Baanhem Ventures, the creator of Tamil Nadu’s first mainstream startup reality show Startup Singam, has successfully closed its second funding round, onboarding some of the state’s most influential business leaders as investors and advisors.

Joining early backer and Chief Mentor Kumar Vembu, the new panel of shareholders includes:

• Gopal Srinivasan, Chairman & MD, TVS Capital Funds

• Girish Mathrubootham, Founder & Executive Chairman, Freshworks; General Partner, Together Fund

• Mithun Sacheti, Founder, CaratLane

• K. Mahalingam, Partner/Director, TSM Group of Companies

• Mohan Karuppiah, CEO & Co-Founder, IppoPay

• Shyam Sekhar, Founder, ithought Financial Consulting LLP

• Ashwini Asokan, Founder, Mad Street Den & Vue.ai

• Madhusudanan Rangarajan, Managing Director, M2P Fintech

This collective marks a major milestone in Tamil Nadu’s entrepreneurial movement, ensuring startups across metros, Tier-2, and Tier-3 towns gain access to capital, mentorship, and strategic networks.

Building on Season 1’s Impact

In its debut season, Startup Singam enabled 35 startups to secure more than ₹40 crore in funding commitments, with ₹13 crore already disbursed. The show created visibility that translated into stronger sales, new customers, and accelerated partnerships, bringing entrepreneurship conversations into households across the state.

What to Expect from Season 2

With ₹100 crore in new investor commitments, Season 2 has shortlisted 75 startups out of 2,000+ applications nationwide. The expanded 26-episode run will spotlight founder journeys, showcase investment-ready pitches, and engage a wider audience to view entrepreneurship as a mainstream career path.

Leaders Speak

• Hemachandran & Balachandar, Co-Founders of Baanhem Ventures: “This is a transformative step for Startup Singam. The involvement of such respected leaders ensures startups will not only receive funding but also governance, mentorship, and global networks.”

• Kumar Vembu, Chief Mentor: “Entrepreneurship is Tamil Nadu’s economic backbone. Startup Singam is fueling this momentum by connecting talent with opportunity.”

• Gopal Srinivasan: “The show is where capital meets mentorship and ambition meets scale. It’s an exciting time for Tamil Nadu’s founders.”

• Girish Mathrubootham: “From urban hubs to rural towns, Tamil Nadu’s entrepreneurial potential is immense. Startup Singam is the bridge to unlock it.”

By bringing together industry veterans, global investors, and grassroots entrepreneurs, Startup Singam is not just a reality show but a movement to power Tamil Nadu’s $1-trillion economic ambition.

By: Arushi Agarwal