TILT, the impact investment arm of nonprofit The/Nudge Foundation, has launched a ₹250 crore ($26 million) venture fund to support early-stage startups serving India’s emerging consumer base and workforce.
The fund will target companies from seed to Series A stages, with investments ranging from ₹2 crore to ₹16 crore. Its focus includes agricultural value chains, climate resilience, informal work and emerging employment models, MSME productivity, employability, financial inclusion, market access, and distribution.
Patient capital for slow-growth models
TILT’s managing partner Richa Singh stated the fund would offer patient capital to businesses requiring more time to establish product-market fit and sustainable economics. Startups addressing low-income communities often take longer to scale than typical venture-backed companies.
According to the announcement, mainstream capital typically enters after growth prospects become clearer and risks decline. This creates an early-stage funding gap for ventures tackling livelihood challenges.
Investors in the fund include Flipkart cofounder Binny Bansal, MakeMyTrip founder Deep Kalra, BigBasket’s Hari Menon, and Meesho CEO Vidit Aatrey. Additional backers are the US-based Livelihood Impact Fund and the Raj and Indra Nooyi Family Office.
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TILT cofounder Atul Satija said the platform aims to support over 150 startups and improve the lives of 100 million people in the next 15 years. The initiative builds on The/Nudge Foundation’s eight-year history of funding livelihood-focused social enterprises, during which it provided around ₹180 crore in grants to 190 ventures.
Beyond capital: research and market access
Alongside funding, TILT will provide portfolio startups with research support, market development, partnerships, and institutional access. The fund will prioritize science- and AI-driven solutions, particularly in employability and distribution.
Singh explained that India’s emerging consumer base is increasingly prepared for scalable market solutions. The fund’s strategy involves backing founders early and aligning capital with the realities of their target markets.
The launch coincides with renewed early-stage funding activity in India. Micromax Informatics recently introduced a ₹250 crore family office to invest in deeptech startups. Meanwhile, Groww’s cofounders are reportedly raising a ₹400-500 crore fund for seed and early-stage ventures. It also aligns with 3one4 Capital’s partnership with British International Investment to launch a $15 million program targeting underrepresented founders and sectors in the country’s startup ecosystem.
