Startups & fund raising
From incorporation to your Series A, with clean records at every step
Investors check every allotment, approval and filing before they invest. We handle the company-law and FEMA side of building and funding a startup, so each round closes on time and the next due diligence is straightforward.
The funding journey
What needs to be in place at each stage, and where we help.
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1
Set up the company correctly
Most funding problems start with how the company was set up.
- Private limited company, which investors generally expect
- Founders' agreement covering equity split, roles and vesting
- Intellectual property assigned from founders to the company
- DPIIT startup recognition, where eligible
Company & LLP registration →Startup recognition & founder setup →
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2
First money from founders, friends and angels
Early cheques are small, but each one is an allotment with its own approvals and filings.
- Choosing the instrument: equity shares, CCPS or a convertible note
- Valuation report from a registered valuer
- Private placement or preferential allotment process
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3
Seed and Series A rounds
Institutional investors bring detailed agreements and conditions to closing.
- Term sheet review and explanation of key terms
- Shareholders' and subscription agreements
- Articles amended to reflect investor rights
- Allotment, return of allotment and demat credit within the time limits
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4
Share ownership with your team
An ESOP pool is often a condition of the round.
- Scheme drafting and shareholder approval
- Grant letters, vesting schedules and the ESOP register
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5
Foreign investors
Investment from outside India must meet pricing rules and be reported to the RBI on time.
- Pricing and valuation for non-resident investors
- FDI reporting on the RBI's FIRMS portal
- Approvals where the sector or investor's country requires them
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6
Stay investor-ready
Between rounds, keep records current so the next due diligence is quick.
- Board meetings, minutes and annual filings
- Statutory registers and cap table kept up to date
- Review and clean-up of past records before the next round
Documents investors usually ask for
Having these ready, complete and consistent shortens due diligence by weeks.
- Certificate of incorporation, MoA and AoA, with all amendments
- Cap table with the history of every allotment and transfer
- Return of allotment filings and resolutions for each round
- Statutory registers and minutes of board and general meetings
- Annual ROC filings for every year since incorporation
- FEMA filings for any foreign investment received
- ESOP scheme, approvals, grant letters and register
- Founders' agreements and IP assignment deeds
- Employment contracts of key staff
- Key customer, vendor and lease agreements
- GST and income-tax returns, and financial statements
Gaps that often surface in due diligence
Most can be fixed before an investor finds them, often at lower cost.
- Shares allotted without a valuation report or the required resolution
- Return of allotment or resolutions filed late, or not at all
- Statutory registers not maintained or not matching the cap table
- Foreign investment reported to the RBI after the due date
- ESOPs granted without shareholder approval
- Intellectual property still owned by a founder
- Investor rights in the agreements but not in the articles