From pitch decks to raising funds: Start Insights is putting founders at ease
Summary
It acts similar to an individuals resume and makes a crucial document for venture capitalists to understand the company before they loosen their purse strings.While anyone can create a pitch deck, only the interesting ones catch the eyes of investors. Especially for early-stage startups, the document is essential as they set out to raise funds.Helping them in this endeavour is Salem, Tamil Nadu-based Start Insights, founded in 2021 by Premananth S and Sowmiya Chandrasekaran.The Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform works with early-stage startup founders in the process of finding, approaching, and pitching an investor. We provide the necessary expertise to make this process easier for early-stage founders, says Premananth.In one year since its inception, Start Insights has delivered over 40 pitch decks and has helped six startups successfully raise their pre-seed and seed funding rounds worth $1.2 million. Besides, Start Insights generates its revenue from its products, including Pitch Craft, Pitch Do, and Start X.Its cohort service offers a 90-day programme designed to help early-stage startups grow and succeed through mentorship, networking opportunities, and personalised guidanceright from idea validation to fundraising guidance.Hailing from Salem, a Tier II city in Tamil Nadu, Premananth had struggled with exposure and growth. To build the deck, the Salem-based company helps the startup with market research, writes and designs an impressive pitch deck, and constructs the financial projections for the startup.Post this, the company helps the founder with raising funds, particularly with quoting of valuation, dilution of equity, and more.Start Insights has two more products under developmentPitch Do, an automated tool that writes the pitch deck, and Start X, an 18-week Impulsive Scale-Up Programme.The company competes with Marquee Equity and Slidebean in this space.On how the company has helped startups raise funding, Premananth says, There is a significant increase in inquiries from established angel investors, aspiring angel investors, family offices, and venture capital firms as we have a strong network, along with a successful track record.At present, Start Insights is working to onboard several new partners to help its clients get investments.By connecting with these investors and leveraging our existing relationships with industry experts and mentors, we can provide our clients with the best possible funding opportunities, he adds.According to Bain & Co, the Indian SaaS industry is expected to touch an annual recurring revenue of about $35 billion in 2027 from about $13 billion in 2022.In January 2023, Start Insights raised Rs 52 lakh in a pre-seed funding round led by angel investors from Ex-Microsoft, Ex-GE Digital, and others.As for future plans, Start Insights has two major things on its bucket list.First, making angel investments easily accessible and making the process entirely digitally driven through its SaaS platform.