SUKRITI CHADHA ‒ NYA MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
After previously angel investing on her own, Sukriti Chadha joined New York Angels to invest in a more disciplined way by learning from other experienced angel investors and gaining access to greater deal flow. While Sukriti works full-time, she finds angel investing helps her be more effective in her day job. Sukriti shares how she views screening as a clarity test and diligence as a reality check, her first impressions of meeting NYA Members, and her personal experience as a recreational pilot.
How did you first meet New York Angels, and why did you decide to join?
My earliest introduction to angel investing was in college, when a group of us traveled from the East Coast to Silicon Valley to meet entrepreneurs, investors, and founders. We met Bill Campbell, who was an executive coach and angel investor. Since then, I have invested in a few friends’ companies that did quite well, and I realized I wanted to do this in a more disciplined way with a community of fellow investors.
I chose New York Angels because it was important for me to have a local group. Supporting entrepreneurs in my community was important to me. I looked at a few angel groups in the city and concluded that NYA was the most buttoned-up, thanks to Cindy Cook’s leadership and the hard work of Liz and Jon. The quality of companies coming through was impressive, and NYA Members offered complementary skill sets that I was excited to learn from.
What has been your most memorable experience as a New York Angel so far?
I’m fairly new to NYA as I joined in early 2025, but the first couple of screenings were especially memorable. Within the span of two weeks, I saw an AI consumer company, a CPG company, a medtech company, an education company, a SaaS company, and even a drone company. That breadth of exposure is exactly why I joined. It was also eye-opening to see the common threads of “does this make sense as an investment?” combined with the depth of experience in the room including hundreds of years of collective investing and industry knowledge that I now have access to.
What do you look for when you are evaluating a company?
I am still learning, but I use a rough framework, since the companies we see are often very early-stage. I over-index on the team more than the product because it’s more about team-and-problem-space fit than product-market fit at this stage. The founding team needs to be passionate, have expertise, and be transparent about the problem they’re tackling, as well as the challenges they’re facing where investors can help.
I also focus on the size and relative pain of the problem because we need to see potential for the kind of 30x multiples David Rose writes about in his book. The business model and valuation are next on the list, and I’ve learned to ask more in-depth questions on these thanks to other NYA Members. Finally, I ask myself whether I can add true value to the team and the business I’m investing in.
What do founders appreciate most about working with you?
Outside of NYA, my investments have mostly been with friends, so the dynamic is different. With New York Angels, I think founders would say I ask the uncomfortable questions that help bring clarity. As an operator and someone fairly technical, I can get into the weeds, especially if it’s a consumer facing or technology-augmented business. I think founders appreciate that.
What differentiates companies that you see at Screening versus those who make it through to Due Diligence?
Screening is more of a clarity test, and Diligence tends to be more of a reality check. At screening, do you have a crisp, precise narrative about your market, your customers, what makes you an expert pursuing this business, and whether it’s big enough to be investable? Diligence, on the other hand, is about whether that story survives contact with data. It’s also where transparency of the founding team, their depth of thought process, use of funds, and the structure of their cap table all become crucial.
What advice would you give founders starting to fundraise?
Don’t wait until the last minute to raise funds. With angel groups, it’s not a one- or two-week process. It can take a month or more to go from screening to diligence to close. Have that buffer so you’re not scrambling. Also, know your instrument, whether you’re using a priced round or a SAFE and be clear about how you’ll use the proceeds. That clarity makes the process much smoother.
Looking at your past investments, what do you think is most critical for founders to deliver a successful exit?
Relentless execution, really understanding your market, your customers, your business model, and delivering on what you set out to do. From an exit perspective, build optionality: keep a clean cap table, maintain an acquirer map early, and work toward moats that hold value during M&A whether that’s retention, data, or hard-to-replicate partnerships.
What’s something from your career or life that’s shaped your perspective as an investor?
I’m a recreational pilot, and flying has instilled some habits that are very transferable. There’s the rule of “aviate, navigate, communicate”: which translates to handle the core business first, then handle the plan, then communicate the narrative. Flying is also about risk management. 80% is planning for worst-case scenarios, and like investing, it requires calm under pressure, checklists, and precision.
Additionally, I’ve spent over a decade building products in the consumer space, which gives me an operator-first lens.
How do you balance working full-time with angel investing?
New York Angels work happens mostly on weekends and late at night, so it doesn’t disrupt my day job. If anything, it makes me more effective because I get broad exposure to different industries, early-stage problem-solving approaches and an investor lens. That cross-pollination gives me fresh perspectives I bring back to my work.
As a newer NYA Member what advice would you give to others considering joining New York Angels?
Apply, especially if you’re interested in the New York area. Meet as many members as you can. For me, people always come first. I knew after meeting Michael Costa, Bruce Hack, Alyssa Tam and Cindy Cook early on, that these were people I wanted to learn from, and that they’re genuinely good people. Then assess how membership fits with your interests and lifestyle, while you get a sense of the deal flow, the quality of the companies and entrepreneurs you’ll be working with. The triple bottom line of people, community, returns (hopefully!) was a no-brainer.
