Nativelead

Check you fit first

• Your company should be less than 5 years from launch and should not have taken Angel or VC funding.
• Check the billing limit on the startup eligibility page before you apply.
• Founders from Tamil Nadu and its small towns are the natural fit.

How applying works

• Start with the free evaluation through the Submit Now form.
• After the evaluation you decide how deeply to engage with the platform.

Before you pitch

• Expect questions on your business model; one founder says members asked deep, insightful questions.
• Say which chapter city you are closest to.
• Ask about timing, because the site does not publish pitch dates.

Nativelead is a platform based in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, that connects established natives of small towns with aspiring entrepreneurs from the same region. Its angel arm is the Nativelead Angels Network, which the site calls the driving engine of the platform. Chapters are listed in Chennai, Madurai, Coimbatore, Trichy, Erode, Karur and Tuticorin.

Who the investors are

The Nativelead Angels Network is made up of high net-worth individuals who invest their own money in start-up companies in exchange for an equity share. The site says they also add value through advice, industry connections and mentoring. The idea behind the network is that people who grew up in a small town put their expertise, contacts, time and money into founders from that same place. Investors are encouraged to build and scale startups from their own native place. The group says that for each investment it assigns a Lead Investor, or forms a consortium of Lead Investors, who keep monitoring the progress of the investee startup.

What founders should expect

Nativelead describes four stages of work: enabling small business owners to think in terms of innovative and scalable models, nurturing founders through coaching on business model and personality, incubating startups as they build products and gain market traction, and investing, which means giving startups a platform to pitch to investors and helping them scale after a raise. It says it wants to help founders access investments, technology, markets, mentors, incubators and accelerators, media and government, and large corporates.

Past investee companies named on the site include Uzhavarbumi, Biota, Mivipro, Native Special and Carbon Masters, across agritech, biotech, e-commerce and renewable energy. The site records Uzhavarbumi as a first exit: it left the Nativelead foundation when it raised from Anicut Capital. Several write-ups say rounds were raised together with Chennai angels or other networks, so a pitch can reach investors beyond Nativelead's own members.

Who can apply

The startup page says a startup qualifies if it has an innovative and scalable idea, it has been less than 5 years since launch, its overall billing is under the cap set on that page, and it has not taken any Angel or VC funding. This is a network for early companies, and it has a clear tilt to businesses from Tamil Nadu and its small towns.

How to apply

The site's steps are to apply for a free evaluation and then decide your level of engagement. The Submit Now button under Pitch your startup here leads to the application. You can also reach the Madurai admin office by phone or by post at the address listed on the contact page. The contact page does not publish a general enquiry email, so use the phone number or the form.

Things to check

The site shows both a count of six chapters and a list of seven. Its annual report download is for 2019-2020, so ask the team which chapters are active and when the next pitch session is before you plan around a date.