Tandem Capital Launches India Fund, Will Invest in 10-20 Mobile Startups

Tandem Capital, a Silicon Valley-based mobile startup accelerator co-founded by India-born Sunil Bhargava, has launched an India-focussed fund, according to a news report.

The California-based accelerator has roped in Manipal Education and Medical Group CEO Ranjan Pai and the company’s chief advisor T V Mohandas Pai as partners who will co-invest in the fund, which will be Tandem’s third.

With India on the cusp of a mobile revolution, the opportunities to develop consumer-focused mobile technologies are seen to be huge. “For millions of Indian consumers who missed the PC revolution, the explosion of smartphones gives access to computers in their pockets,” said Bhargava.

Tandem, started by Bhargava and Doug Renert, both technology entrepreneurs, utilizes what it calls `muscle capital’ to take forward the ventures it supports. Tandem’s partners work closely with startup founders to get a minimum viable product to market quickly, providing hands-on support in areas such as strategy, product design, technology, user acquisition, recruitment and channel development.

Tandem invests about $200,000 in each mobile startup and works closely with the team for an initial 6-month period. However, it could support a venture beyond the seed stage to series A and B rounds.

In India, they have earlier already invested in Pune-based Quadnode and Bangalore-based gaming portal Bash Gaming.

Here’s a video about them:

If you are an Indian startup working in the mobile domain, this is one opportunity you should definitely grab!