First Cheque

First Cheque is an India-focused venture capital firm that writes early cheques for founders at the idea and pre-product stages through MVP. Its standard investment is INR 75 lakhs, and it targets a decision cycle of ten days or less from first call to term sheet - a pace set to suit founders raising before a product exists. The firm describes itself as sector-agnostic, though its stated areas of interest span deep tech, developer tools, SaaS, fintech, consumer internet, marketplaces, education, healthcare and logistics.

By its own account, First Cheque has backed more than 120 companies and 250 founders. Beyond capital, the firm offers personalised mentorship from experienced founders and venture capitalists, introductions to operators with relevant experience, and demo days that connect portfolio companies with investors. A founder community provides peer support among portfolio founders.

The model is characteristic of India's pre-seed segment, where small standardised cheques and fast processes compensate for the uncertainty of backing companies before they have traction or, in some cases, a product. First Cheque combines that financial function with post-investment infrastructure - mentorship, operator networks, investor access and community - intended to carry founders from idea stage toward MVP and subsequent fundraising.