What made raising early venture capital so exceptionally difficult for Ather in 2014?
Co-Founder & CEO at Ather Energy
In 2014, institutional venture capitalists in India were focused entirely on asset-light consumer internet startups and refused to back capital-intensive automotive hardware. It took eighty investor pitches to secure our first angel investment of twenty-five lakh rupees, followed by eighty more meetings to raise our subsequent round. Our cap table was built on angel backers, strategic investors, and late-stage sovereign wealth funds rather than traditional venture capital.
This answer is part of a full interview with Tarun Mehta, Co-Founder & CEO at Ather Energy.
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