Bengaluru-based Startups Club, a community for early stage start-ups with 15,000 members, will expand its operations overseas and in tier I and tier II cities in India by 2017.

The organisation currently has presence in 10 cities and will expand to 10 more by the end of 2017.

The cities include Madurai, Mangaluru, Mysuru, Goa, Indore, Chandigarh, Kolkata and Jaipur. The Startups Club will have its presence in Europe and the US as well, starting next year. Speaking to media persons, Vivek Srinivasan, co-founder, said there is a limitation as to how much Indian investors can fund. But that is not the case with foreign investments. “We are trying to bring international investors into India for collaborative investments in start-ups,” Srinivasan said.

The company has established connections in Dublin and Paris. Srinivasan said the club will leverage the connection to bring foreign investors in India.

Additionally, Michael Marks, co-founder and Managing Director, Innoventure Partners, has been brought on board to help start-ups connect with the right investors abroad. Marks, a serial entrepreneur and an investor, said Innoventure Partners is a global investor that helps companies with cross-border growth. The company has presence in the US, China, India and Singapore.

Marks said the Indian start-up ecosystem is an attractive community and is fast catching up. Indian start-up companies, according to Marks, are expanding at a faster rate compared to its Chinese counterparts.

“In fact, it has overtaken China and Israel,” he added. To nurture such an ecosystem, cross-border growth is essential, which is what Marks is bringing in. “I bring with me the expertise and connections working with investors for the past 20 years, which will help entrepreneurs connect with the right investors,” he added.

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