Rajesh Sawhney Sets Up India's First multi-city Accelerator; Dave McClure one among Many Key Advisors

Thursday September 20, 2012 , 3 min Read

The Indian digital economy is on an upswing. The Indian startup scene will take a big step forward with the launch of GSF Accelerator, India’s first 3-city (Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore) start up accelerator this October 2012 by **Rajesh Sawhney**. GSF accelerator will provide 12 startups with personalized & intensive mentoring, unparalleled access to funding and business networks, and initial capital.

GSF Accelerator is the initiative of Rajesh Sawhney, founder of GSF Superangels, a network of 30 leading digital founders and investors. The key advisors to GSF include Naveen Tewari, CEO and Founder of Inmobi, Avnish Bajaj, founder of Matrix Partners, and ex founder of Bazee (acquired by ebay), Saul Klein, Partner at Index Ventures, co-founder of TAG and Seedcamp, and Dave McClure, founder of 500 startups.

Rajesh explains, ‘GSF Accelerator program is built around three unique values: intensity of mentorship, deep collaboration with the ecosystem, and creation of a global springboard for the next generation of Indian start-ups. This program is designed to create the next wave of product-oriented technology start-ups in the areas of mobile, social, local and cloud. There is no reason that Indian entrepreneurs cannot create the next Instagram, or the next twitter, or the next Inmobi. The program will run simultaneously in Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru between October-November, 2012, with each location hosting 4 start-ups. Extensive coaching will be

provided to each of the 12 GSF start-ups over a period of 7 weeks by a mentor pool of over 200 leading co-founders and digital masterminds from across the world. The GSF accelerator start-ups will attend 25 intensive and proprietary workshops conducted by

global experts.

Sawhney explains, “12 start-ups will receive initial funding from GSF this year. This is the single largest funding platform for the Indian start-ups. GSF Superangels will provide further funding to a few start-ups at the end of the program. The 12 start-ups will also be

showcased at the GSF2012 (The Second Global Superangels Forum) on Nov 26/27, 2012, where 400 leading early stage investors from across the world will meet start-ups. Thirty leading founders are funding GSF Superangels and GSF Accelerator. Leading

Indian funds such as Kae Capital, and Blume Venture have also partnered with GSF Accelerator. GSF has entered into key strategic partnerships to provide a global springboard for these start-ups." Says Sawhney,

Says Dave McClure, ”India is booming with innovation, and 500 startups is excited to be partnering with GSF Accelerator in one of the world’s most exciting entrepreneurial ecosystems. 500 has already made several several investments in India and we plan to do more in the future. Kudos to Rajesh and his team for putting together this awesome accelerator program.”

Naveen Tewari, comments, "This is a truly exciting program for Indian start-ups. Fostering innovation in an environment that brings out the native creativity of founders is critical to the future of the Indian Tech industry. GSF accelerator will develop a grass root tech culture and set the platform for long term success.”

Says Avnish Bajaj, founder of Matrix Partners India, on the launch of GSF Accelerator, "Rajesh has been involved with the internet since its inception in India and has been playing an active role as an angel investor, mentor and an “ecosystem creator” for the

past few years. He has identified the GSF Accelerator as the best way to provide further institutional support to the entrepreneurial ecosystem and I am truly privileged and delighted to support this effort in every way possible.”

Website: GSF Accelerator

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