Strategic collaboration to accelerate early-stage investments, cross-border mentorship, and founder mobility between India and Southeast Asia
8 May 2025 – In a significant move set to reshape early-stage startup investment across Asia, A2D Ventures, a leading venture capital firm and digital-first investing platform in Southeast Asia, has officially entered the Indian market through a strategic partnership with We Founder Circle (WFC)—one of India’s most active angel investment syndicates. This alliance marks a pivotal step in deepening collaboration between two of the region’s most vibrant startup ecosystems.
A2D Ventures has been instrumental in funding and scaling high-growth startups across Southeast Asia, while WFC has backed over 150 startups with an impressive 50 portfolio winners and 24 successful exits. Their investments include fast-rising Indian startups such as Zypp Electric, Garuda Aerospace, Kazam, and Hesa, collectively contributing to a portfolio valuation exceeding $1 billion.
This collaboration aims to unlock new capital flows, mentorship opportunities, and innovation corridors between Indian and Southeast Asian founders and investors.
“This partnership reflects our mission to democratize venture capital and open access to high-growth opportunities across Southeast Asia. By joining forces with We Founder Circle, we aim to enable visionary founders and investors to scale across borders,” said Ankit Upadhyay, Co-Founder & General Partner at A2D Ventures.
At the core of the partnership is a tech-driven investment strategy. It integrates Invstt, WFC’s proprietary platform for dashboard-led automated investing, with A2D Ventures’ internal digital systems—creating a seamless, transparent, and efficient cross-border investing experience.
“This isn’t just an expansion—it’s a bridge between two thriving innovation hubs. Southeast Asian founders are increasingly looking to scale into India, while Indian investors gain streamlined access to SEA’s next wave of unicorns,” said Neeraj Tyagi, Co-Founder & CEO of We Founder Circle.
The first wave of cross-border deals already demonstrates the potential of this partnership, including:
- A biotech startup creating a lactose-free milk alternative that replicates the taste of traditional milk
- An autonomous food kiosk venture, inspired by Thailand’s Tao Bin
- A fintech open finance platform, akin to India’s CRED, tailored for SEA markets
- A rapidly expanding F&B coffee brand in the Philippines
- And upcoming startups in AI, SpaceTech, HealthTech, and ClimateTech
The timing of the announcement aligns with broader regional cooperation. During the BISMEC Summit (April 3–5, 2025) in Bangkok, an MoU was signed between India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Thailand’s Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, outlining enhanced collaboration on startup growth in key sectors such as Fintech, HealthTech, ClimateTech, and Digital Infrastructure.
With this partnership, A2D Ventures and We Founder Circle are set to redefine the landscape of cross-border startup investing, empowering entrepreneurs and investors to create lasting impact across Asia.
