Upsparks Capital

Fit check first

• Stage: pre-seed or seed. It does not invest in follow-up rounds.
• India link: at least one co-founder with a strong connection to India, or a team based here.
• Sectors: DeepTech, B2B Tech, Fintech and AI are the named focus; it also describes backing software, SaaS and Web3 companies.

How to pitch

• Send the deck through the pitch form linked from its Our Approach page. No warm introduction is needed, and it promises a view within a week.
• Expect a challenge in the first chat. It says the conversation is pleasant but will probe the qualities it looks for in founders: passion for what you are building and founder-market fit.
• Prepare for the partner pitch. Your deck goes first, then questions. You can pitch online or at its Bangalore office.
• Have a data room ready. It asks for a product roadmap, a financial model, a cap table and customer evidence.

General enquiries

Write to hello@upsparks.vc for anything that is not a pitch. For a pitch, use the form on its Our Approach page.

Upsparks Capital is a micro venture capital firm in Bangalore, formed in 2020 by people who have been founders themselves. Its team co-founded a CPaaS company called Solutions Infini in 2009, and it says it brings that operating experience into the earliest stage of a startup. The firm describes itself as a concentrated portfolio of early-stage founders that it works with closely.

Who it backs

Upsparks invests at the pre-seed and seed stage. It says it aims to come in before a company reaches product-market fit or revenue, and that it has backed pre-product and pre-revenue companies, judging the founder's clarity, vision and energy. It does not invest in follow-up rounds, though it will introduce you to other VC funds in its network for those.

The sectors it names on its About page are DeepTech, B2B Tech, Fintech and AI. Its FAQ describes the firm as a flexible investor, from software to space, with multiple investments in FinTech, SaaS, DeepTech and Web3. Founders need a strong connection to India, but they do not have to be based here: a co-founder who is Indian, or time spent in India, can count.

How the process works

The firm publishes a seven-step process. You share a pitch deck through its form, and no warm introduction is required. It says it will tell you what it thinks within a week. An analyst or investment team member then has an initial chat with you, and expect to be challenged on a few points. Your deck is discussed with the partners, then you pitch them, online or in person at its office, deck first and questions after. The partners then decide. If it is not going to invest, it says it will tell you as soon as possible and give you the main reasons.

For due diligence it asks to see your product roadmap, a financial model that supports your strategy, a cap table with existing investors, and evidence from customers, prior investors and other stakeholders. If you want it, the firm can also connect you with investors who have co-invested with it before. After documentation, onboarding starts, with advice on hiring, go-to-market, operations and PR, and a community of other founders.

What to know before you pitch

Upsparks publishes no application window, deadline or fixed cohort. It is an investor, so the relationship is equity investment rather than a grant or a programme. It does not publish a portfolio list as text on its portfolio page, and its site lists three partners on the team page. Its office is at a WeWork in Koramangala, Bangalore.