For the first time, Stanford Angels and Entrepreneurs (SAE) is venturing out of the Bay Area, California by setting up their India chapter. The chapter is being founded by Paula Mariwala, who graduated from Stanford University in 1988, and others.
SAE links angel investors to promising startups. It helps angel investors find exceptional startups, make smart investment decisions, and support enthusiastic entrepreneurs as part of the broader Stanford community.
These include Sandeep Singhal, cofounder of Nexus Venture Partners, Harsha Raghavan, CEO of private equity firm Fairbridge Capital, Chaitra Chidanand of payments firm Simpl and Satyen V Kothari, founder of Citrus Pay.
Stanford University in California is among the most prestigious institutions globally, counting the founders of Google, Facebook, Netflix and Tesla Motors among its alumni. Globally, companies founded by Stanford alumni generated revenues of $2.7 trillion annually and had created 5.4 million jobs since the 1930s, according to a 2012 report titled ‘Stanford University’s Economic Impact via Innovation and Entrepreneurship’.
In 2010, some of its former students started SAE, which now has about 20 companies in its portfolio. Stanford acts as the anchor for innovation in Silicon Valley and the alumni network in India is looking to replicate a bit of the culture in the country. The group wants to collaborate with other angel networks, conduct pitch sessions and events. It will have a mentor group in India that will be plugged into the broader advisory network in the United States.