Keiretsu Forum India (Bangalore & Delhi-NCR)

Check you fit before you apply

• You should have revenue already. The Forum prioritises pre-Series A companies with existing revenues.
• If you are pre-revenue, you need a seed round raised, an MVP built and a clear path to profitability within 6-12 months.
• The Forum is sector-agnostic, so fit depends on traction and the team, not your sector.

How to apply

• Email your pitch deck and executive summary, with financial figures and projections, to Pitch@keiretsuforum.in.
• Expect a pre-screening call, then a deal screening session of 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Ask about the platform fee during pre-screening. It is payable only if you are selected, and the amount is not on the site.
• Audited financials for the previous year may be requested.

Prepare for the pitch

• Build a 10-minute presentation plus 10 minutes of questions.
• Be ready for investors to discuss your company among themselves after you leave the room.
• Show the problem, paying customers, recurring revenue, margins, market size, competitive edge and exit options.
• Remember only three companies present per monthly meeting, and typically 1 to 2 of those draw investor interest, so apply with realistic expectations.

Keiretsu Forum India is the Bangalore and Delhi-NCR arm of the global Keiretsu Forum angel investor community. It is a group of C-suite executives, business owners, family offices and micro-VCs who invest directly in startups. This page covers the Bangalore and Delhi-NCR chapters, which together say they have 250+ investors.

What it is and what it is not

Keiretsu Forum is a network, not a fund. It says it does not recommend deals or invest as a fund. Members decide for themselves and invest individually and directly in the companies they back. The Forum helps with deal discovery and with checking a company out before anyone writes a cheque. Its investors work on due diligence together, and that usually takes 1-3 weeks depending on the venture.

Who should pitch

The Forum focuses on pre-Series A companies that already have revenue and want growth capital to reach a Series A round. These are usually bootstrapped companies or ones that raised a seed round from friends, family or early investors. It does not act as an incubator and does not prioritise pre-revenue companies. The stated exception is a company that has already raised a seed round, built an MVP and can show a clear path to profitability within the next 6-12 months.

The Forum is sector-agnostic. Its members invest across emerging technologies, healthcare and life sciences, clean technology, consumer goods, aerospace, food tech and real estate. The portfolio page lists 65 ventures funded, spanning AI, consumer brands, fintech, ecommerce, healthcare, edtech, EV, food and beverage, logistics, manufacturing, robotics, SaaS and space.

How selection works

You email your pitch deck and executive summary to the pitch inbox. The steps the Forum describes are these.

First, a pre-screening call with the Keiretsu team to discuss terms, where you sign the application document. Then a deal screening session of 45 minutes to 1 hour. Typically 5 to 7 companies present at screening, 3 are chosen for the full Forum meeting, and 1 to 2 of those draw investment traction from members. The Forum replies within 3-5 working days of screening.

If you are selected, you pay a platform fee and work with the Keiretsu team to shape a 10-minute presentation. The amount of the fee is not stated on the site, so ask during pre-screening. Only three companies pitch at each monthly meeting, held virtually. You get a 10-minute presentation, a 10-minute Q&A and then investors talk among themselves while you wait in a separate room. Interested investors then hold a deep-dive call, and the Forum aims to close the round within a month of the pitch.

What investors look for

The Forum lists a real problem with a clear solution customers will pay for, recurring revenue, reasonable operating margins, a large market, a lasting competitive edge, an experienced team, a clear path to profitability and credible exit options. It typically looks for companies that have begun to show market traction.

For investors

Membership is open to active private equity investors, CXO-level or former CXO executives, family offices and business ventures. The Forum says members pay no entry, exit or carry charges, and there is no minimum investment per year. Anyone interested can attend a meeting as a guest first. An investor who does invest has a minimum ticket size set by the chapter.

Chapters and contact

The Bangalore and Delhi-NCR chapters sit within 53 chapters across 3 continents. The website does not give a postal address. Startups send decks to the pitch inbox on the Forum's own domain.