In India’s rapidly evolving startup ecosystem, capital alone is no longer enough. What truly matters today is conviction — the ability to understand a founder’s vision deeply and back it with trust, time, and thoughtful strategy. To explore this philosophy in action, Indian Startup Times sat down with Abhishek Taparia, Co-Founder and CEO of Radix Capital Advisors, a boutique investment banking firm specialising in early and growth-stage funding. In a funding ecosystem crowded with transactional dealmakers, Radix Capital has quietly built a decade-long reputation by doing the opposite — prioritizing trust, alignment, and long-term founder success over volume and visibility.
With nearly 20 years of experience in global and Indian financial markets, Abhishek has transitioned from traditional banking to high-touch startup advisory with a purpose-driven approach. Since founding Radix Capital in 2014, his mission has been clear: offer honest, founder-aligned, and insight-driven fundraising advisory — a niche, long underserved in India.
Key Highlights of the Conversation:
From Global Finance to Purpose-Led Advisory
Abhishek’s career began with the Royal Bank of Scotland in Dubai. After moving back to India in 2010, he joined Feedback Ventures (now Feedback Infra), followed by a strategic stint at Singhi Advisors. During his interaction with multiple ecosystem players during 2013-14 timeframe, he saw the need for a new kind of advisor in the early-stage ecosystem who can bring rigor and patience of typical late stage bankers — one that looked beyond transactions and focused on long-term founder success. If this approach can be differentiated in mid-market space, it should also add immense value to early stage companies as well.
“In 2014, we saw an opportunity to create a model based on trust, depth, and alignment with founders — not just deal-making,” Abhishek shared.
Radix Capital: Relationships Before Revenue
Building Radix from the ground up was far from easy. Startups often dismissed advisors as middlemen, and the pure play distribution approach with the context lists lacked relevance and respect. But Abhishek and his team were committed to their model — one that prioritized genuine understanding of a particular business’ need over volumes of transactions .
Over the past decade, Radix has engaged with over 1,300 startups but accepted only 24 mandates, completing 30 successful closures with a 90%+ success rate with a decade-long consistency. Their sweet spot lies in Pre Series A and B deals and have done transactions in a vast range between $2.5M and $100M+, across sectors such as fintech, SaaS/enterprise tech, consumer brands, and healthcare.
With offices in Mumbai and Bangalore and expansion plans for Delhi NCR, Radix has built a reputation for disciplined, thesis-led execution.
“We don’t chase deals,” he explained. “We back founders early — typically assisting them in getting their first institutional cheques and then walk with them on long and mutually rewarding journeys. Majority of clients have done multiple transactions with us and we continue to be their long term advisors from PMF to growth stage.
What Sets Radix Apart
Radix’s approach is unusually thorough. The team often invests anywhere from 25 days to 3 months in evaluating a company before accepting a mandate. For Radix, it’s not just capital, they are helping startups have the right partners onboard and if & when a deal doesn’t feel right, they don’t shy to walk away— even at the final stage. “One time, we advised a founder to step back at Share holders’ agreement signing stage — because the alignment just wasn’t there,” Abhishek recalled.
For early-stage startups, the firm focuses on founder-market fit and execution capability. For growth-stage ventures, data and unit economics take center stage. Radix follows no herd — only depth.
What Founders Often Get Wrong
Abhishek highlighted three common mistakes founders make while fundraising:
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Assuming deals happen quickly — in reality, they don’t. They should start planning and kick start the process much earlier
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Believing a perfect pitch is enough —Pitch’s job is just to open door and get you a meeting, post that the authenticity of the deal and delivery of the founding team’s conviction matter more.
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Thinking warm intros guarantee funding — Ability to communicate your story using data across all stakeholders is the key. It is just not the partner meeting which gets the funding. In fact, it the entire chain which is important.
“Start your raise 6–9 months before you need the capital. And focus on storytelling — not just polish.”
India’s Changing Capital Climate
Backed by a portfolio that’s seen 100x+ growth journeys, Radix has worked with founders through every phase — from uncertainty to scale. It has navigated boom and bust cycles — even structuring complex deals during COVID-19.
According to Abhishek, 70% of Radix’s business now comes via investor referrals, reflecting the trust they’ve built.
He believes India is entering a new investment phase:
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Largest pool of VC dry powder ever
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Operator-turned-investors adding execution value
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Increased emphasis on capital efficiency
The Road Ahead: Betting on India’s Next Growth Frontiers
Abhishek is especially optimistic about:
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Fintech: Confluence of leapfrogging digital adoption, Tech led innovations serving a hugely under-penetrated economy “We’ve barely scratched the surface.”
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Climate tech: A rising opportunity, given global and regulatory tailwinds.
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Enterprise tech and SaaS: Entering a multi-decade growth cycle.
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Consumer brands: Potential is vast, but dependent on genuine brand-building.
Conclusion: Investing in People, Not Just Products
In an era where noise is high but depth is rare, Radix Capital stands out for its integrity-led, founder-first approach. Rather than chasing volume, the firm bets on the right people — and backs them with conviction.
Abhishek Taparia’s deep insights into India’s private capital markets, combined with a rare honesty about what works and what doesn’t, make his voice one that founders — and investors — would do well to heed.
“We’re not just advisors. We’re partners in the long haul.”
Interview Conducted By Sandhya Bharti, Deputy Editor, Indian Startup Times
