The/Nudge Foundation has launched TILT, a ₹250 crore impact-first venture fund focused on early-stage startups serving underserved communities in India. The fund will invest from seed to Series A, targeting businesses in livelihoods, agriculture, climate resilience, financial inclusion and other high-impact sectors.
The/Nudge enters impact investing with TILT
The/Nudge Foundation has launched TILT, an impact-focused investment platform designed to provide capital to early-stage businesses working on challenges affecting India’s low-income and underserved communities.
The ₹250 crore fund will primarily back startups between the seed and Series A stages. Individual investments are expected to range from ₹2 crore to ₹16 crore, giving the platform room to support companies at different points of early development.
TILT is being positioned differently from a conventional venture fund. Its focus is on patient, impact-first capital for businesses that may require more time to establish product-market fit, build distribution networks and achieve sustainable economics.
The fund’s launch comes after eight years of The/Nudge Foundation working with social enterprises. The foundation says it has supported more than 190 social enterprises and deployed approximately ₹180 crore in grants during that period.
₹250 crore fund targets India’s underserved consumers
A central focus for TILT is what the platform describes as India’s Next Billion, referring to lower-income consumers who are increasingly gaining access to technology, financial services and formal markets.
According to TILT co-founder and managing partner Richa Singh, the platform is interested in businesses whose products or services can improve livelihoods or address practical challenges faced by these consumers.
The fund is targeting businesses where social impact and commercial viability can develop together. This includes companies working on employment, agriculture, financial access, MSME productivity and market distribution.
TILT’s approach reflects a funding challenge faced by several impact-oriented businesses. Startups operating in complex markets can take longer to build scalable business models than companies targeting established consumer or enterprise segments.
That longer development cycle can make it difficult for such ventures to fit conventional venture capital expectations. TILT aims to fill part of that gap with capital designed around longer-term business building.
Seed and Series A startups to receive ₹2 crore to ₹16 crore
TILT plans to invest between ₹2 crore and ₹16 crore per startup, primarily across seed and Series A stages.
The fund plans to make around 20 to 25 investments while keeping capital available for follow-on funding for companies that show strong growth potential. According to Mint, TILT is already in the process of finalising its first two investments.
The fund has a 12-year tenure, with a potential two-year extension, according to an interview with TILT managing partner Atul Satija. The longer investment horizon is intended to accommodate companies whose markets and business models may take time to mature.
This structure also gives TILT an opportunity to remain invested beyond the initial funding round. For early-stage impact startups, follow-on capital can be particularly important because businesses often need additional funding to expand distribution, improve technology and enter new markets.
Agriculture and climate resilience among focus areas
TILT’s investment mandate covers several sectors where technology can address large-scale economic and social challenges.
These include agricultural value chains, climate resilience, informal work, emerging employment models, MSME productivity, employability, financial inclusion and market access.
The platform will also consider technology and artificial intelligence applied to livelihood-related challenges. This puts technology at the centre of the fund’s strategy, but with a focus on practical outcomes rather than technology as an end in itself.
Agriculture is one of the major areas of interest because technology-driven businesses can potentially improve productivity, access to markets, supply chains and financial services for farmers and other participants in the agricultural economy.
Climate resilience is another priority as businesses increasingly develop products and services aimed at helping communities and enterprises deal with environmental and economic risks.
Startup funding will go beyond capital
TILT’s model is not limited to writing investment cheques.
The platform plans to provide support through research, market development, partnerships and ecosystem infrastructure. The idea is that startups working in complex or underserved markets may need more than financial backing to build sustainable businesses.
This could include helping companies understand their target markets, develop partnerships or strengthen distribution networks.
For impact startups, these areas can be critical. A business may have a viable product but still struggle to reach customers, establish reliable supply chains or develop the partnerships required for scale.
TILT is therefore attempting to combine venture investment with the wider ecosystem support that The/Nudge has developed through its work with social entrepreneurs.
Prominent entrepreneurs and investors back TILT
The ₹250 crore fund has attracted backing from a group of entrepreneurs, investors and philanthropists with experience across India’s technology and startup ecosystem.
The backers include Deep Kalra, founder of MakeMyTrip; Hari Menon, co-founder of BigBasket; Binny Bansal, co-founder of Flipkart; Vidit Aatrey, co-founder and CEO of Meesho; Amit Gupta; the Raj and Indra Nooyi Family Office; and the Livelihood Impact Fund.
The participation of founders from companies such as MakeMyTrip, BigBasket, Flipkart and Meesho gives the fund access to investors who have experience building businesses for large and diverse Indian markets.
TILT is backed by The/Nudge Foundation, but the investment platform and foundation operate as separate entities with distinct teams and governing practices, according to Mint.
The/Nudge shifts from grants toward investment capital
The launch of TILT builds on The/Nudge Foundation’s existing work with social enterprises.
Over the past eight years, the foundation has supported more than 190 social enterprises and deployed around ₹180 crore in grants. The organisation says that as several of these ventures moved from early validation towards scale, it became clear that some required investment capital rather than philanthropic funding alone.
TILT is designed to address that transition.
Instead of replacing grants, the investment platform is intended to provide another source of capital for businesses that have moved beyond the earliest stages but still need patient funding to build sustainable operations.
The fund’s strategy therefore creates a bridge between philanthropic support and conventional venture investment for selected impact-focused businesses.
TILT aims to back more than 150 startups
TILT has set a long-term goal of backing more than 150 startups and meaningfully improving the lives of 100 million people over the next 15 years.
That target extends well beyond the ₹250 crore fund’s initial investment cycle. The platform’s stated ambition is to demonstrate whether a patient, impact-first approach can help businesses serving underserved markets grow while maintaining sustainable economics.
For India’s startup ecosystem, the launch also signals continued interest in businesses addressing large-scale livelihood and inclusion challenges.
The immediate test for TILT will be its first portfolio of companies, how effectively those businesses use the capital, and whether the fund can produce both measurable impact and financially sustainable outcomes.
Key takeaways
- The/Nudge Foundation has launched TILT with a ₹250 crore impact-first venture fund.
- TILT will primarily invest ₹2 crore to ₹16 crore in seed and Series A startups.
- Focus areas include agriculture, climate resilience, MSME productivity, employment, financial inclusion and AI-led livelihood solutions.
- The platform aims to back more than 150 startups and improve 100 million lives over 15 years.
FAQ
What is TILT?
TILT is an impact-first investment platform launched by The/Nudge Foundation to provide early-stage capital to businesses addressing challenges faced by underserved communities in India.
How much money has TILT raised?
TILT has launched with a ₹250 crore venture fund. The fund has completed its first close and is preparing to deploy capital into early-stage companies.
How much will TILT invest in startups?
TILT plans to invest between ₹2 crore and ₹16 crore per company, primarily at the seed and Series A stages. It expects to make around 20 to 25 investments while maintaining provisions for follow-on capital.
Which startups is TILT looking to fund?
TILT is looking for businesses working across agricultural value chains, climate resilience, informal work, employment, MSME productivity, employability, financial inclusion, market access and technology or AI applied to livelihood challenges.
(Internal keywords: The/Nudge Foundation, TILT fund, ₹250 crore impact fund, impact startups India, TILT Capital India, impact investing India, early-stage startup funding, seed funding India, Series A funding India, social impact startups, climate startups India, financial inclusion startups, agriculture startups India)
