The Indian startup community is grappling with profound loss following the sudden passing of Neeraj Tyagi, co-founder of We Founder Circle (WFC), Invstt, EvolveX Accelerator, and Avinya Ventures, on Sunday, August 17, 2025. News of his death has reverberated throughout the entrepreneurial ecosystem, prompting an overwhelming response of grief and remembrance from founders, investors, and industry leaders who witnessed his transformative impact on India’s startup landscape.
A Legacy Built on Community and Trust
Based in Bengaluru, Neeraj Tyagi distinguished himself as far more than a conventional investor. In his relatively brief but impactful career, he emerged as a cornerstone of India’s early-stage investment ecosystem, fundamentally reshaping how entrepreneurs access capital and mentorship.
As the visionary behind We Founder Circle, Tyagi created an angel investment network that has supported over 100 startups across diverse sectors since its 2020 inception. His revolutionary approach placed community building, meaningful mentorship, and collaborative growth at the heart of the investment process, transforming traditional investor-founder relationships into genuine partnerships built on mutual trust and shared vision.
Beyond WFC, Tyagi’s entrepreneurial spirit manifested through multiple ventures: Avinya Ventures, focused on nurturing high-impact Indian startups; Invstt, a global marketplace connecting startups with investors; and EvolveX Accelerator, providing structured support for seed-stage companies navigating their earliest challenges.
The Mentor Who Changed Lives
Throughout the tributes flooding social media and industry forums, a consistent theme emerges: Tyagi’s extraordinary commitment to mentorship. Founders consistently describe his remarkable accessibility, patience, and genuine investment in their success beyond financial considerations.
“He was the backbone of countless founder journeys,” shared one early-stage entrepreneur on LinkedIn, capturing a sentiment echoed across the community. Another founder reflected, “Always ready to pick up the phone or make a crucial introduction, even when there was no direct deal involved.”
Tyagi championed a philosophy that authentic investing transcended mere check-writing. He believed in building networks of trust, fostering resilience, and creating mutual belief between investors and entrepreneurs. This approach led him to cultivate vibrant communities both online and offline through local events, accelerator programs, and rapidly growing WhatsApp founder groups, inspiring a more inclusive and collaborative startup culture throughout India.
Transformative Investment Portfolio
Tyagi’s influence is perhaps most visible through the breadth and diversity of his investment portfolio. As a prolific angel investor, he backed more than 60 startups, including notable companies such as BluSmart, Zypp Electric, Rooter, Oben Electric, Garuda Aerospace, ClearDekho, Healthysure, Hesa, and Anveshan. Many of these ventures have credited his early trust and ongoing mentorship as pivotal during their most challenging growth phases.
His investment thesis reflected forward-thinking optimism for sectors that have since become central to India’s innovation journey: electric vehicle mobility, deep technology, climate solutions, and digital healthcare. This prescient focus positioned many of his portfolio companies at the forefront of India’s technological transformation.
Community Remembers a Guiding Light
The startup community’s response to Tyagi’s passing has been both immediate and overwhelming. Tributes have poured in from across the ecosystem, revealing the depth of his personal impact:
“A true visionary and genuinely warm person… always open to support people, especially startups. His divine soul will be missed.”
“He created not just an organization, but a culture—one where founders felt seen, believed in, and genuinely cared for.”
“Neeraj sir, your mentorship and trust changed my startup journey forever.”
These messages, initiated by We Founder Circle and spreading rapidly throughout founder networks, venture capital firms, and industry associations, consistently highlight his kindness, the trust he built universally, and the profound nature of his influence that extended far beyond financial support.
An Enduring Vision
Neeraj Tyagi’s untimely departure leaves behind his wife, son, and an extended “family” of mentees, colleagues, and founders who will deeply feel his absence. However, as numerous tributes emphasize, his vision, personal warmth, and collaborative spirit will continue serving as a guiding beacon for future generations of entrepreneurs.
We Founder Circle’s memorial statement perhaps captures his essence most eloquently: “Neeraj’s kindness, leadership, and selfless support will forever remain a guiding light for all of us. His life and work stand as a testament to what it means to believe in others and to dedicate oneself to a larger purpose.”
As India’s startup ecosystem continues its remarkable growth trajectory, Neeraj Tyagi’s memory and example will endure, inspiring new generations of founders, builders, and believers to lead with empathy, courage, and trust—principles he embodied throughout his remarkable journey.
Rest in peace, Neeraj Tyagi (1974–August 17, 2025). Your legacy lives on in every entrepreneur you inspired and every dream you helped nurture into reality.
