Investor Profile: TILT Capital — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Who TILT Capital is

TILT Capital funding has arrived at exactly the moment India's impact startups needed it most. Launched in August 2026, TILT Capital is the impact-first investment platform of The/Nudge Foundation, and it comes with a first ₹250 crore venture fund for science and technology-led businesses serving India's Next Billion. Where mainstream venture capital usually arrives only after growth is visible, TILT is built for the earlier, harder stretch — backing founders while they are still building product, distribution and resilient economics in underserved markets — patient capital, not a grant with strings attached, and not a growth fund in disguise.

Thesis

TILT exists because of a gap The/Nudge watched widen over eight years of grant-making: ventures serving low-income communities take longer to find product-market fit and build distribution, yet the capital available to them arrives late and impatient. TILT's answer is impact-first investing with financial discipline — money that gives founders time to build resilient models while still demanding sustainable businesses. As Managing Partner Richa Singh puts it: markets move where capital points.

Sectors & stages

TILT invests from seed to Series A, writing its first cheques when companies are still in their formative stages. Its sector map is built around livelihoods: agricultural value chains, climate resilience, informal work and emerging employment models, MSME productivity, employability, financial inclusion, market access and distribution, and technology and AI applied to livelihood challenges. TILT also works on research, market development, partnerships and ecosystem infrastructure, recognising that investment alone may not be sufficient to make these markets work.

Fund size & cheque size

The first TILT fund has a corpus of ₹250 crore, backed by the Livelihood Impact Fund alongside prominent entrepreneurs, investors and philanthropists. Cheque sizes range from ₹2 crore to ₹16 crore. The ambition is long-horizon: over the next 15 years, TILT aims to back 150+ startups and meaningfully improve 100 million lives.

Notable portfolio

TILT Capital is newly launched, so it has not announced a portfolio yet. Its lineage is strong for a first-time fund: over eight years, The/Nudge Foundation has supported 190+ social enterprises and deployed about ₹180 crore in grants, producing 23 Forbes 30 Under 30 founders, three Earthshot Prize winners and 18 Acumen Fellows.

Partners / team

TILT was co-founded by Richa Singh and Atul Satija. Backers include the Livelihood Impact Fund, Deep Kalra (MakeMyTrip), Amit Gupta (Yulu), Hari Menon (BigBasket), Binny Bansal (Flipkart), Vidit Aatrey (Meesho), and the Raj & Indra Nooyi Family Office.

Programs & perks

Beyond capital, TILT commits to research, market development, partnerships and ecosystem infrastructure that impact businesses need to reach commercial scale.

How to apply for funding from TILT Capital

TILT has not announced a public application portal in its launch coverage. Founders who fit — seed to Series A, science and technology-led, serving India's Next Billion — should track The/Nudge Foundation's announcements for the first intake, and come prepared with evidence of impact plus a path to sustainable economics.