Mount Judi

Before you pitch

• Mount Judi is a venture investor and takes equity. It is not a grant or an incubator, and it publishes no application window.
• The Micro Fund page says Seed and Pre-Series A. The Apply page describes businesses with at least 2 years of track record, past seed or angel funding, and at Pre-Series A or Series A. Pitch if you sit between those.
• Check your values against its published code of ethics. It excludes alcohol, gambling and other socially exploitative businesses.

How to reach them

• Use the form on the Apply page: your name, email, a short message and your business plan as a PDF.
• The Apply page form takes one PDF file only.
• Use the general inbox on the Contact page for questions that are not a pitch.

What they say they look for

• Zealous founders who are uncompromising on ethics.
• Complete transparency on operations and financials.
• Fair and equitable terms, with investor and founder sharing the ups and downs of the business.

What to expect

• The site says only that the team will get back to you. It gives no timeline or stages.
• It says its partners take an active part in growth, governance and networks.
• Read the Funds, About and Portfolio pages before you write your note.

Mount Judi, run by Mount Judi Ventures LLP, is a Bengaluru venture capital firm that manages SEBI-registered alternative investment funds. Its site says it was started by successful entrepreneurs, and describes its approach as fair and equitable investing in ethical businesses. It is also a signatory of the UN-supported Principles of Responsible Investment.

Who Mount Judi backs

The Mount Judi India Micro Fund is a Category I venture capital fund that invests in Seed and Pre-Series A startups with strong innovation, a resilient business model and a large market. Its earlier fund, the Mount Judi India Growth Fund, launched in 2019 and had its final close in August 2022. That fund is sector-agnostic and has backed Seed, Pre-Series A and Series A rounds in Healthcare, Education, Technology, FoodTech and AI, among a few other sectors. The portfolio page lists companies such as InnAccel, 4BaseCare, Staqu, Rubick.ai, Internshala, FreshToHome, ConveGenius and Hexalog.

What the firm looks for

Its Apply page asks for zealous founders who are uncompromising on ethics and open about operations and financials. For equity deals it describes businesses that are past seed or angel funding and moving into Pre-Series A or Series A, with a track record of at least 2 years, and that want growth capital to reach new geographies, customer segments or products. The funds page describes a smaller Seed and Pre-Series A mandate, so the two pages do not line up exactly. Read them as a range and not a strict filter.

Its investing principles

The About page publishes a value system and a code of ethics. It says it avoids predominantly debt-based structures and businesses in alcohol, gambling or other socially exploitative areas. It also says it will not take an unfair liquidation preference or double dip, wants fair anti-dilution clauses, and expects founders to share complete transparency on financials and to use funds in line with the deal terms. It says it takes an active part in facilitating growth, strengthening governance and opening up its networks, and describes a hands-on, mentor-driven model.

How to pitch

This is an investor, not a programme with an application window, so there is no deadline or cohort. The Apply page has a form where you add your name, email and a message and upload your business plan as a PDF, with the line that the team will get back to you. The Contact page lists a general inbox and the Bengaluru offices for other questions. The site does not say how long a reply takes.

Reading its content

The blog carries news about portfolio companies and their rounds, which shows the kind of company the firm has backed. The Team page lists its general partners, executive team, advisory board and investment committee.