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The Math for Start Up Funding in India: Accelerators vs Angels vs VCs

Mukund Mohan of Microsoft Ventures has a numbers-based post on the probability of funding and the equity dilutions Indian entrepreneurs face depending on whether they go to an Accelerator first versus VCs and Angel Investors.
The first scenario for you, the entrepreneur, is to get funded directly by a VC. The chances of that happening in India are low – 1.4%. The other challenge is that those companies got relatively poor valuations (average about $1.4 Million pre money). Only 19 out of 1300 entities got funded last year to raise their series A through a VC directly. In this case you will possibly dilute 30-40% and still own >60% of the company. I have used 30% dilution in the chart below.

The second scenario is to get angel funding and then in 18 months get VC funding. The chances are better that you might go through this scenario (2X more – 43 companies got angel funded last year), and then venture funding. You will end up owning 56% of your company (by giving about 20% to the angel investors). The valuation challenge persists with angel investors as well, with the average valuation being less than $1 Million.

The third scenario is to get into an accelerator. The chances are twice as much (nearly 9%), but give up 6%, then get angel funding and finally a venture investment. You will end up owning 52% of the company now compared to 56% in the previous scenario. The 4% should get you a better valuation and it does for last year’s data (Average valuation was $2.3), nearly 60% higher.

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