Investor Profile: Silverneedle Ventures — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

For founders building technology companies in India, Silverneedle Ventures is a name worth knowing early. The Hyderabad-based firm describes itself as a conviction-first venture capital firm, investing at Seed and Series A in technology companies redefining India and beyond. Its pitch is simple: it forms its own view, commits early, and stays hands-on rather than following the consensus of the market.

Silverneedle Ventures was founded by Ajay Jain and Deepesh Agarwal, both formerly founders of Xseed Partners. The firm launched its maiden fund in 2022, a ₹100 crore SEBI-registered Category I alternative investment fund, with approval from the Securities and Exchange Board of India in August that year. At launch it said it planned to back around 30 startups, and its first investment was in the creator monetisation platform Knorish.

Thesis: conviction over consensus

The firm's stated thesis is conviction over consensus. It says it invests when it sees exceptional founders solving real problems, does the work to form a view, and commits early with full hands-on support. Its current mandate covers Seed and Series A, with sectors including deeptech, enterprise SaaS, generative AI, consumer tech, LegalTech, IoT, the creator economy, spacetech and healthtech. Geographically it is India-first, with an eye on founders whose businesses can expand naturally across Southeast Asia and the Middle East.

That hands-on promise is specific rather than generic. The firm says it offers board seats and strategic guidance, go-to-market introductions and hiring networks, and follow-on capital at every milestone. It is also based at T-Hub in Hyderabad, giving portfolio companies access to one of India's largest startup ecosystems for talent, customers and capital.

Cheque size and portfolio

At launch, Silverneedle Ventures said its sweet spot was ₹1 crore to ₹6 crore per deal. Its current website states first cheques of typically ₹1 crore to ₹5 crore at Seed, with meaningful follow-on capacity at every milestone. Founders should therefore approach it for a Seed round, or for a Series A where the firm can follow its Seed winners, rather than for a late-stage cheque.

Its portfolio shows the breadth of that mandate. It includes Dhruva Space, a full-stack space engineering company; Disprz, an AI-powered enterprise skilling suite; SuperK, a tech-enabled supermarket franchise for small-town India; OnFinance AI, a vertical AI stack for financial institutions; Zvolv, a low-code enterprise workflow platform; Doqfy, a digital contract execution platform; and Knorish, the creator economy platform that was its first investment.

How to apply for funding

Silverneedle Ventures does not run a public application portal. Founders can reach the team directly by email at [email protected], or through the contact section of its website, silverneedle.vc. The firm says it responds to every serious inquiry within 48 hours, and it is also active on LinkedIn. A warm introduction through the T-Hub ecosystem or a portfolio founder is likely to help, but a sharp, direct pitch covering the problem, the technology edge, the market and the ask is the essential starting point.