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Playbooks

Founder's Playbook

This playbook distils data from thousands of Indian startup deals to set benchmarks that help answer questions around fundraising that often stump founders. Questions like- when to raise, how much, at what price, and more. Alongside the numbers, we also cover the subjective calls - context, trade-offs, and founder-focused advice. All of this to help you make better decisions.

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- Who this is for: Early-stage Indian startups (Pre-Seed →Series A)

- What this is not: Legal advice or a one-size-fits-all formula

- Data window: Benchmarks from mid of 2022 to 2025

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The founder’s playbook is a thoughtfully designed quick-reference guide that helps founders think through the many ‘what if’ decisions and trade-offs that arise during fundraising. It brings clarity to moments that are often driven by pressure or FOMO, and enables founders to make more deliberate, well-informed choices at every stage of the journey. I’d confidently recommend this to any founder navigating their fundraising journey.

~ A note to readers from Sanskriti, co-founder of Thinkerbell Labs, a Bengaluru based funded assistive-tech startup

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Table of Contents:

  1. When should you start planning to raise capital?​
  2. How much should you raise in each round?
  3. How much stakes should you retain over multiple rounds?
  4. Who should you approach for funding?
  5. How should you prepare for a fundraise?
  6. ​How much ESOPs are enough?
  7. How should you manage surplus funds?
  8. When should your startup break-even?
  9. Lessons from Case Studies
  10. Startup Indian's Role
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