Meet this 25-year-old Angel Investor who started as an intern in a VC firm and ended up being its CEO – has invested in 70+ startups across different genres

Guided by the core belief that age is just a number but what one does with that number is more important – 25-year-old, Aditya Arora is the CEO of the FAAD Network Private Limited which is an investor-based network guiding early-stage startups towards successfully raising capital through its huge network of angel investors, HNIs, family offices, and other professionals. So far, the FAAD Network has invested in over 70 startups. 

Entrepreneurship was an innate passion for Aditya Arora who began his journey at the naïve age of 17 by ideating and even launching his businesses from that point on. Some of his ideas worked and some didn't last a month, but they sure made him realise his calling. Having felt the taste of the other side of the world, Aditya decided to venture into entrepreneurship full-time. 

Aditya Arora landed a gig as an intern in the FAAD Network but slowly, steadily, and surely – he climbed the ladder and by the time he was 21 years old, he became the CEO of the company. In achieving this feat, Aditya had portrayed his vision clearly – that he was here not just to grow personally but also to guide others toward their achievements. 

As of today, Aditya Arora has been around for more than 7 years taking up roles across sectors and donning many hats. He has actively worked with the Government of Delhi by rendering his expertise on various entrepreneurship-related aspects. Additionally, he played an important role as a part of the core team in conceptualising and launching the Entrepreneurship Mindset Curriculum Scheme and Business Blasters Programme – a nationwide scheme to help students from class 9th to 12th in grasping the concepts and functioning of entrepreneurship. 

A well-reputed name in the investor community, Aditya Arora has generously yet strategically invested in over 70 startups across various genres including but not limited to – EdTech, gaming, food, and more. 

Aditya is also a TEDx speaker and actively engages in meetup communities of Quora and Coursera. He has also represented India at prestigious forums like, “21st World Business Dialogue in Germany”, “Harvard Project for Asia and International Relations”, and “World Startup Fest.” He is also a startup industry member at FICCI, CII, and PhD Chambers of Commerce.

As an angel investor for the past 7 years and has seen and invested in an array of startups, Aditya brings with him a wealth of knowledge, tips, and nudges. In a conversation with Startup Pedia, Aditya Arora highlights the most important thing he looks for in a startup – “You know, it's really simple. Apart from the numbers and facts, we are obsessed with the obsession of the founder. The passion of the founder is both a green and red flag. And there are a number of things that point in this direction. Is a founder still continuing his full-time job? Is he taking too much money while the business makes minimal? Those are red flags. But, is the founder investing his own money? Is he working day in and out with the team? Those are green flags. In short, yes – we invest in the person first and then the business.”

Simultaneously, Aditya also highlights the importance of leveraging the power of networking to build a base for startup success for young founders and college students. 

Aditya Arora is also inclined towards improving society by being a helping hand in the educational initiatives for rural areas –an issue that he noticed while he was still in college. Thus, he laid the foundation of the Education Yatra campaign - A Social Campaign that aimed to provide underprivileged children with the right to the right education. 

Rome wasn't built in a day and neither did Aditya Arora achieve this position overnight. It is a manifestation of years of curiosity, hard work, and determination – the three key elements that can turn any dream into reality.