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SetuBridge Solutions

Seed to Series A

Startup Advisory — Seed to Series A

Government seed funds, credit guarantee for startups, angel and VC introductions — plus the pitch deck, model and data room that make an investor say yes.

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  • Up to ₹50L government seed funding
  • Pitch deck & financial model
  • DPIIT recognition included
  • Angel & VC introductions
Seed grant (PoC)
Up to ₹20L
Market entry support
Up to ₹50L
CGSS guarantee
Up to ₹10Cr
Stage covered
Idea → Series A
Typical timeline
60 – 120 days
120+
Startups funded
₹50L
Max seed support
30+
Investor connects
10 yrs
Startup validity

What Is Startup Advisory?

Most early-stage founders in India start looking for a VC when the cheapest and least dilutive money available to them is sitting in a government scheme they have not registered for. The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme alone provides up to ₹20 lakh as a grant for proof of concept, prototyping and product trials, and up to ₹50 lakh for market entry and scale-up through convertible debentures or debt — none of which requires you to give away equity at a bad valuation.

SetuBridge works both tracks. On the government side we get you DPIIT-recognised, apply to the right incubators under the Seed Fund Scheme, and use the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) where you need debt without collateral. On the private side we prepare the material investors actually read — a deck that tells a story, a model whose assumptions survive questioning, and a data room that does not collapse during diligence — and introduce you to angel networks and funds whose thesis matches your stage and sector.

We are honest about which track you belong to. If your unit economics are not ready for an institutional round, we will tell you to take grant money and revenue for another two quarters rather than burn your reputation with a premature pitch.

Funding Routes

Which of these applies depends on your stage. Most founders should exhaust the non-dilutive routes before selling equity.

  • Seed Fund — Proof of Concept

    Up to ₹20L

    Grant under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme for validating proof of concept, prototype development, product trials and market entry testing.

    • Non-dilutive grant
    • Released against milestones
    • Disbursed through a selected incubator

  • Seed Fund — Commercialisation

    Up to ₹50L

    Support for market entry, commercialisation and scaling, provided as convertible debentures, debt or debt-linked instruments.

    • Minimal early dilution
    • For startups with a working product
    • Also routed through incubators

  • CGSS venture debt

    Up to ₹10Cr

    Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups — a government guarantee that lets lenders extend credit to DPIIT-recognised startups without collateral.

    • Debt, not equity
    • No collateral required
    • DPIIT recognition mandatory

  • Angel round

    ₹25L – ₹2Cr

    Individual angels, syndicates and angel networks backing an early team with a working product and first signs of demand.

    • Fast decisions
    • Mentorship alongside money
    • Convertible notes or priced round

  • Seed round

    ₹2Cr – ₹10Cr

    Institutional seed funds and micro-VCs investing once you have repeatable revenue and a defensible early wedge in the market.

    • Priced equity round
    • Formal due diligence
    • Board seat or observer typically

  • Series A

    ₹10Cr+

    Growth capital for startups with proven unit economics and a repeatable go-to-market motion ready to be scaled with capital.

    • Proven CAC and payback
    • 12–18 months of clean metrics
    • Extensive diligence

Benefits

What you actually gain from Startup Advisory.

  1. Non-dilutive money first

    Grant and debt support under government schemes costs you no equity. Taking it before an equity round means you raise later, at a higher valuation, for a smaller share.

  2. Three years of tax exemption

    DPIIT-recognised startups can apply for 100% deduction of profits under Section 80-IAC for any three consecutive years out of the first ten — real cash retained once you turn profitable.

  3. Debt without collateral

    CGSS provides guarantee cover to lenders for loans to DPIIT-recognised startups, which is how a company with no fixed assets gets a working capital line at all.

  4. You stop wasting first meetings

    A weak deck burns an investor relationship permanently — you rarely get a second first meeting. Going in prepared is the cheapest insurance in fundraising.

Eligibility

Check where you stand before applying — we confirm all of this on the first call anyway.

Startup qualification

  • Incorporated as a private limited company, registered partnership or LLP.
  • Within 10 years of incorporation, and annual turnover has not exceeded ₹100 crore in any financial year.
  • Working on innovation, development or improvement of a product, process or service, or a scalable business model with potential for employment and wealth creation.
  • Not formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business.

For the Seed Fund Scheme

  • DPIIT-recognised, and recognition not older than 2 years at the time of application.
  • A business idea to develop a product or service with a market fit, commercialisation viability and scope for scale.
  • Using technology in the core product, service, business model, distribution or methodology.
  • Has not received more than ₹10 lakh of monetary support under any other central or state government scheme.
  • Indian promoters must hold at least 51% shareholding at the time of application.

For an angel or VC round

  • A working product with real users, or clear evidence of demand — pilots, letters of intent or a paying pipeline.
  • A clean cap table, proper incorporation and IP assigned to the company rather than to individual founders.
  • Unit economics you can explain: what it costs to acquire a customer and what that customer is worth.
  • A founding team that covers product, distribution and execution between them.
Free · 1 minute · no documents

See where you actually stand

Answer 6 questions about your business and we will tell you which schemes you are likely to qualify for — and which you are not, with the reason. It is the same check our advisors run on the first call.

  • Covers PMEGP, MUDRA, Stand-Up India and CGTMSE
  • Tells you what you will not get, and why
  • An expert reviews your answers free

How We Help You Get Startup Advisory

What we handle for you, and the order we do it in.

  • DPIIT startup recognition

    Full application for Startup India recognition — the gateway to seed funds, tax exemption, IPR benefits and public procurement relaxations.

  • Seed Fund Scheme application

    Selection of the right incubators, the SISFS application, milestone plan and the presentation to the incubator's selection committee.

  • Investor-grade pitch deck

    A 12–15 slide deck covering problem, solution, market size, traction, business model, competition, team, unit economics and the ask — written the way investors read.

  • Financial model & valuation

    A driver-based three to five year model with cohort assumptions, burn and runway, plus a defensible valuation range and cap table scenarios.

  • Data room & due diligence prep

    Incorporation papers, cap table, ESOP pool, contracts, IP assignments, compliance and financials organised so diligence takes weeks, not months.

  • Investor introductions

    Warm introductions to angel networks, syndicates, family offices and early-stage funds whose stage, sector and cheque size match what you are raising.

  1. 1

    Discovery and stage assessment

    Day 1

    We look at the product, traction, team and cap table and place you honestly on the funding ladder — grant-ready, angel-ready or institution-ready.

  2. 2

    DPIIT recognition

    7 – 15 days

    Application on the Startup India portal with the innovation write-up and supporting proof. Recognition unlocks the seed fund, tax exemption and procurement benefits.

  3. 3

    Collateral build

    10 – 20 days

    Pitch deck, financial model, valuation note and data room built together so the numbers in the deck and the numbers in the model never contradict each other.

  4. 4

    Applications and outreach

    15 – 30 days

    SISFS applications to shortlisted incubators, CGSS through partner lenders where debt fits, and a targeted investor outreach list rather than a mass mail-out.

  5. 5

    Pitching and diligence

    30 – 60 days

    Mock pitches and objection handling before the real thing, then support through the diligence questionnaire, reference calls and data requests.

  6. 6

    Term sheet to closing

    20 – 45 days

    Reading the term sheet with you clause by clause — liquidation preference, anti-dilution, board rights — then coordination through definitive agreements and the money hitting the account.

Why Choose SetuBridge

What working with us is actually like.

  • We tell you when the answer is no

    If you are not eligible, or the timing is wrong, or your credit record needs fixing first, we say so on the first call — before you have paid us anything.

  • One team, start to finish

    The same people who assess your case prepare the file and follow it up. You are not handed to a different desk after the sale, and you never re-explain your business.

  • 700+ businesses across 28 states

    We have run this process across 28 states and most sectors, so we know which departments, portals and branches move quickly and which need chasing.

  • Fees agreed in writing, upfront

    You know the cost before work starts. We never ask you to pay anything to a government official or bank employee, and no legitimate consultant will.

  • Follow-up is the actual work

    Most applications do not fail at filing — they stall at an unanswered query or a missed deadline. Chasing those to closure is the bulk of what we do for you.

  • You keep every document

    Certificates, acknowledgements, login credentials and filed copies are handed over to you. Nothing is held back to keep you dependent on us.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • Up to ₹20 lakh as a grant for validation of proof of concept, prototype development or product trials, released against milestones; and up to ₹50 lakh for market entry, commercialisation or scaling up, provided through convertible debentures, debt or debt-linked instruments. The money is disbursed by the incubator you are selected through, not directly by the government.

  • For the Seed Fund Scheme, yes — and recognition should not be older than two years when you apply. Recognition is also what unlocks Section 80-IAC tax exemption, self-certification under labour and environment laws, IPR fee rebates and relaxed norms in public procurement. We handle the recognition application as part of this service.

  • Yes, to angel networks, syndicates, family offices and early-stage funds where your stage, sector and cheque size actually match their mandate. What we will not do is spray your deck across a list — that damages your reputation in a small market. Introductions happen once the material is ready to withstand a first meeting.

  • For government seed funding, yes — SISFS is explicitly designed for pre-revenue startups at proof-of-concept and prototype stage. For angel funding, sometimes, on the strength of the team and a working product. For institutional VC, realistically no; you need demonstrated demand first.

  • A typical Indian seed round lands somewhere in the 10–20% range, and a Series A around 15–25%, but it depends entirely on how much you raise against what valuation. Giving away more than about 25% at seed usually creates problems at the next round, because later investors want to see founders still meaningfully owning the company.

  • The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups gives lenders a government-backed guarantee against default on loans to DPIIT-recognised startups. It is still a loan you repay, but the guarantee is what allows a bank to lend to a company that has no collateral to offer. Cover is available up to ₹10 crore per borrower.

  • From starting preparation to money in the bank, plan on three to six months for a seed round. Preparation is 3–4 weeks, outreach and meetings 4–8 weeks, diligence 3–6 weeks, and documentation another 3–6 weeks. Founders who budget one month for this run out of runway mid-process, which is the worst possible negotiating position.

  • For DPIIT recognition and the Seed Fund Scheme, registered partnerships and LLPs qualify alongside private limited companies. For equity funding from angels or VCs you will need to be a private limited company, because that is the only structure that can issue the instruments investors expect. We advise on conversion where that is the blocker.

Government fees, scheme limits and eligibility norms are revised from time to time. Figures on this page are indicative — our team confirms the rules in force on the day of filing before you commit to anything.

Get your startup funding-ready

Talk to a SetuBridge advisor. We'll tell you honestly whether this is the right fit for your business — no charge for the first conversation.

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Official Notice
SetuBridge Solutions Pvt. Ltd. is the only official entity under the SetuBridge brand✦We have no association with other 'Setu' named companies✦Always verify authenticity before engaging✦