First Cheque

Building a game-changing brand? We would love to hear from you! We have been investing in brands since 2013, before “D2C” was even a theme. We were the first guys to back Sugar, Giva, Rapidbox as they essentially created new categories. Now, we are excited to support the next generation of brands building for Gen Z, Tier 2 / 3, farmers, kids, B2B, and everything in between! We are looking to invest upto $500K in 20 amazing brands over the next 18 months. If you are a passionate founder creating something extraordinary, drop your pitch at kanupriya@firstcheque.vc.

Proud to share that our portfolio company, @GimiMichi, has been selected as one of the Top 6 winners at Leap to Unicorn Season 3, among 6,300+ startup applications. Gimi Michi is building an authentic Korean cuisine portfolio, starting with instant ramen. Just as Maggi became a staple for millennials, Gimi Michi aims to be the defining brand for Gen Alpha. The company plans to expand into adjacent Korean-inspired categories including sauces, broths, ready-to-eat (RTE), as well as beverages. Gimi Michi’s products are currently available via its own website and e-commerce platforms. Congratulations to @NishankGoyal14 and Akhil Kumar on this milestone! Exciting times ahead! 🎉 forbesindia.com/article/upfron…

Thrilled to share that we led ₹5 Cr seed round, alongside Sprout Venture Partners, with participation from several angel investors. Founded in 2024, Lorazzo is a new-age, design-first and technology-driven home improvement brand, starting with smart kitchen and bathroom solutions. Lorazzo’s product portfolio includes intelligent bidets, advanced kitchen faucets, premium stainless-steel and quartz sinks, and modular accessories-each developed specifically for Indian household conditions to elevate everyday living. Excited to partner with @jatin_luthra90 and Saurabh Gupta as they build for the next generation of Indian homes. Cheers to the journey ahead - this is just the beginning. Onwards and upwards ! shorturl.at/WUaQW

We are sniffing around the perfume space… but not for just another pretty bottle. For the longest time, India was a deo-first market, building on mass appeal by selling hygiene, not fragrance. Perfumes, on the other hand, were seen as luxury - a Dior, a Davidoff, or a Chanel from duty-free. Used occasionally. Mostly gifted. Rarely part of a daily ritual. But that’s changing fast. Perfume today = identity + mood + self-expression. People now choose scents like they choose outfits: based on vibe, occasion, and emotion. Despite the momentum, India is yet to see a brand that created a category-defining scent. If you are building something fresh in this space, drop us a line at kanupriya@firstcheque.vc.

For decades, haircare in India was a simple cycle: oil → shampoo → oil → repeat. But times (and hair) have changed. Heat styling for Insta-perfect looks, swipe-right pressure, pollution, stress, and junk diets - the old fixes do not quite work anymore. Today, haircare is not just a weekend ritual, it is a full routine: shampoos, conditioners, serums, masks, scalp treatments. Today’s consumer is informed, intentional, and wants visible results. What once relied on kitchen remedies has now shifted to lab-tested innovation. That evolution - from weekend champis to customised regimens - has opened up space for Indian brands to reimagine the future of haircare. If you are building something exciting in this space, write to us at kanupriya@firstcheque.vc.

We are thrilled to announce that our portfolio company @seekhoapp has raised $28M in Series B funding, led by @BessemerVP, with participation from @GoodwaterCap, @LightspeedIndia and @ElevCap. Founded in 2020, Seekho is reimagining how India learns - offering bite-sized, vernacular content across career, business, and self-growth. With 10,000+ short videos in Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, they are making knowledge fun, accessible, and inclusive, helping millions navigate the digital world with confidence. It has been a privilege to watch Seekho’s journey take shape, and we are proud to have been among their earliest supporters. A huge congratulations to Rohit Choudhary, Keertay Agarwal, Yash Banwani, and the entire Seekho team on this milestone! Onwards and upwards! 🙌 Read more about their Series B journey here: lnkd.in/g8WEWH-P

Men’s skincare in India is still waiting for its breakout moment. For decades, Indian men were handed a razor, a bar of soap, and told, “you are good to go.” Skincare just meant shaving. Anything beyond that was either seen as unmanly or unnecessary. But things are changing - thanks to rising disposable incomes, Instagram, and girlfriends who won’t share their serums. Today’s men are more aware of how they look, feel, and age. They are dealing with acne, pigmentation, oily skin, dark circles - and for the first time, they care. That shift - from ignoring skin to understanding it - has opened up space for brands to build real trust. If you are building something interesting in this space, we would love to speak to you. Write to us at kanupriya@firstcheque.vc!

Got a startup idea? #Mumbai Meet our investment team, Anand Lunia, Gagan Goyal & Sahil Makkar, for 1:1, no-fluff feedback. Here's what's in store for you: 1. Tailored, clear, and practical feedback on your idea 2. Thoughtful questions from us that will help you gain clarity on your idea, refine your strategy, and course correct where needed 3. Understand how VCs think & learn firsthand about our thesis on different sectors 🗓️ Thursday, 24th July 2025 📍 Mumbai (In-person) 🕜 Time: 10:30 am-6:30 pm Register below (link in comments) ⬇️ See you soon! 👋

@IndiaQuotient Register here: lu.ma/6lgc43la

Opportunity for #Mumbai founders ⬇️ Got a startup idea? Stress test it with 3 VCs. Whether you're actively building, just starting out, or still exploring ideas, meet the @IndiaQuotient team in person on 24th July. 🔗Registration link is in the comments.

Thrilled to share that our portfolio company GIVA raised ₹530 Cr in a Series C round led by @creaegis! Big congratulations to Ishendra Agarwal, Nikita Prasad, and the entire GIVA team on this incredible milestone! 🙌 tinyurl.com/3jbs42yd

We are super happy to share that our portfolio company @fleetx_io has raised ~$13Mn in its Series C round, led by @IndiaMART and @beenextVC's Accelerate Fund! 😄 FleetX is a SaaS platform that helps businesses digitize and manage their fleet and logistics operations more efficiently using AI, data, and IoT. So far, they have partnered with over 2,000 businesses across sectors such as manufacturing, mining, transportation, and FMCG—including Ultratech Cement, Unilever, Adani Group, Godrej, Maersk, and Hindalco—to improve fleet visibility, cut costs, and run smoother operations on the ground. Congratulations to Vineet Sharma, Abhay Jeet Gupta, Vishal Misra, Parveen Kataria, and the entire FleetX team! 📷 Read more about FleetX’s Series C Round (Business Standard): shorturl.at/eiZeY

We are excited to announce that @confidohealth has successfully raised $3Mn in its seed round led by @scaletogether, with participation from MedMountain Ventures, Rebellion Ventures, DeVC, @StudioOperators and other strategic healthcare operators. Confido Health assists healthcare providers in minimising administrative tasks using AI-driven automation. The platform enables AI workers to manage tasks such as appointment scheduling, insurance verification, and care coordination. Kudos to @mchetanreddy500 and @vichar_shroff and the entire Confido Health team on reaching this incredible milestone! Here's to many more successes ahead! Read more here : entrackr.com/snippets/healt…

We’re thrilled to announce that our portfolio company, @seekhoapp has raised $8Mn in a funding round led by @lightspeedvp, with strong participation from existing investor @ElevCap Founded in 2020, Seekho aims to help individuals acquire new skills and knowledge. It provides a range of short learning videos across categories like parenting, share market, Instagram, finance, personal development, among others. Their journey has been nothing short of inspiring. We’re proud to have been early believers in their vision and continue to support them as they scale new heights. Congratulations to @roh__cho @keertay @banwani_yash and the entire Seekho team! This is just the beginning of an exciting next chapter. Onwards and upwards! 🚀 💪 Read more here:inc42.com/buzz/online-le…

We are excited to announce that @medialapp has successfully raised USD500k in its pre-Series A round led by @theogcapital ! 😄 Medial is a content and community-driven platform with community across diverse domains such as tech, product, and UI/UX. It serves as a hub of start-up news, industry updates, banters, and advice in a non-clickbaity fashion to add value for its community, and enable transparent and inclusive workplace conversations. It started as an integrated platform for professionals in the start-up sector and aims to grow into a company profile and job board platform. Kudos to @niketrajdwivedi , @harsh_dwivedi7 , Aishwarya Raj Pandey, Prateek Kaien and the entire Medial team on this exciting milestone! Read more here: entrackr.com/news/medial-ra…