Backing India’s next icons
at the compounding edge:
beyond the metros.
Emerging cities produce nearly half of India’s new startups yet remain under-indexed (<4%) on venture funding. We prefer to write the first cheque, lead pre-seed and seed rounds, and partner founders through their 0→1 journey with capital, operating support, and global networks.
About Us
India’s growth story will not be written only in its metros. It is being shaped in Jaipur, Kochi, Indore, Lucknow, Coimbatore, and beyond, where digital infrastructure, pro-growth policy, and rising local demand converge with abundant talent and leaner cost structures.
Swishin Ventures is here to unlock this opportunity. We back ambitious founders solving real problems in Tier-2 and Tier-3 hubs with scalable, impact-driven models - whether they serve India’s next billion consumers or global markets.
As a SEBI-registered Category I Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), we combine conviction capital with operator-grade support: recruiting pipelines, GTM math, governance instrumentation, and co-investor access. Our approach is hands-on from pre-seed through seed, ensuring that early signal becomes repeatable traction.
We believe the rise of India’s emerging cities is the next frontier for venture investing - and we are here to back the founders who will define it.
Investment
Thesis
Why Now
The Momentum Behind India’s Emerging Cities
51% of Indian startups now emerge from Tier-II/III cities (GoI, 2025).
Smart Cities Mission: 94% of 8,067 projects completed; ₹1.64 lakh crore invested
(MoHUA, 2025).
Regional air connectivity (UDAN): ~637 routes, 92 airports connected; more in
pipeline (MoCA, 2025).
Digital penetration: 886M active users in 2024, projected 900M+ in 2025; rural users
already 55% (IAMAI–Kantar, 2025).
Capital asymmetry: Half the founders are in emerging cities, yet these hubs receive a
much smaller share of venture dollars—an inefficiency we are built to fix.
Capital asymmetry: Half the founders are in emerging cities, yet these hubs
Our view
Demand
(Newly-online consumers + MSMEs)
(Newly-online consumers + MSMEs)
Distribution
(UPI, broadband, UDAN)
(UPI, broadband, UDAN)
Unit Economics
(lower burn, stronger retention)
(lower burn, stronger retention)
Compounding opportunity for founders
outside metros.
How We Invest
Pre-Seed to Seed - where conviction meets execution. We roll up our sleeves with founders, helping them translate early promise into repeatable outcomes.
Initial cheques ₹1-₹4 crore, with follow-on participation up to Series A for high-conviction companies. We lead or co-lead rounds, setting clean terms that attract co-investors and ensure durable governance.
SaaS & Deep Tech
BFSI/Fintech
Consumer/D2C
Healthcare/MedTech
Agri/Climate
Platform
(what founders actually get)
Talent Engine
We help you hire faster and smarter where you are. That means role blueprints, structured hiring loops, comp benchmarks by city, and curated university pipelines. By tapping into non-metro universities and “return-to-hometown” migration, founders can build teams at 30–40% lower cost without compromising quality.
GTM Precision
We turn early traction into repeatable sales math: ideal customer profile clarity, funnel conversion design, and pipeline arithmetic (customers × adoption % × price). We work with you to land lighthouse customers and build the sales motion that scales beyond friends-and-family adoption.
Fundraising Scaffolding
Beyond the cheque, we prepare you for institutional rounds: narrative and deck reviews, data-room hygiene (cohorts, CAC/LTV, retention), and warm ntroductions to later-stage funds, angels, and family offices. The outcome: clean cap tables and smooth graduation into Series
A.
Governance as Growth
We install just-enough discipline—OKR cadences, cap-table hygiene, investor updates, and board-ready reporting—so founders can run faster with credibility. Governance isn’t overhead; it’s a force multiplier for scaling.
Policy & Local Intel
From state incentives to incubator networks, we surface opportunities founders can’t Google. Programs like Smart Cities Mission (₹1.64 lakh crore) and AMRUT 2.0 materially change how and where you can build. We shorten the cycle between ambition and execution.
Begin your journey with Swishin
From Idea to Impact
Fill out the Pitch to Us form
01
Pitch on call to the Investment Team
02
Receive a Investment offer
03
Move onto signing the Term Sheet
04
Go through Due Diligence
05
Money in the Bank
06
Our Partnerships
Department of Information
Technology & Communication Rajasthan
Catalyst AIC
Jaipur
UPES University,
Dehradun
Bihar Industrial
Association
FAQs
What stages do you invest in?
We back pre-seed and seed companies. We lead or co-lead most pre-seed and seed rounds. For founders outside the metros, this matters: many VCs hesitate to set terms. We believe conviction capital attracts quality co-investors and sets you up for durable governance from the outset.
What’s your typical check size and ownership?
We invest $200K–$500K initially, with reserves for select follow-on participation. We aim for meaningful early ownership—aligned, not extractive—so your cap table stays partnerable for future rounds.
How do you decide, and what’s the turnaround?
Our six-step process—pitch → call → offer → term sheet → diligence → funding—is built for speed. Early-stage founders can’t afford six-month fundraising cycles, so we focus on taking quick, decisive calls.
What sectors do you invest in?
We are sector-agnostic, with depth where Tier-2/3 hubs create natural advantages:
- Consumer / D2C (brand building with cost-quality arbitrage)
- SaaS & Deep Tech (distributed product teams, long talent runways)
- BFSI / Fintech (credit, payments, wealth for Bharat)
- Healthcare (access, diagnostics, devices)
What geographies do you focus on?
India-first, with a deliberate bias toward Tier-2/3 hubs such as Jaipur, Kochi, Indore, Lucknow, and Coimbatore.
What is your involvement post-investment?
We run structured bi-monthly working sessions across hiring, GTM, fundraising, and governance, plus targeted help from our operator/advisor network. Founders also tap into:
- Talent pipelines (non-metro universities and return-to-hometown migration have broadened the pool)
- Local intel (state programs, incubators, and infrastructure initiatives such as the Smart Cities Mission, which has completed 7,380+ projects with ₹1.47 lakh crore invested)
- Global bridges (diaspora connects and co-investor networks)
Do you reserve capital for follow-ons?
Yes. We reserve to support momentum and will co-lead select Series A rounds where our continued involvement compounds outcomes.
What do you look for in a pre-seed/seed round?
- Problem clarity and founder–market fit
- MVP signal (engaged users, LOIs, or paid pilots)
- Early unit-economics truth (even if directional)
- ICP & pipeline math (who buys, why now, and how many this quarter)
- Hiring plan that leverages your city/region’s talent edge
How should I pitch you? What should I include?
Use the pitch form and include: a 30-sec narrative, 8–12 slide deck, key metrics, links to product/demo, and (if available) a light data room (cohort/retention, pipeline, forecast, hiring plan).
How do you view exits?
We optimize for durable company-building and time exits to business maturity—not fund cycles. Tier-2/3 companies already show credible paths: notable strategic acquisitions (e.g., Minimalist → HUL) and IPO-scale trajectories (e.g., category leaders like CarDekho).