The/Nudge Foundation launches Rs 250 crore venture fund TILT to back early

The/Nudge Foundation launches Rs 250 crore venture fund TILT to back early-stage impact startups

Bengaluru-based The/Nudge Foundation has launched TILT, an impact-first venture investment platform with a Rs 250 crore fund to back early-stage businesses serving India’s low-income and underserved communities.

TILT will primarily invest from Seed to Series A, with cheque sizes ranging from Rs 2 crore to Rs 16 crore. The platform will focus on businesses using science and technology to address challenges across jobs, agricultural value chains, climate resilience, informal work, MSME productivity, employability, financial inclusion and market access.

The fund is backed by the Livelihood Impact Fund, along with entrepreneurs, investors and philanthropists including Deep Kalra, Amit Gupta, Hari Menon, Binny Bansal, Raj & Indra Nooyi Family Office and Vidit Aatrey.

TILT is being positioned as a source of patient capital for businesses that may take longer to find product-market fit, build distribution and reach sustainable economics than conventional venture-backed companies.

The platform will also provide support beyond capital, including research, market development, partnerships and ecosystem infrastructure. The/Nudge said these interventions are intended to help startups build resilience and scale, particularly in markets where capital alone may not be sufficient.

“At TILT, we believe markets move where capital points, and we want to reimagine how impact investing can work in India by directing capital towards opportunities that can create lasting value,” said Richa Singh, co-founder and managing partner, TILT.

The fund is an extension of The/Nudge’s work with social enterprises. Over the past eight years, the foundation has supported more than 190 social enterprises and deployed approximately Rs 180 crore in grants.

According to The/Nudge, its ecosystem has produced 23 Forbes 30 Under 30 founders, three Earthshot Prize winners and 18 Acumen Fellows.

The foundation said its experience with these ventures showed that several businesses needed investment capital, rather than only philanthropic support, as they moved from early validation towards scale.

“TILT takes that work forward through a dedicated pool of patient, impact-first capital,” said Atul Satija, founder and managing partner, TILT. The platform aims to back more than 150 startups and meaningfully improve 100 million lives over the next 15 years.

TILT will invest across sectors including agriculture, MSMEs, financial inclusion, climate resilience, employment, and technology and AI applied to livelihood challenges.

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