Chandigarh Angels Network

Is this the right route for you?

• You want investment, not a grant. CAN is a group of angel investors. Funding comes as an investment, so expect to talk about valuation, the round type and the stake you will give up.
• You are past the idea. The form asks for traction, customers, financials and a cap table. If you have no product or revenue yet, an incubator is a better first step.
• You can travel to Chandigarh. Shortlisted founders must pitch in person at the monthly session in the tricity region.

How to apply

• Use the Apply for Funding button on the Entrepreneurs page. It opens a seven-step form.
• Or email your investor deck to the startups inbox at chandigarhangelsnetwork.com.
• The form has seven steps: venture details, team, product, market and traction, financial metrics, funding details and documents.
• Keep your pitch deck, management accounts, cap table and financial projection ready before you start.

What to put in your deck

• Problem statement, solution and value proposition.
• Traction, with proof.
• Product stage.
• Amount of funding needed and how you will use it.
• Projection plan and team details.

How selection works

• The secretariat reviews your application first and usually replies within 2-4 weeks.
• Shortlisted founders pitch at a monthly session, then meet interested investors separately.
• Due diligence starts only if both sides agree to go ahead.

What reviewers look for

• Team capability and background, and previous startup experience.
• Traction and product validation, with evidence.
• Market size, competition and go-to-market plan.
• Founders who have put in their own money and effort.

Before you send anything

CAN does not sign NDAs with presenters. It says your plans are shared only with its network members, so keep sensitive technical detail out of the first deck if that worries you.

Chandigarh Angels Network, usually called CAN, is an angel investor group based in Chandigarh. Its members are entrepreneurs, business leaders and professionals who invest in early-stage startups, and the network says it has been doing this since 2015. Founders apply online, pitch to the angels at a monthly session, and, if the investors want to proceed, move to due diligence and a term sheet.

What CAN is

CAN is an investor network, not an incubator or a grant body. It brings together accomplished entrepreneurs, seasoned operators and angel investors who back early-stage startups with their own capital. Its site describes three roles: investment and funding at seed and early stage, mentorship and guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts, and regular pitch sessions where startups can present to the members. Because it invests in return for a stake, treat it as a fundraising route, not free money.

How the funding process works

CAN lays out four stages. The first is prescreening and application, where the screening committee reads your application and focuses on the business model and market potential. The second is an investor presentation, where selected startups pitch to a curated panel of experienced angel investors and venture capitalists. The third is a deep dive and due diligence on financials, operations, team strength and growth. The fourth is term sheet negotiation and deal closure, followed by investment and onboarding.

In its FAQ, CAN says its secretariat reviews each application and that this typically takes 2-4 weeks before you hear whether it will take things further. Pitch sessions are held once a month in the Chandigarh tricity region, and a shortlisted founder has to be there in person. After the pitch, interested investors meet you separately and question you in more depth. If both sides want to go ahead, CAN carries out due diligence on your business.

Who can apply

No page sets a hard rule on location, sector or incorporation. In practice the application form is built for a running venture. It asks for your stage (pre-revenue, revenue generating or profitable), your product stage (MVP, beta or live), your incorporation date, your team and key hires, customer numbers and unit economics, your funding round and use of funds, and it asks you to upload a pitch deck, management accounts, a cap table and a financial projection. The management accounts and the financial projection are marked required. The round types offered on the form are CCPS, SAFE and equity.

CAN says the following things excite it about a startup: product-market fit, validation through traction, market size and scalability, and founders with skin in the game. Its FAQ adds team capability and background, proof of traction, product stage and validation, competition analysis, go-to-market strategy, a projection plan, funding needs, use of funds and previous startup experience.

Sectors and portfolio

The homepage breaks its portfolio into Consumer and D2C, SaaS, FinTech, HealthTech, EdTech, Travel and Tourism, Deep Tech and GameTech. Its Companies We've Backed grid shows 35 startups, mostly tagged seed, with four also tagged pre-Series A. Consumer and D2C brands are the largest group, followed by SaaS. Names on the grid include Heizen, Ariro Toys, Sust Vest, NymbleUp, Dorje Teas, NoTo, Expertrons, GoStops and Biryani By Kilo. The homepage counters report 45+ startups funded, 7+ successful exits, 5K+ jobs created and 100+ angel investors. These are the network's own undated figures, and the grid shows fewer startups than the counter does.

Confidentiality

CAN says it does not sign non-disclosure agreements with presenters, but that your presentation is shared only with its network members. Decide what you are comfortable sharing before you apply.

Joining as an investor

The same site has a Become a member page for people who want to invest. It is aimed at successful entrepreneurs and founders, angel investors and HNIs, senior professionals and business leaders, and CXOs and domain experts interested in startup investing. If you are a founder, you do not need this page.

Location and contact

CAN's office is at Magnet Cowork, 4th Floor, Godrej Eternia, Wing A, Plot No. 70, Industrial Area Phase I, Chandigarh 160002. The office is in a coworking space run by someone else, so CAN does not offer desks to startups. For applications you can write to startups@chandigarhangelsnetwork.com or call the number on its contact page.