Dholakia Ventures

Before you pitch

• Check your round: the fund says it invests from pre-seed to Series A and mostly co-invests, so it works best when another investor is already in or being lined up.
• Read the portfolio page so you can say how your company fits alongside names such as Agnikul, Dhiwise and Zypp.
• The fund is sector agnostic, but it says it favours teams with deep domain expertise.

How to apply

• Use the Pitch to us form on the fund's website. It asks for a pitch deck, so have one ready.
• Pick the company stage honestly: pre-revenue, early traction or growth stage.
• Or write to the pitch inbox with a short note and your deck.

What to expect

• The fund says it moves to a decision fast, but it publishes no timetable or fixed intake window.
• The syndicate is for investors who want to co-invest, not a route for founders to raise money.

Dholakia Ventures is an early-stage venture fund based in Surat, Gujarat. Launched in 2020, it invests primarily in pre-seed to Series A startups across sectors, and backs companies with Indian founders or an active Indian market. It sits within the wider Dholakia group, which also runs businesses in jewellery, design, technology and aviation services alongside social entities.

Who it backs

The fund calls itself sector agnostic, with a stated commitment to what it describes as socially fit sectors. Its portfolio page lists companies in space, IT, electric vehicles, e-commerce, fintech and delivery, including Agnikul in Chennai, Dhiwise in Surat, Matter Motors in Ahmedabad, Melorra, Pocketly and StockGro in Bengaluru, and Zypp in Gurgaon. The home page counts 68 portfolio companies and a founders community of 123.

How it invests

Dholakia Ventures says it wants to be a founder's first commitment and that it invests alongside other investors rather than with sharp elbows. It usually does not lead rounds and generally co-invests. It also reserves capital to follow on as a company scales. It promises a quick decision, and describes its role as an operating partner that gives unbiased advice and draws on the group's business network.

Its stated values are discovery, early stage, independence, tech-savvy teams with deep domain expertise, sustainable compounding of capital, and active involvement with the companies it backs.

Syndicate

Alongside the main fund, it runs a syndicate: a venture club of founders, operators, angels and VCs who can make small-ticket investments deal by deal alongside the fund. The syndicate page says the team reviews 1500 companies every year, that 300 go through due diligence and that 15 get invested. This part of the site is aimed at investors, not at founders raising money.

How to pitch

The site has a Pitch to us page with a form. You give the startup name, sector, company stage (pre-revenue, early traction or growth stage), your contact details, the round stage, a short description of the startup and a pitch deck. You can also write to the pitch inbox on the fund's own domain. The site does not publish a fixed intake window or a selection timetable, so treat it as a rolling conversation rather than a call with a deadline.

Team and location

The team page says the hub is in Surat while a lean team scouts across the country, meeting hundreds of founders every week. It lists a founder, a partner and four members of the investment team. The address listed on the site is in the Gem and Jewellery Park at Ichchhapor, Surat. The site also has careers and events pages.