-- India’s startup ecosystem has seen unprecedented growth, with over 1.59 lakh recognized startups as of 2025. This rapid expansion has created more than 16.6 lakh jobs and positioned India as the world’s third-largest startup hub. While this momentum is encouraging, it reveals a growing concern among early-stage founders: the lack of consistent mentorship and a reliable support system.
Nearly half of these ventures originate in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, and around 50% include at least one woman director. This signals a shift toward decentralization and inclusivity. However, many founders—especially solo entrepreneurs—report facing the journey alone, without structured guidance or community engagement. Access to funding may be improving, but access to emotional and strategic support remains uneven.
This gap is becoming especially visible in high-growth centers like Mumbai, which saw a 154% year-on-year increase in startup funding in 2024. Financial inflows have outpaced the development of professional communities that foster trust, knowledge exchange, and resilience.
Emerging platforms are beginning to fill this void. One such initiative is YBF (Your Best Friend), a Mumbai-based startup founded in 2025 by Avikaa Singh. Unlike conventional professional networks that prioritize transactions over relationships, YBF focuses on bridging the gap between mentorship, peer connection, and long-term personal development.
The platform was born out of Singh’s personal experience of building a business without a support system. “I didn’t have mentors, I didn’t have a tribe. I had ambition—but no structure to grow within,” she explains. That experience laid the foundation for a model rooted in trust-based networking and access to timely guidance.
YBF's approach combines a curated digital platform with a focus on relationship-building and expert-led mentorship. It offers a response to the ecosystem’s growing demand for holistic founder support—not just funding, but mental clarity, shared wisdom, and sustainable connections.
As India's startup story evolves, platforms like YBF represent a crucial next step: building not just businesses, but the ecosystems in which they can thrive. If India wants its entrepreneurial boom to be more than a spike in numbers, it must invest equally in community as it does in capital.
Contact Info:
Name: Avikaa Singh
Email: Send Email
Organization: YBF YOURBESTFRIEND
Website: https://www.yourbestfrnd.com/
Release ID: 89160001
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