Chairman
Pradeep Dhobale
Happy New Financial Year! Season’s Greetings to all my friends and ecosystem partners on the occasion of Ugadi, Onam, Gudi Padwa, and Ramzan.
With the unwavering support of our HA members, who have been the backbone as anchor investors, we successfully launched the Hyderabad Angels Fund (HAF). This initiative continues HA’s legacy of fostering startups and strengthening the ecosystem. The fund will provide crucial support to startups backed by HA, ensuring a structured funding journey from Pre-Series A to Series B. This will help early winners scale faster, improve overall IRR for our members, and enable startups to navigate difficult market conditions effectively.
Additionally, HA has played a pivotal role in bolstering the local startup ecosystem. Through our Season 1 Incubator/Accelerator initiative, we brought together Hyderabad-based startups, offering them a platform to showcase their potential. We are now in the final stages of supporting 1-2 promising startups from this cohort as part of our commitment to nurturing local innovation
Looking ahead, 2025-26 promises to be a strong year for our portfolio companies. As more dry powder gets deployed, startups that demonstrate key performance indicators (KPIs) such as revenue growth and profitability will stand to benefit the most. We also anticipate strong momentum in sectors like AI, Consumer Tech (D2C brands), Healthcare, and other emerging industries, where innovative startups have the potential to create winning propositions.
I would like to close with a quote that resonates deeply with the journey of entrepreneurship and investment.
When the times are good, stretch them. But when the times are bad, stick to the basics and be honest with yourself.
― Anita Bhogle, The Winning Way
Let’s continue to build, invest, and grow together!
Thank you.
Srinivasan Namala
Vice Chairman
Season’s greetings and a very Happy New Financial Year 2025-26!
As we step into another exciting year, we take a moment to reflect on our journey at Hyderabad Angels (HA) over the past year. Despite the ups and downs in the startup ecosystem, we have remained steadfast in our strategy, ensuring that our vision and leadership continue to drive meaningful impact.
Staying true to our commitment to thought leadership, HA actively engaged with incubators and accelerators across India. A key milestone was Season 1 Series on March 12, 2025, which received overwhelming appreciation from our members and the broader ecosystem. It was recognized as a pioneering initiative, reinforcing our reputation as a leader in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship.
Our presence has continued to expand across premier institutions and startup hubs, including IIT Kanpur, Google Startups, IIT Kharagpur, BITS Pilani Hyderabad, T-Hub Ecosystem, IIIT Hyderabad, Aidea Enaarm, Aleap WeHub, Lead ahead India, Wadhwani Foundation, SRM University, Vignan Tenali, KLU University Vijayawada and many more. This engagement has strengthened our connections, broadened our reach, and reinforced our mission of nurturing and supporting startups.
We deeply value our ecosystem partners, including Chennai Angels, VCats, IPV, IAN, Succeed, Silver needle, Unicorn Ventures, and others, as we continue to explore co-investment strategies that fuel innovation and growth. These collaborations remain a pillar of our success and will play an even more significant role in the coming years.
Looking ahead, 2025-26 will be an inflection point for Hyderabad Angels. Our focus will be on:
- Strengthening the Hyderabad Angels brand, both in net worth and through the HA Fund (HAF), officially launched on March 15, 2025, to support our local ecosystem.
- Expanding our membership base and enhancing deal flow, leveraging the strategic backing of HA Fund.
- Strengthening our Secretariat team to scale operations and ensure seamless fund management.
With a strong foundation, an expanding network, and a clear vision for the future, Hyderabad Angels is set to make 2025-26 a landmark year. We thank our members, partners, and the startup community for their unwavering support, and we look forward to achieving new milestones together.
Wishing you all a successful and fulfilling year ahead!
Thank you.
Recent Investments of HA
Portfolio News
BluSmart
BluSmart into the United Arab Emirates (UAE) with the campaign #RideSmartDubai, marking the company’s first international foray.By launching service with ultra-premium EVs – Audi e-tron making it UAE’s first 100% electric full-stack premium limousine service. This move aligns with the UAE’s vision for a sustainable future while offering passengers a zero-emission, chauffeur-driven luxury experience. With seamless app-based booking and top-tier service, BluSmart aims to redefine urban mobility in Dubai.
Note
Company has received adverse media coverage due to debt default issues at Gensol Engineering, a listed renewable energy company promoted by same founders which lease EVs to BluSmart. Promoters have denied any wrong doing. We are in constant touch with the founders and following the developments to assess the impact on our investment.
PlanetSpark
PlanetSpark, a leading K12 edtech platform for Communication Skills learning, has entered into a dynamic partnership with Vobble, an innovative audio content platform providing a unique opportunity for students to become voiceover artists for audiobooks and podcasts on Vobble, leveraging their communication skills. This collaboration will help students enhance their storytelling, articulation, and voice modulation skills, preparing them for real-world opportunities in the audio content industry.
HESA
Hesa, in the presence of the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj S. Bommai, has announced the launch of a tech application for UBUNTU – a consortium which aims to create a marketplace for micro to medium-sized women entrepreneurs, enabling them to showcase and sell their products. This initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with a digital platform to expand their reach, increase sales, and enhance their business growth.
Skye Air
Hesa, in the presence of the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj S. Bommai, has announced the launch of a tech application for UBUNTU – a consortium which aims to create a marketplace for micro to medium-sized women entrepreneurs, enabling them to showcase and sell their products. This initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with a digital platform to expand their reach, increase sales, and enhance their business growth.
TurboHire
Hesa, in the presence of the Chief Minister of Karnataka, Basavaraj S. Bommai, has announced the launch of a tech application for UBUNTU – a consortium which aims to create a marketplace for micro to medium-sized women entrepreneurs, enabling them to showcase and sell their products. This initiative aims to empower women entrepreneurs by providing them with a digital platform to expand their reach, increase sales, and enhance their business growth.
New Product Launches
BluSmart
EV ride-hailing company BluSmart launched its pet-exclusive fleet of electric vehicles equipped with facilities for riders commuting with dogs and cats in Delhi and Gurugram.
- Comfort & Safety for Pets – BluSmart’s pet-exclusive EVs are designed with pet-friendly interiors, ensuring a stress-free ride for dogs and cats.
- Sustainable & Convenient Travel – Offering an eco-friendly alternative for pet parents, these EVs provide a clean, quiet, and reliable ride across Delhi and Gurugram.
Skippi
Skippi, a leading ice popsicle brand launches its new product line, Crazy Corn.It preserves the natural flavour and texture of the corn, offering a crispy, crunchy snack that retains its fresh taste without the need for artificial preservatives in a wide range of four unique flavours.
- Real Corn, Real Crunch – Skippi’s Crazy Corn retains the natural flavor and texture of corn, delivering a crispy, satisfying bite without artificial preservatives.
- Exciting Flavour Experience – Available in four unique flavours, Crazy Corn offers a delicious and innovative snacking option for those who love a crunchy, fresh taste.
Session AI
Session AI, the pioneer of in-session marketing,announced AI Incentive Optimization, a real-time AI solution for ecommerce retailers to achieve commercial goals. AI Incentive Optimization is the first technology of its kind to autonomously deploy, test, and manage on-site incentives in real-time – all without using any consumer personal data.
- Smarter Incentives, Higher Conversions – SessionAI’s AI Incentive Optimization autonomously adjusts discounts and offers in real time to maximize e-commerce success.
- Privacy-First AI Advantage – Boost sales without compromising user privacy, as SessionAI optimizes incentives without relying on personal consumer data.
TurboHire
TurboHire, the recruitment automation platform, announced its availability in the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, giving its customers access to trusted Azure cloud platform, with streamlined deployment and management.
- Seamless Integration with Azure – TurboHire is now available on Microsoft Azure Marketplace, enabling easy deployment and enhanced scalability for recruiters.
- Secure & Efficient Hiring – Leverage the power of Azure’s trusted cloud platform to streamline recruitment with TurboHire’s AI-driven automation.
Exits
