Venture Capital

Antler India's ONDC-focused platform gains steam as 140 founders sign up

Sowmya Ramasubramanian

September 05, 2023 | 7 Min Read

Within a month of launching, the Antler ONDC platform—which aims to support early stage startups building on ONDC—has received 500+ applications and selected 140 founders to join its community. The platform could supercharge ONDC, while giving Antler a better foothold in an important market.

Key Takeaways

Launched on August 16, the Antler ONDC platform has already received more than 500 applications from both new and seasoned founders
Of these, 140 founders were selected to be part of the first Antler ONDC community. Members will get access to master classes, networking opportunities, and the chance to secure up to $500,000 in pre-seed funding
ONDC will benefit from founders actively building on its network, while Antler gets a better foothold in India and hitches its wagon to a platform with massive potential
The initiative is likely to push other early stage VC funds to follow Antler’s lead and make ONDC an integral part of their thesis

On August 9, at a packed event at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru, Antler India announced the launch of an Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC)-focused venture platform, Antler ONDC.

The platform, said early-stage focused Antler India, would create a community of startups all focused on building atop the nascent government-led e-commerce protocol. It aims to provide startups with access to mentors, experts, and, for a select few, up to $500,000 in pre-seed funding as well.

Backed by Infosys Chairman and Cofounder Nandan Nilekani and the Foundation for Interoperability in Digital Economy’s (FIDE) Beckn Protocol, Antler ONDC is Bengaluru-based Antler India’s attempt to supercharge ONDC adoption.

ONDC—which was established by the government’s Department of Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)—is an open, interoperable network aimed at enabling commerce among buyers, sellers, and middlemen through digital public infrastructure. Just like the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which facilitates digital payments through compatible applications like Paytm and PhonePe, ONDC can be used by businesses to carry out online transactions like travel bookings and online shopping.

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