Pre-seed is the earliest startup funding stage—typically ₹50L-₹2 crore raised from angels, friends/family, or micro-VCs to build MVP and validate idea before Seed round.
Pre-seed happens before Seed (hence "pre"). At this stage: Usually just idea + MVP, maybe early users but no revenue. Raised from: Friends/family (₹10L-₹50L), Angel investors (₹50L-₹1.5 crore), Incubators/accelerators (Y Combinator, Sequoia Surge give ₹30L-₹1 crore), Micro-VCs (₹1-2 crore). Valuation: ₹5-30 crore pre-money typically. Dilution: 10-20% equity given. Use of funds: Build MVP, hire 1-2 key people, validate problem-solution fit, get first 100 users. Timeline: 6-12 months runway. Goal: Reach metrics for Seed round (10K users or ₹5L MRR or strong growth). Pre-seed deck: Problem, solution, team, early traction (any signal), market size, ask amount. Many successful startups didn't raise pre-seed (bootstrapped to Seed). Others raised multiple pre-seed rounds (not ideal—sign of lack of progress). Indian ecosystem: Pre-seed becoming common (wasn't a thing before 2018). Accelerators like Surge, Amplify, Antler formalized it.
Founders raised ₹50L from angels at ₹3 crore valuation (15% dilution). Used 6 months to build MVP, get 1,000 users, ₹1L MRR. Raised ₹3 crore Seed at ₹20 crore valuation.
Founders bootstrapped with ₹5L savings for 8 months, reached ₹3L MRR. Raised Seed at ₹30 crore (higher valuation because had revenue)—saved dilution.
Raised ₹50L pre-seed, made no progress. Raised another ₹30L "bridge" 8 months later. Red flag—VCs avoided Seed round (cap table messy, no progress signal).
Pre-seed gives runway to validate before big Seed round. Risk: Taking pre-seed at low valuation causes excessive dilution. If you can bootstrap to revenue (even ₹1L MRR), you'll raise Seed at 3-5x higher valuation.
Bootstrap if: You can reach Seed-worthy metrics (₹5L MRR or 10K users) in 6-9 months with savings. Raise pre-seed if: Need capital for MVP, hiring, or market validation.
₹50L-₹2 crore typical in India. Enough for 9-12 months runway to reach Seed metrics. Don't raise more than needed (avoid dilution). Don't raise less (risk running out before Seed).
₹5-15 crore for idea-stage. ₹15-30 crore with MVP + early users. Higher if team has track record (repeat founders, ex-FAANG). India valuations typically 3-5x lower than US.
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