Antler India
Antler India is the Bengaluru-based India arm of global inception-stage VC firm Antler, backing pre-launch and early-stage AI-first and tech founders via a 3-week AI Residency (INR 4 Cr for 11% equity) plus Before Day Zero community, with up to $30M follow-on capital through Antler Elevate.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBangalore, India
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Antler India does
Antler India is the Bengaluru-based India arm of global inception-stage venture capital firm Antler, founded globally in 2018 and operating across 24+ offices with 1,800+ portfolio companies and 12,000+ founders supported. The firm runs two core programmes in India: a 3-week AI Residency Track (INR 4 Cr / ~$470K for 11% equity, $1M in AI-relevant perks, up to $4M in total perks, decision in 3 weeks, 50-75% investment rate) and a General Residency Track for sector-agnostic teams, both supplemented by an invite-only Before Day Zero pre-launch community (beforedayzero.in) for solo founders 3-6 months before starting up. The AI Residency is explicitly powered by Hancock Prospecting, the Australian mining and investment group, and Antler India also draws on Antler Elevate - a US$280M global growth-stage fund providing Series A-C follow-on (up to $25M per company) - plus a network of follow-on co-investors including PeakXV, Kalaari Capital, Chiratae Ventures, General Catalyst, DeVC and Alteria Capital.
The technology platform is centred on an AI-guided application portal, intensive in-person Bengaluru residencies, co-founder matching, weekly General Partner office hours, and integration with the global Antler network (Singapore, US, Japan, Korea, Australia, MENAP, etc.). Portfolio companies additionally gain GPU compute credits, AI tooling perks and structured mentorship from operators-turned-investors. Recent portfolio raises include Navana.ai (Rs 7 Cr pre-Series A, led by Antler India), Redacto (Rs 12 Cr seed, co-led with PeerCapital), Inamo ($8M Series A) and DUSQ (Rs 24 Cr seed).
The business model is venture capital fund returns: Antler India invests equity (typically 11%) into early-stage Indian startups and generates returns through capital gains on exits, IPOs and follow-on rounds, supplemented by management fees on regional vehicles. Customer segments are pre-launch, pre-product and pre-revenue AI-first founders (primary), sector-agnostic exceptional teams (General Residency), and aspiring solo founders in the Before Day Zero community, with the newer Embark 3 cohort (first batch May 2026) targeting Indian AI startups expanding into the US. Distribution is founder-first via direct application, partner-led selection and cross-referrals from the global Antler network, with no third-party channel.
Antler India firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Antler India
- Legal name
- Antler
- Website
- https://antler.co
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Antler India is the Bengaluru-based India arm of global inception-stage VC firm Antler, backing pre-launch and early-stage AI-first and tech founders via a 3-week AI Residency (INR 4 Cr for 11% equity) plus Before Day Zero community, with up to $30M follow-on capital through Antler Elevate.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Antler India industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Early-Stage Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)
Keywords
Where Antler India is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bangalore
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices1 record
Markets served
Antler India business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Fund Returns: Antler India invests equity (typically ~11% for INR 4Cr / ~$470K at AI Residency) into early-stage Indian startups, generating returns through capital gains on exits, IPOs and follow-on rounds; supplemented by global Antler Elevate follow-on capital up to Series C.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | AI Residency standard cheque: INR 4 Cr (~$470K) for 11% equity, plus potential $30M in follow-on capital. |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Founder support grant: one-time INR 2L grant to cover Bengaluru residency expenses. |
| Other | Multi-year contract | General Residency Track: venture-scale investment with global platform access for non-AI-first exceptional teams. |
Go-to-market motion6 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels9 records
Antler India product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Antler India is the Bengaluru-based India arm of global inception-stage venture capital firm Antler. It invests the first institutional cheque into pre-launch, pre-product, or pre-revenue Indian founders through a 3-week in-person AI Residency (INR 4 Cr / ~USD 470K for 11% equity) and a sector-agnostic General Residency Track, complemented by the Before Day Zero pre-launch community, the Embark US-market expansion programme, and follow-on capital from the global Antler Elevate growth fund. Decision timelines are 3 weeks, with $1M in AI-relevant perks, up to $4M in total perks, and up to $30M in potential follow-on capital per startup.
Product overview
Antler India is the India arm of Antler, a global inception-stage venture capital firm. Its offering is not a single software product but a platform of programmes and capital products: the AI Residency Track and General Residency Track (the two core residency programmes funding early-stage Indian founders from day zero with cheque sizes around INR 4 crore for 11% equity), the Before Day Zero pre-launch community, the Embark 3 market-expansion programme for Indian AI startups entering the US, the Antler Elevate growth-stage fund (Series A-C, US$280M globally), and the broader Antler India portfolio of 100+ invested companies. Together these programmes combine residency, mentorship, capital, and global network access to support founders from idea through to global scale.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Antler AI Residency: India-specific high-intensity AI founder program backed by Hancock Prospecting, offering INR 4 Cr (~US$470K) for 11% equity with a 3-week investment decision.
- Before Day Zero
- Antler India Embark
Products and services
- Antler India AI Residency A 3-week high-intensity AI-focused residency in Bangalore providing funding of up to INR 4 crore (~USD 470K) for 11% equity, $1M in AI-relevant perks (up to $4M total perks), with potential $30M in follow-on capital and a funding decision in 3 weeks. Targets AI-first founders building category-defining AI companies from India.
- Antler India General Residency Track Residency for exceptional founding teams building defining companies across sectors (Bharat, consumer, fintech, enterprise), offering venture-scale capital, deep sector expertise, and access to Antler's global 24+ office platform for scaling. Terms aligned to the AI Residency structure (equity investment for capital, perks, mentorship).
- Before Day Zero Community Invite-only community for India's top talent preparing to launch their next venture (3-6 months out), supporting solo founders seeking co-founders, with curated events, small group discussions, and early-stage resources; serves as a top-of-funnel pipeline for the Residency.
- Antler India Embark (Embark 3) Market expansion programme supporting Indian AI startups to enter the US market, providing investment, mentorship, and access to Silicon Valley networks (first cohort May 2026). Targeted at already-backed Indian AI founders seeking cross-border GTM support.
- Antler Elevate (global growth-stage fund) Global emerging growth fund providing scale-up capital from Series A onwards; a USD 280M fund designed to back Antler businesses from Series A–C with average cheque sizes of USD 3–10M, accessible to Antler India portfolio companies for follow-on and global expansion.
Quantifiable outcome
- INR 4 Cr (~$470K) upfront cheque per AI Residency startup for 11% equity
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Antler India
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Antler India technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
Feature3 records
Antler India partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.
- Antler Elevate (global growth fund)flagshipInternal global growth fund providing follow-on capital from Series A to C (up to $25M per company) to Antler India portfolio companies, supporting their global expansion.
- Silicon Valley ecosystem partners (Embark 3)coreAntler India's Embark 3 programme (first cohort May 2026) provides Indian AI founders with mentorship and access to Silicon Valley networks for US market entry.
Scale indicators16 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Antler India competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India): India's leading venture capital firm with multi-stage funds; competes directly for Indian AI and SaaS founders and is listed as an Antler India follow-on co-investor. Most directly comparable peer by stage breadth and India focus.
- Kalaari Capital: Early-stage India-focused VC investing in AI, SaaS, consumer and deep tech; listed as a co-investor alongside Antler India and competes for the same pre-seed/seed AI founder pool in Bengaluru.
- Chiratae Ventures: India-focused early-to-growth VC across consumer, enterprise and deep tech; a listed Antler India co-investor and direct competitor in the Indian seed/Series A market.
- Blume Ventures: India-focused early-stage VC with strong AI/SaaS thesis; competes head-to-head for Indian pre-seed and seed founders and was a co-investor in Habbit (exited to Alippo, a team founded by an Antler India team member).
Broad incumbents
- Accel India: Global VC with deep India franchise investing across stages including seed; broader portfolio but competes for the same Indian AI and SaaS founders and has similar early-stage programmes.
- Lightspeed India Partners: Global VC's India arm investing across consumer, enterprise and fintech at multiple stages; broader portfolio than Antler India but overlapping deal universe and founder pool.
- Y Combinator: Global pre-seed accelerator/VC with comparable batch-driven, community-led model and 3-month decision cadence; competes with Antler for the most ambitious Indian AI founders.
- General Catalyst: Global multi-stage VC; listed as an Antler India co-investor and increasingly active in Indian AI and enterprise software at seed/Series A.
Emerging players
- 500 Global (500 Startups): Global early-stage VC and accelerator operating batch programmes in multiple geographies including India; comparable cohort-driven, community-led deal sourcing model.
Regional players
- Aavishkaar Capital: India-focused early/growth-stage investor with broader sector remit including Bharat/consumer; overlaps with Antler India's Bharat-focused residency thesis but historically more impact-oriented.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Antler India social profiles
Digital presenceAntler India financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Antler India leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Antler India subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries7 records
Antler India funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Antler India M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments41 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Antler India
What does Antler India do?
Antler India is the Bengaluru-based India arm of global inception-stage venture capital firm Antler. It invests the first institutional cheque into pre-launch, pre-product, or pre-revenue Indian founders through a 3-week in-person AI Residency (INR 4 Cr / ~USD 470K for 11% equity) and a sector-agnostic General Residency Track, complemented by the Before Day Zero pre-launch community, the Embark US-market expansion programme, and follow-on capital from the global Antler Elevate growth fund. Decision timelines are 3 weeks, with $1M in AI-relevant perks, up to $4M in total perks, and up to $30M in potential follow-on capital per startup.
Is Antler India a public or private company?
Antler India is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Antler India founded?
Antler India was founded in 2018. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Antler India based?
Antler India is headquartered in Bangalore, India, in the Asia region.
How does Antler India make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Fund Returns.
Who are Antler India's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia Capital India), Kalaari Capital, Chiratae Ventures and Blume Ventures. Broad incumbents are Accel India, Lightspeed India Partners, Y Combinator and General Catalyst. 500 Global (500 Startups) is listed as an emerging player. Aavishkaar Capital is listed as a regional player.
Does Antler India have an API?
No public API is recorded for Antler India.
What industry is Antler India in?
Antler India's product category is Early-Stage Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAM, Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.