Direct equity — demo days · scouts · syndicates
Source your own deals. DM YC India founders, attend Surge/Antler demo days, write SAFE/CCD notes directly. Highest control, zero platform fees, requires effort.
Direct equity means buying shares in a startup without a platform in the middle. You source deals yourself — demo days, scout networks, founder DMs — negotiate terms directly, and wire funds via your NRO account under FEMA's FDI automatic route. You pay zero carry — angel platforms charge 10–20% of your profits; go direct and that cut stays with you. The tradeoff: no curated deal flow, you source everything yourself.
The upside: you control the filter entirely and keep 100% of your upside. The downside: you handle due diligence, CA paperwork for FEMA compliance, SAFE/CCD note drafting, and cap-table admin yourself. This route rewards NRIs with sector expertise, existing founder networks, or the time to build them.
Demo days & accelerators
Scout networks & deal newsletters
Direct founder access
For most NRI angels, the best deal flow is Surge + AngelList scout. LinkedIn DMs are free upside.
Surge brings the highest-quality batch (15-20 founders, 2x/year). AngelList Scout gets you weekly syndicate flow at ₹2.5L tickets. Pair with daily Inc42 / The Ken to surface companies before they raise. Then use LinkedIn to DM founders you find compelling — the highest-conviction path.
How we got there
We compared 7 deal-flow channels by signal-to-noise, ticket size, and NRI access. Three patterns matter:
→ AngelList Scout + Surge Demo Day
Both pre-filter for you. Scout gets you the call from a vetted scout twice a month. Surge gives you 15-20 founders to pick from in one event. Best for NRIs who can't be in India daily.
→ Inc42 + The Ken + LetsVenture
Daily newsletters surface companies BEFORE they raise. LetsVenture lets you act on what you read. Cheap subscriptions ($30-50/mo combined) give you the broadest sourcing surface area.
→ LinkedIn DMs to YC India founders
Track YC India batches, identify 3-5 companies fitting your sector thesis, DM the founder with a pointed question. 3-8% reply rate but yields the highest-conviction deals because you control the filter, not a platform algorithm.
Common questions
Detailed answers on our Q&A page.