If the Covid catapult in 2021 led to a boom in startup funding and unicorn minting, the harsh funding winter of 2022 brought to the forefront an investor class often overshadowed by the PE/VC community. Even a sluggish investment market of the past year and a jittery startup landscape struggling to strike profitability did not deter angel investors from backing young companies. 

Startup funding in India declined to $25 Bn in 2022, compared to the record $42 Bn raised by the ecosystem in the peak pandemic year of 2021. But in spite of the down cycle, 126 startup-focussed funds were announced/launched last year, totalling more than $18 Bn.

More interestingly, the seed stage deal count hit a record 758 in 2022, and funding reached $2 Bn, 41% of the $5 Bn seed funding amassed during 2014-2022. Numberwise, out of the 9.5K investors backing Indian startups, 53.9% or about 5.1K were angels. Clearly, the interest of angel investors in taking calculated risks to nurture innovation, back founders, and grow the ecosystem and economy is at an all-time high.   

The influx of new angels, accredited or otherwise, is hardly surprising as India boasts a robust startup ecosystem, home to more than 84K businesses. The government, too, has recognised the ecosystem as one of the biggest pillars of the country’s digital economy. 

In fact, angel investing has attracted almost everyone – from celebrated founders of startups and mainstream businesses to high net-worth individuals (HNIs) and professionals across industry segments, from sportspersons to Bollywood celebrities. The chance to pursue one’s passion by mentoring a startup of ‘choice’ is another powerful magnate that draws people.

Of course, there is an element of risk involved, as all startups do not generate estimated returns. But investing in young companies can be immensely rewarding if new or aspiring investors come in with extensive industry knowledge, an excellent network to find potential deals and the expertise to evaluate new initiatives, conduct due diligence and build a startup portfolio that will generate good yields.

Announcing The Second Edition Of AngelX

If this sounds like a tall order and you may miss the opportunity to invest in this asset class, help is at hand. We at Inc42 are back with AngelX 2.0 – Master The Art Of Angel Investing to give India its next breed of angel investors. This year’s cohort-based, weekend-only programme, led by the top angels from the Indian startup ecosystem, will kick off on April 8.  

Launched in 2022, the AngelX delves deep into all relevant topics and holds interactive sessions to bridge the knowledge gap, provide actionable insights and enable you to reach new heights. The idea is to help HNIs, family offices and new and upcoming angel investors learn the art of investing from the country’s most successful angels.

AngelX 1.0 saw the participation of 58 HNIs, while India’s top 25 angel investors conducted 20 live sessions (virtual) in a three-week span. The speaker-mentor lineup included the likes of Sanjay Mehta, founder-partner at 100X.VC; Pallav Nadhani, an angel investor and managing partner at Seeders Venture Capital; Ritesh Malik, founder, Innov8 and Sanjeev Bikhchandani, founder & executive vice-chairman of Info Edge.

We are excited to bring you a more power-packed second season, ensuring a better understanding of how to leverage market conditions and invest it right. Begin your journey today to become part of India’s angel boom and impact early-stage startup funding.   

What AngelX 2.0 Brings To The Table

During the virtual programme, spread over three weeks, participants will learn about the dynamics of the angel investing ecosystem and gain practical insights under the mentorship of the top 25 angel investors in India (the list will be out soon). We will host more than 15 curriculum-based live sessions spread across three weeks.

The interactive sessions will feature in-depth masterclasses, candid fireside chats and powerful panel discussions. Plus, there will be a no-holds-barred conversation between an angel investor and one of his portfolio founders, throwing light on what it takes to build a meaningful investor-startup relationship. 

The programme will go beyond the fundamentals and explore every aspect of angel investing, including existing opportunities, portfolio building based on a sound investment thesis, effective networking for deal sourcing, the science of startup screening/assessment and everything in-between that can make or break a deal negotiation, execution or a successful exit.

One can also access our pre-built material on best pitch decks, due diligence checklists, cheat sheets for deal negotiations and more, besides recordings of live sessions and Inc42 research reports on the health of the Indian startup ecosystem. 

How AngelX 2.0 Will Level Up Your Angel Investing Game

A lot of people think startups are a risky asset class. But for me, it is not so. It is the only asset class where I can influence the outcome [to some extent] as an angel investor. If I buy shares, I can’t move them up or down. It is the same with real estate, gold, or anything else,” said Sanjay Mehta, founder-partner at 100X.VC and a speaker at last year’s edition.

For context, Mehta has invested in more than 250 startups, with four becoming unicorns and many others entering the soonicorn league. He earned a 280x return on his investment in OYO, while LogiNext gave him a 16x exit.     

New investors can also thrive in the early-stage entrepreneurship space if they have a thorough understanding of the ecosystem and can identify promising but less-explored niches. “Think of the climate change startups and their current potential compared to what it was a few years ago,” said an MNC executive and aspiring angel who did not want to be named. 

“Similarly, newcomers and angel hopefuls are now looking at all sorts of impact investing for a sustainable and profitable future. However, they require proper guidance if angel investing has to break free of the clubby venture capital model and become more inclusive,” he added.

The second edition of AngelX aims to accomplish just that, as the programme is open to a diverse community – from new and potential investors keen to expand their portfolios through angel investing to entrepreneurs and ecosystem players who want to wear all the hats. The programme will provide practical insights to help maximise returns while avoiding risky investments. You will also network and learn within a curated community of HNIs from different walks of life, exchanging ideas and perspectives on investing theses. 

Finally, there will be an opportunity to invest ‘live’ on Convocation Day. Inc42 will invite innovative startups to pitch their businesses to AngelX Fellows (YOU) during this physical networking evening. This will be the zero hour to put into practice your learnings and insights and assess the companies before backing them. Ask relevant questions and make informed decisions. If you have never invested before, this can be the first step towards building your portfolio.

The next decade will witness an influx of founders in the formal startup ecosystem. Therefore, platforms like AngelX are needed to empower new investors who can help next-generation entrepreneurs. It is a platform that teaches angel investing in a peer-driven setup and nurtures a win-win approach,” summed up Ritesh Malik, an angel Investor and a star speaker at the previous edition.

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