. After the round is completed, the Lead will most likely take a board seat and represent all other investors’ interests on the board of the Startup. The Lead will also mentor/advise the Startup during its formative years, coordinate quarterly reporting to all investors with LV help, ensure good governance and compliance, and also help with the future fundraise for the Startup. During any exit opportunity, he/she will also negotiate with the incoming investor representing the rights of all the other angel investors.

Syndicates

How is this different than the current Featured Deals of LetsVenture?

The Lead Syndicate model is an invite only feature at LetsVenture led by active seasoned Lead investors. The deals here are brought to LetsVenture and championed by the Lead.

Syndicates

What is the best way to judge and find a high-growth Startup?

LetsVenture featured syndicate is a good way to invest in high quality startups. Including this, your personal investing experience and advice from experiences angel investors can help you find the quality startups.

Startup Funding

How protected are my investments?

LetsVenture’s partners do all the financial and legal due-diligence for the startups before taking in any money from the investor. A Due Diligence report is issued prior to the signing of the Shareholder Agreement. We also rely on the social proofs and background of the startup and team members. Besides this, all investments on the platform have the legal paperwork to protect your investment.

Startup Funding

What is the guarantee or probability of my investment giving me returns and in what time horizon?

Your investment is based solely on your own judgement, knowing the risks involved in this dynamic marketplace. We do not guarantee on the investment return as it is dependent upon the market scenario and startup execution.

Startup Funding

How liquid are these and do you facilitate secondary share sale as well of my investment and portfolio?

Angel investing is not a liquid asset until the startup gets into future rounds of funding (Series A/ Series B, during which the angel investor can make potential exit). The timeline for the same depends on each startup. As of now, LetsVenture does not facilitate secondary share sale but we do have plans to introduce this in the future.

Startup Funding

In the event the Startup fails, is there a possibility where the founders will be personally liable to the investors?

The founders shall be personally liable to the investors to such extent as may be documented in the terms and conditions of the respective investment agreements.

Startup Funding

About LetsVenture

LetsVenture is India’s most trusted platform for Startups for seed/angel funding. We connect startups with Global angels, VCs and Startup programs. In past 5 years, LetsVenture has enabled 170+ transactions with more than USD 70M infused into startups like Innov8, DailyNinja, YourDost, Bobble App, MyUpchar, TestBook, Ayurveda Experience, Ketto, Adpushup, Little Black Book, Drivezy, Porter, Wishberry etc.

For Startups General

Why should I sign up on LetsVenture?

Fundraising Startups : Access Investors: Connect with Angel Investors, Venture Funds from many countries. Get Featured, Get Funded: Get your Startup featured and close your fundraise faster (Business plan review, Investor connects and Paperwork closure). Manage Privacy: Control who can view your Startup profile (Allow and Block access) Apply to Incubators, Accelerators and Startup competitions

For Startups General

Is there any eligibility criteria for Startups to sign up on LetsVenture?

There is no eligibility criteria for startups. However we want serious entrepreneurs to be a part of this network – you can be a Startup in Ideation Stage, POC/Beta or Revenue Stage.

For Startups General

Does a Startup has to be involved in a particular area of business to be associated with LetsVenture?

No. You can be any business to connect to investors and other startups on our platform. We do see a lot of Tech Startups on the platform but Startups from non-tech sectors are also eligible to join and raise funds through the platform.

For Startups General

What all things to keep in mind to create a good LetsVenture startup profile?

When you are completing your startup profile, keep these things in mind which'll help you create a good LetsVenture profile. When writing your twitter pitch, make it clear and unambiguous. One thing you can do when trying to create a one liner for your startup is to apply the mom test. If in one sentence you cannot tell your mom what you do, then you should rework the sentence. This is the first thing an investor reads, so taking time in crafting a good one liner is time well spent. In Team Summary under Team tab: Write a one to two sentence short bio of yourself, your co-founders and your core team members. If you have founded companies before, mention it. Mention your education and previous experiences. If you have experience in the current market that your startup is in, then mention it. If you have mentors / advisors, you might want to mention them here. Every bit of info that shows your execution skills is relevant and should be put here. In Team section under Team tab: Link LinkedIn profiles and upload photos of all your co-founders and core team members in this section. In the Product / Service summary under Product tab: Just like your twitter pitch, describe what your startup does in simple and clear sentences. You can provide specific use cases / examples here if necessary. In How are we different under Product Tab: Write about the differentiating factors from your competitors. What are the things that you are doing that your competition lacks or isn't doing well? What are your innovations and competitive advantages? In Customer Traction Summary under Traction tab: Show month on month user growth percentages. For example: Month on Month growth: 42%. Also show the total number of users who have used your product. If you are in the B2B space, also mention the companies that are using your product. If you are in Beta or Proof of Concept, you may not have month on month growth to show, in that case, mention your stage and the number of users who have tried your product here. In How do we make money?: Describe what your revenue model is. On your Pitch Deck: Pitch deck is your first impression and the objective is to get investors interested in you and your startup. You need to communicate and present relevant information clearly and concisely. There are 7 essential elements that make a good pitch deck: Problem statement: What is it that you are trying to solve? Solution: What is the solution? What is the product? Market: How big is the market? Market size? What are the numbers? Competition Analysis: Competition. Differentiation. Revenue model: Not projections. How you make money. Potential revenue model. Team: Founders & Advisors. Write a short one to two sentence bio of each co-founder and include photos. Funding ask: In your funding ask slide, mention your funding ask in INR and show how you are going to use the funds. For example: 30% for Product Development, 20% for Marketing, 30% for talent etc. One thing to note is that no one segment should take more than 30% utilization of the funding ask. Taking time in creating a strong LetsVenture profile is time well spent. Clearly communicating is important but it becomes even more so on an online platform. If you have any questions, write to us at startups@letsventure.com.

For Startups General

Is the platform only for fundraise?

No, you may apply to various accelerators that are taking assistance of LetsVenture. You may also post jobs on the job section..

For Startups General

Which all data I need to have to create a Startup profile?

If you are not fundraising, you just need Basic profile data (Startup Video, Team, Jobs, Product, Media and Timeline tabs). If you are fundraising, you need to fill the Detailed profile data (Investor Deck, Founder video, Traction, Competition and Round Information tabs).

For Startups General

How can I keep my Startup data confidential or private?

At LetsVenture, we are very serious about security and privacy of your Startup profile data. As a founder, you have complete control of who has access to which parts of your profile on LetsVenture. In your startup profile, please choose ‘Stealth/Private’ mode under the privacy section.

For Startups General

I am a Stealth mode Startup. How do I raise funds on LetsVenture without showing my profile to any investor?

Yes, Stealth mode Startups profiles are supported on the Platform. You can get in touch with our Startup team and they will be able to evaluate your needs and help you accordingly.

For Startups General

How can I delete my Startup profile from LetsVenture?

Right now, we haven’t provided the option to delete the startup profile but you can unpublish your Startup profile through the "Account Settings" menu option and going to "Startup profile" tab of the settings page. Otherwise send us a request at support@letsventure.com and we will unpublish your profile. Note that unpublishing means that your profile is not visible to anyone except you.

For Startups General

I have multiple Startups. How can I create additional profiles on LV?

Yes, we do allow creating multiple Startup profile with a single login. Currently, you need to get in touch with support@letsventure.com if you need this feature.

For Startups General

Does LetsVenture provide a Q/A forum? I have many questions that other Startups/Investors could answer for me.

Not quite but there’s a feature called ‘Investor Room’ where you can answer the questions asked by different investors who are evaluating your startup for an investment.

For Startups General

What is a featured syndicate and how I can be featured?

Featured Syndicate on LetsVenture gives you enhanced visibility (separate Featured section for Investors) with an optional package called Commitment to closure (Due Diligence, TermSheet, SHA) . The most time consuming part of the fundraise is to find a lead and / or raise the initial 30-40%, post which it is about building the momentum to close the round. At this stage is where a featured syndicate comes into picture. There are two ways the round can be built. The lead can syndicate the round and provide his investment thesis to all the investors. LV recommended deals where LV takes the call in featuring a company The team will work with the startup on coming up with the right strategy to help close the round.

Fundraising

How do I connect with Investors? Are there any restrictions?

Our Startup team will help you find a Lead Investor if you don’t have one. The Lead Investors may charge advisory equity depending on how much value they can bring to the company.

Fundraising

Which investors do I connect with on LetsVenture?

You can search for Investors based on the sector, location etc. Also, go through their current investment portfolio and investment thesis to find the right set of investors you want to connect with for your fundraise.

Fundraising

Does LetsVenture allow me to select which Investor I take money from? Can I reject an investor's commitment on LetsVenture?

Yes, we provide flexibility to the Entrepreneur but it is better to have this discussed with the LetsVenture Startup team before rejecting any Investor commitment.

Fundraising

What is the role of a Lead Investor?

A Lead investor is someone who is willing to step in and don the mantle of the captain of the investor syndicate. The Lead investor should ideally have engaged with the startup for sometime to understand the business, and see how he can support the entrepreneur. Read in detail about the responsibilities here.

Fundraising

How do I find a Lead Investor? How much incentive do I need to offer to the Lead Investor?

Our Startup team will help you find a Lead Investor if you have a Featured Syndicate on the platform. Read here about the Lead Incentive amount.

Fundraising

Can a startup publicly announce that it is seeking potential investments?

As per the applicable law, a private company registered in India cannot extend an invitation to the public to subscribe for shares in the company.

Fundraising

How does the fund transfer take place?

After the successful online commitment by the investors, the LV Angel Fund receives the amount from all the investors and then transfers it to the Startup bank account. Once, the money gets deposited in the startup bank account, only then the deal is considered to go for any press release.

Fundraising

After the initial round of funding, can a Startup approach LetsVenture for the next round of funding?

Yes. We have created a platform called LetsGrow to specifically help our portfolio Startups to raise SeriesA money from Family Offices and VCs. Note that we have 120+ family offices registered on our LV Titans platform. We also work with Startups for raising the pre-seriesA money from Angel investors.

Fundraising

What does LetsVenture offer to a Startup after the funds are raised?

LetsVenture helps Startups share a quarterly Investor report with key business metrics and financial metrics. We also organise a quarterly video conference call with the investors. We also track key governance and compliance so that the Startup is on the right path. See the above question for help wrt next round of fundraise.

Fundraising

What happens in the event the Startup fails to raise the full investment amount sought?

In case the Startup is not able to raise the full investment amount, LetsVenture does provide the flexibility to close the funding round with even the partial investment raised on the platform.

Fundraising

What stage is your Startup currently in?

You can choose from the following stages while creating your Startup profile on LetsVenture. Note that most of it will also apply to services startups. - Ideation - you have the problem, solution, business model etc well defined but you haven't built any POC nor have you launched the product in the market. Proof of Concept - you have a POC version of product ready and able to give a demo but product is yet to launch in the market. Beta launched - product has been launched in the market to a small set of beta customers. Product may undergo few iterations before it is taken out of beta and 1.0 is released. Early Revenues - product is launched and it has started generating revenues from few customers but revenue may be sporadic in nature. Steady Revenues - there is steady customer base which is generating steady revenues for the company month on month or year on year.

Startup Profile

What type of business are you in (B2B, B2C, B2B2C, B2G)?

Here is a detailed explanation of the types of businesses - B2B - you are a B2B Startup if your customers are typically other businesses or companies, NOT individuals. For example, Freshworks, Capillary are B2B companies. B2C - on the other hand, if your customers are typically individuals, then you are a B2C Startup. For example, PolicyBazaar, Byju's, UrbanClap, Dailyhunt are B2C companies. B2B2C - in this case, the Startup first sells the product/service to businesses who in-turn sells to individuals as customers. See https://a16z.com/2018/05/17/b2b2c-business-models-rampell/ to understand the difference between B2B and B2B2C businesses. B2G - a variation of B2B where the Startups is selling the product or service to government instead. On LetsVenture platform, we only support B2B and B2C as the types. So, even if you fall in B2B2C or B2G category, please choose only B2B from the dropdown.

Startup Profile

How to invite a Team member or Investor to LetsVenture platform?

When you add a team member to your LetsVenture Startup profile, his/her details will be instantly added and shown into your Startup profile. However, if you want the team member (e.g. co-Founder) to be able to edit your Startup profile as well, he/she needs to create his login/password on LetsVenture. To be able to do this just check the checkbox for "invite team member to LetsVenture" and also "give Admin privilege" checkbox. He/She will receive an account creation link from LetsVenture, once he fills all his/her details we ask, he will have his independent login/password and will be able to edit your Startup profile as well. Note that the above process also applies when you add investors in your round information tab and check the "invite to LetsVenture" checkbox. The Investor will receive a signup link from LetsVenture and after filling up the information, an investor onboarding person from LetsVenture will talk to him/her and get his onboarded to LetsVenture.

Startup Profile

What are the Traction Metrics on LetsVenture?

You can choose any of the following Traction Metrics while updating Traction data in your Startup Profile on LetsVenture. Note that if you have a custom metric that doesn't match any of the below ones, you can use that too. The Metrics are categorised into various buckets for simplicity of understanding - SaaS Metrics CAC - Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) is simply the average money you spend in obtaining a customer. LTV - The amount of sales amount that a customer will spend with your company over their lifetime. MRR - It is the recurring revenue, normalized, over a period of a month. ARR - It is the recurring revenue, normalized, over a period of a year. ARPU - Average Revenue per User/Unit is calculated by dividing the Total MRR by the total number of customers or accounts. Churn rate - the churn rate is the rate at which your customers are canceling their subscriptions. See following links from Chargebee website for details on the SaaS metrics. https://www.chargebee.com/resources/glossaries/saas-metrics/ https://www.chargebee.com/blog/decoding-saas-metrics-ltv/ https://www.chargebee.com/saas-reporting/saas-metrics-sample/ Financial metrics Gross Margin - gross profit is calculated by subtracting the cost of goods sold from revenue. And the gross margin is expectedly gross profit divided by total revenue. See https://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/010815/what-difference-between-gross-profit-margin-and-operating-profit-margin.asp Operating Margin - operating profit is calculated as gross profit minus operating expenses (include faclities expense, travel, marketing, payroll etc) Net Profit Margin - net profit is calculated as operating profit minus interest and tax if any. See https://www.investopedia.com/terms/n/net_margin.asp Contribution Margin - The contribution margin is computed as the selling price per unit, minus the variable cost per unit. See https://www.investopedia.com/terms/c/contributionmargin.asp GMV - Gross Merchandise Value is used in online retailing to indicate total sales amount for merchandise sold through a particular marketplace over a certain time frame. Traffic - Pageviews - the total number of pages people visited on your website per month Unique Visitors - number of unique users who have initiated at least one session on your website Website Traffic - it could be a measure of the pageviews or Unique Users or a mix of both Sessions - session is counted as the time period during which user is actively engaged with your website. Number of Sessions per User - Pages/Session - average number of pages viewed per session Avg Session Duration - the average length of visitors’ sessions Bounce Rate - the percent of visits that are single-page only (i.e. people who visit one page and leave). No of downloads/install - from the android play store and Apple app store. Engagement - 7 day retention - how many of your users come back to your app on 7th day 30 day retention - similar as above DAU - Daily Active Users - the key lies in how you define "active" user. Is "user signed" in enough to define a user as "active"? Perhaps its better to to measure a more valuable action like "Update a Task", "Invite Collaborator", "Share Content". See https://sixteenventures.com/active-users-vanity-metric MAU - Monthly Active Users NPS - Net Promoter Score (NPS) is a management tool that can be used to gauge the loyalty of a firm's customer relationships. It serves as an alternative to traditional customer satisfaction research and is claimed to be correlated with revenue growth. An NPS can be as low as −100 (every respondent is a "detractor") or as high as +100 (every respondent is a "promoter"). DAU/MAU - it reflects Stickiness of your app. For example, a DAU/MAU ratio of 50% would mean that the average user of your app is using it 15 out of 30 days that month. See https://mixpanel.com/blog/2014/03/06/addiction/ and https://techcrunch.com/2009/10/29/how-to-measure-the-true-stickiness-and-success-of-a-facebook-app/ Sales/eCommerce - Total customers - transacting on your product or placing orders, number of orders per month Sales Funnel - number of customer in pipeline or in pilot stages or such Repeat orders - how many users (in percentage) are placing repeat orders Transaction fee - in percentage terms for each order or transaction Average number of daily/monthly interactions - that users have with your product Revenue per delivery - or per order

Startup Profile

What are the different instruments available for Startups fundraise?

CCPS - Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares. This is the most common instrument used by Startups in India. These are basically preference shares (also called preferred stock in US) that gives the investors some preference over Equity Shares. Typically preference shares have a higher liquidation preference meaning the preferred stockholders get their money back first in the event that the company must be liquidated. CCPS may also carry a fixed dividend but could be kept very low say 0.0001% per annum. The CCPS must compulsorily convert into equity shares within 20 years after issuance. Equity - Also called as common shares/stock. These are less preferred by investors compared to CCPS as CCPS holders have higher liquidation preference over Equity holders in case of a liquidity event. CCD - Compulsorily Convertible Debentures - This is a debt instrument that has to compulsorily convert into shares. This is mostly used to defer valuation discussions, and can be tied to future financing. The key terms of the investment include a Valuation cap - beyond which the investors shares cannot be valued at the time of conversion, Discount - which is a % discount to the next round valuation, Interest rate of the CCD - which can be a bare minimum number. Convertible note - This has been allowed recently in India but allowed only for DPIIT certified Startups. A convertible note is an optionally convertible instrument giving investors the option (on maturity i.e. when the startup raises next round of funding) to convert their investment into equity at a predetermined discount to the next round of funding. If the Startup’s valuation does not increase as per the expectation of the investor, he/she can choose not to convert and instead redeem the notes at an interest rate subject to the terms & conditions contained therein. This reduces the risk for the investor, while at the same time allows the possibility of conversion into equity if the startup performs well. See https://companiesinn.com/articles/convertible-note SAFE - for US registered Startups - this is a very common instrument for early stage startups registered in USA. See https://www.ycombinator.com/documents This carries a small agreement between Investor and Startup where the valuation is decided in the later round (e.g. an institutional round).

Startup Profile

Does LetsVenture platform provide only startups from India?

LetsVenture is a global platform with startups from all over the world. At present we have startups from many countries registered on the platform. We have funded many Startups registered in US and Singapore as well.

Common Fundraising Queries

How does LetsVenture curate Startups?

LetsVenture does a soft curation of Startups for Investor Connect based on the Startup Funding Readiness Index. The curation is based on the Startup's Team Profile, Traction, Competition, Round information and Investor Deck. Once the Startup gets approved for Investor Connect, then only they can invite and connect with investors on the platform.

Common Fundraising Queries

How much fee does LV charge for Startup funding?

Please contact us at startups@letsventure.com to know about the fee structure for fundraising. Note that the platform is free to any Startup to sign up and the fee is charged only after successful deal closure.

Common Fundraising Queries

How is the valuation of a Startup determined?

Valuation of a Startup is determined primarily in consultation with the lead investor. LetsVenture provides guidance based on industry benchmarks on valuations, from startups who have raised funding. However the final decision on valuation is negotiated between the Entrepreneur and the Lead Investor. In case, the lead investor is not yet identified, the valuation can be set by the entrepreneur. In such cases, investors can negotiate directly with the entrepreneur if they wish to, once they participate in the round.

Common Fundraising Queries

Who is a Lead Investor? What are the responsibilities of a Lead Investor?

A Lead investor is someone who is willing to step in and don the mantle of the captain of the investor syndicate. The Lead investor should ideally have engaged with the startup for sometime to understand the business, and see how he can support the entrepreneur. Read in detail about the responsibilities here.

Common Fundraising Queries

What is Due Diligence and how long does this take?

LetsVenture has partners who conduct Financial and Legal Due Diligence for the Startups. Typically this happens simultaneously with the round being raised on the platform. The Due Diligence process could take about 4-8 weeks.

Common Fundraising Queries

Who does the Business Due Diligence?

The business due diligence is done by the Investors themselves. The onus is on the investors to understand the fundamentals of the business.

Common Fundraising Queries

How does LetsVenture make the paperwork process efficient for Investors and Startups?

LetsVenture will co-ordinate all the paperwork for the Startup Funding from commitments to closure through our C2C package. Investors and Founders are involved where necessary to make this a seamless and easy experience - Financial and legal due diligence: We provide seamless DD paperwork through a network of our reputed partners Termsheet: We have standard termsheets for seed/angel round of funding. The standard termsheet works for most cases, it can be customized depending on the startup and the investor requirement. Shareholder Agreement (SHA): Our lawyers will work with the Startup to draft the right SHA for you. strong>Compliance documents :Our team vets documents and ensure documents that are compliant for the transaction

Common Fundraising Queries

How does LetsVenture comply with regulation on private placement under the companies Act, 2013 in India?

Owing to the restrictions prescribed by law, a Startup can't solicit investments from more than 200 investors at any given point in time. In light of these restrictions, we ensure that any Startup registered on the platform is not viewed by more than 200 Angels.

Common Fundraising Queries
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