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20 fund officials received an email from the capital markets regulator last week asking for suggestions on how to lighten the burden of compliance.

An early stage investor, Vertex Ventures mostly invests in the seed funding and Series A stage. Supported by Singapore state investor Temasek, it has made 34–35 investments so far from its $305 million Fund IV launched in 2019.

The Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) announced a list of 21 source countries that will not be subject to the angel tax provisions on Wednesday. The list did not include nations like Singapore and Mauritius, which have established themselves as preferred jurisdictions for investments in India.

However, the majority of businesses in India are operated by men, and there aren't many women-owned businesses. There are still few venture capitalists who are ready to take a chance by continuing to believe in the women leaders, even though most of the discourse about equality is just lip service.

Following the RBI's decision to stop issuing INR 2000 notes, several businesses noticed that payments were now made in the withdrawn currency.

Due to the funding crisis, this year's startup pitching has undergone a major shift, with a stronger emphasis now being placed on cost structures, profitability, and unit economics.

The announcement of the discontinuation of INR 2000 currency note from the system by RBI on Friday reminds one of Narenda Modi-led government's decision of withdrawal of 86% of the economy's currency in circulation in 2013-2014.

The INR 2000 denomination banknote was introduced in November 2016 to meet the currency requirement of the economy in an expeditious manner after the withdrawal of legal tender status of all INR 500 and INR 1000 banknotes in circulation at that time.

Investors regularly monitor their portfolios in the erratic startup environment and adjust to shifting market conditions. Valuation reductions serve as a reminder of the value of thorough study, wise judgement, and the capacity to deal with uncertainty.

The company will utilize the fund to 4 new technology products for businesses in the next 12 months and hire key team members and grow their market share

The new modules have been introduced to offer a full-stack experience to Decentro's growing customer base

The startup environment has recently slowed down, which has resulted in fewer VC funding and slower growth, creating a vicious cycle. Unfortunately, the first casualties of this crisis have been layoffs across various sectors. However, it's important to keep in mind that a similar or worse situation existed at the height of the Covid-19 outbreak, and the resilient business models survived that time unharmed.

It is also noted that the primary reason (28%) people don't have investment discussions with their family is the lack of financial literacy

The era of easy and abundant capital is over so it is essential for startups to exhibit strong fundamentals and sound strategy during this funding winter.

In this current environment, traditional sources of financing are less willing to invest, leaving entrepreneurs in need of assistance. Venture debt provides a viable alternative that enables startups to receive finance without reducing their ownership equity.

Despite losing out on indexation benefit in the amended Finance Bill, debt funds still add value to the client and have advantages that other investment avenues may not, say industry experts

The funding winter has given domestic venture capital firms a rare chance to demonstrate their adaptability and resilience. During these difficult times, new strategies and crucial maxims have emerged, changing the financial landscape.

Due to the global liquidity crisis, the investment ecosystem has slowed down, but risk investors are still interested in India-focused funds.

Companies in the growth stage have already built a consumer base and validated their value proposition. As a result, investors' returns can be more guaranteed.

Cashfree Payments is India's leading API and banking solutions company in the digital payments ecosystem. It has solved problems pertinent to payments and their infrastructure for businesses, thus assisting in their digitisation bid.

In 2023, investments in early-stage businesses have increased significantly. This is a result of tier-I venture capitalists taking a more cautious approach in their search for businesses with good unit economics and the potential to become profitable in the upcoming years.