The Desi VC With Akash Bhat podcast

#Trading #Business #India #Akash Bhat #Managing Partner

22:08

Host Francesca Amiker sits down with directors Joe and Anthony Russo, producer Angela Russo-Otstot, stars Millie Bobby Brown and Chris Pratt, and more to uncover how family was the key to building the emotional core of The Electric State . From the Russos’ own experiences growing up in a large Italian family to the film’s central relationship between Michelle and her robot brother Kid Cosmo, family relationships both on and off of the set were the key to bringing The Electric State to life. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts . State Secrets: Inside the Making of The Electric State is produced by Netflix and Treefort Media.…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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The Desi VC, hosted by Akash Bhat, is an award-winning podcast featuring conversations with top investors & founders on trends, insights, and personal/success stories in the India-US startup ecosystem. Our purpose: As an immigrant in the US with deep roots in India, Akash explores the parallels & contrasts between Indian & US VC/tech landscapes. The podcast bridges knowledge gaps, fosters cross-cultural collaboration & celebrates 'desis' making a mark in the US.

149 episodes

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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updated 12 days ago

Series home•Feed

149 episodes

#Trading #Business #India #Akash Bhat #Managing Partner

All episodes

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E150 - Insights from an AI-focused VC | Pramod Gosavi (Blumberg Capital) 1:24:06

12 days ago1:24:06

1:24:06

Pramod is a Senior Principal at Blumberg Capital , an early-stage venture capital firm specializing in leading Seed and Series A rounds. The firm is based in Tel Aviv (Israel) and San Francisco. Before joining Blumberg Capital, Pramod was a Principal at 11.2 Capital, where he focused on investing in early-stage cybersecurity, data, dev-tools, and AI. He led seed rounds in Coalesce, Permiso, StrikeReady, Surf Security, MightyMeld, Leen, and Collinear AI. Previously, Pramod was Director of Corporate Strategy/Venture Capital at VMware, advising senior leadership on product, growth, and M&A while investing in startups such as JFrog (IPO), CloudEndure (acq. by AWS), Armis (acq. by Insight), GuardiCore (acq. by Akamai), Wavefront, VeloCloud (acq. by VMware), and Affirmed Networks (acq. by Microsoft). In today's episode, we discuss his journey from an operator to corporate venture capital and then to traditional venture capital, as well as investing in AI. This is a unique episode—you'll find very few VCs with a career trajectory like Pramod’s. ⌛ Timestamps: Trailer + Intro (0:00) CVC vs. traditional VC: key similarities (3:45) How CVCs are structured & incentivized (6:39) The mandates & investment thesis of CVCs (12:45) Investing for today vs. the future (14:45) How CVCs make investment decisions (18:25) The role of a ‘sponsor’ in CVC investments (22:44) Why should early-stage startups take CVC money? (25:00) How CVCs add value to later-stage companies (30:25) Maximizing value from CVC investors (34:10) Transitioning from CVC to traditional VC (37:50) How Pramod has helped his portfolio startups (42:00) What investors look for in AI startups (49:00) Can founders be taught to sell better? (56:15) GTM strategies for selling to enterprises (59:45) Understanding enterprise customers as a founder (1:04:27) How investors can build a personal brand (like Pramod) (1:09:15) The “so what” philosophy for founders & investors (1:13:50) Advice to younger self (1:16:03) Why being 10x is attractive to investors (1:20:35) 🎥 Subscribe to watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! Support the podcast: 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Substack⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E149 - From Amazon Engineer to IPO: The HyreCar Story | Anshu Bansal 1:06:23

30 days ago1:06:23

1:06:23

Anshu Bansal is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He co-founded Hyrecar , a peer-to-peer car sharing marketplace that allows anyone to rent their cars to Uber and Lyft drivers safely and reliably. In today’s episode, learn how a late-night Uber ride in 2014 sparked a groundbreaking business idea that would reshape the ride-sharing industry in the US. Anshu takes us through his incredible entrepreneurial journey—from his programming days at H&R Block and Amazon Prime Music to building the “Airbnb for ride-share cars.” Along the way, he faced direct competition from Uber, financial struggles that nearly led to bankruptcy, and even sold his own car to keep the company afloat. Against all odds, he turned things around and ultimately took the company public in a remarkable comeback story. Learn how they validated their concept by going undercover at Uber Driver Hubs, built their first MVP using just a spreadsheet that generated $9,000 in month one, and navigated crucial pivots when faced with competition from Uber itself. ⌛ Timestamps: Introduction – The late-night Uber ride that sparked a billion-dollar idea (05:03) Early Career – From coding at Amazon & H&R Block to building startups (05:31) The Birth of Hyrecar – How one conversation turned into a game-changing business (06:31) Cracking the Business Model – How Anshu structured Hyrecar for success ( 08:43) Proving the Idea – The key steps that validated Hyrecar’s potential (13:13) Ignored by Uber – Why the ride-share giant didn’t see Hyrecar coming (16:25) Reinventing Car Ownership – How Hyrecar disrupted the ride-sharing ecosystem (18:36) Thriving in the Unknown – Why Anshu builds businesses in industries he knows little about (24:27) Lessons from Amazon & Microsoft – What big tech taught Anshu about scaling companies (26:53) Hiring in Startups vs. Big Tech – The biggest differences founders must understand (30:43) The Real Meaning of Entrepreneurship – What it truly takes to build a successful startup (32:43) Personal Struggles & Entrepreneurship – How life’s challenges shape founders (35:43) Finding the Right Co-Founder – The make-or-break decision for every startup (41:08) From Near Collapse to IPO – The incredible journey of Hyrecar’s turnaround (47:41) Building a VC Fund – Why Anshu launched his own investment firm (54:43) Jumping into Cybersecurity – What made Anshu bet on an entirely new industry (56:14) The Biggest Lessons as an Operator – What years of entrepreneurship have taught him (01:01:13) Advice to His Younger Self – The hard-earned wisdom every founder should hear (01:02:03) Support the podcast: 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E148 - The Ultimate Founder-Led-Marketing Playbook | Aquibur Rahman (CEO, Mailmodo) 1:11:29

6 weeks ago1:11:29

1:11:29

Aquibur Rahman is the Co-founder and CEO of Mailmodo , an interactive email marketing software that helps marketers create app-like experiences in email by adding forms, shopping cart, calendar, NPS and other widgets. It helps companies collect feedback from their users, book meetings with prospects, recover abandon carts, generate leads, all within the the body of the email. The company is backed by Peak XV Partners (prev. known as Sequoia India), Y Combinator, BoldCap, Titan Capital & All In Capital.Aquib has been a marketer his entire career. Prior to founding Mailmodo, he headed marketing at Cleartax, a leading tax & investing platform, where he built and grew the practice from the ground up. And before that he had short but impactful stints at P&G, iProf Learning Solutions (I) Pvt. Ltd., and CarDekho.From a small village in Bihar to Super30, IIT Dhanbad, IIM Ahmedabad, and now the Silicon Valley, Aquib has come a long way and defied the odds at every step. Humble, soft-spoken, and incredibly knowledgeable, he brings deep insights into marketing, growth, and startup success.In today's episode, we dive deep into marketing strategies for founders and startups. Aquib shares actionable insights on why founders should position themselves as the face of their companies and how they can do it effectively, proven strategies for scaling market as a strong source of lead generation and brand building in the early stages, and a step-by-step playbook for executing founder-led marketing effectively.This is a MUST-watch episode for every founder and marketing person at startups ⌛ Timestamps: Trailer (00:00) Introduction (01:16) Episode kick-off (03:33) How did Mailmodo land its first customer? (03:47) Proven strategies to acquire your first paying customer (05:36) How Mailmodo landed Razorpay as a customer (10:33) Why design partnerships & POCs should be paid (11:55) What is "build-in-public"? What's a good playbook for it? (13:56) What is Founder-Led Marketing & why it works (18:38) The key components of a strong Founder-Led Marketing strategy (20:32) Marketing strategies that helped Mailmodo scale (22:33) How to build partnerships with lesser-known brands (25:12) Is all marketing good marketing? (25:50) The dangers of overpromising & underdelivering (27:18) Examples of founders who nailed Founder-Led Marketing (29:53) When should founders start focusing on Founder-Led-Marketing? (32:15) How customer discovery leads to marketing success (34:03) The biggest mistakes founders make in marketing (40:50) Live Marketing Workshop: Aquib breaks down a real-world example (45:01) How AI is changing SEO: What founders need to know (48:33) SEO best practices for 2025 and beyond (55:13) How AI is reshaping email marketing (59:43) How should a brand think about email marketing today? (1:01:59) Why marketing is all about building relationships (1:06:03) If Mailmodo started today, what would Aquib do differently? (1:09:19) With infinite resources, how would Aquib scale marketing? (1:10:13) 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠⁠Twitter/X⁠⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E147 - Tips for B2B Enterprise Founders | Yousuf Khan (Ridge Ventures) 1:34:13

8 weeks ago1:34:13

1:34:13

Yousuf Khan is a Partner at Ridge Ventures , a seed and Series A stage venture fund investing in enterprise and B2B startups. With a deep understanding of startup growth and scaling challenges, Yousuf not only drives Ridge’s investment portfolio forward but also provides hands-on support to founders, offering guidance rooted in his extensive experience across leadership roles. He currently serves as a board director for Ridge-backed companies, including Archera, Cerby, Chisel Labs, Lightyear, Rafay, and Rewind. Before joining Ridge, Yousuf held several pivotal positions in leading technology companies. He was the first CIO of Automation Anywhere ($6.84 billion company), played a dual role as CIO and Vice President of Customer Success at AI-driven cloud platform Moveworks ($2.1 billion company), and served as CIO at two public companies, Pure Storage (PSTG) and Qualys (QLYS). His deep industry expertise also includes advisory roles with companies like Zoom, Productiv, and Material Security. In this episode, Yousuf shares his journey into venture capital, discussing key insights on building a career in VC, the importance of founder empathy, and the role of self-awareness and diversity in investing.He offers practical advice on how VCs can create information arbitrage, draw value from feedback cycles, and support founders through challenges at scale. The conversation also delves into best practices and strategies for enterprise software founders, covering topics like customer obsession, board meetings, and leadership at scale. ⌛ Timestamps: Trailer (0:00) Introduction (1:40) Episode kick-off (3:44) Yousuf shares his experience in venture capital (4:26) Is venture capital for everyone? What should one expect? (5:20) Knowing your 'WHY' before starting a career in VC (7:13) How to become a venture capitalist (9:00) How VCs draw inferences from feedback cycles (11:44) Creating information arbitrage as a VC ( 14:41) The importance of diversity in a venture team (16:46) The role of founder empathy in investing ( 18:25) Authenticity: An underrated trait in founders ( 19:39) Why VCs should have self-awareness ( 22:07) Common problems founders face as they scale ( 25:07) Why very few CIOs become VCs ( 27:00) API to DPI: The journey of an investor ( 32:34) How to build a strong track record in venture ( 36:40) Speaking the talk vs. walking the walk ( 39:00) The importance of obsession in venture capital ( 41:06) Serendipity and opportunity in VC ( 43:01) Immigrant spirit, shared experiences, and gratitude in venture ( 47:37) How Yousuf handles failures or bad investments ( 59:06) Best practices for running board meetings ( 1:06:07) The science of creating a perfect board deck ( 1:08:10) How long it takes founders to master board meetings ( 1:10:35) Tips for founders on running their companies better (1:12:32) Why the technology industry is inherently imperfect ( 1:14:15) The importance of operating in "customer mode" (not just founder mode) ( 1:20:16) Advice for enterprise software founders ( 1:24:54) What’s ahead for 2025 ( 1:26:58) Advice Yousuf would give his younger self ( 1:30:10) 🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠YouTube⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠Spotify⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠Twitter/X⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E146 - Inside a $1.1B Deep Tech, Cross-Border Fund 🚀 | Sriram Viswanathan (Founding Managing Partner, Celesta Capital) 1:21:06

11 weeks ago1:21:06

1:21:06

We had the privilege of hosting Sriram Viswanathan , Founding Managing Partner of Celesta Capital . Based in San Francisco, Celesta Capital is a global, multi-stage venture capital firm managing $1.1 billion in assets. The firm specializes in cross-border investments between India and the United States, with a focus on deep-tech. Since its inception in 2013, Celesta Capital has invested in over 100 companies including those in space-tech, bio-tech, artificial intelligence, drug discovery, semi-conductors, cloud infrastructure, imaging, construction, diagnostics among others. Sriram Viswanathan has more than 30 years of technology business operations and venture capital experience. Prior to Celesta, Sriram was the founder of IndusAge Partners, a cross-border venture firm investing in companies in India-US corridor. Sriram spent nearly 20 years at Intel Corporation in various senior management roles, including VP of the Intel Architecture Group (IAG) and later as the VP of Intel Capital and General Manager of Intel’s Incubation and Innovation Group. In this episode, we explore Sriram’s journey, from his time at Intel during its peak, where he first delved into deep tech, to his unique experiences intersecting with Hollywood. We explore building a winning organizational culture, Sriram’s core values, and how Celesta Capital reflects the shared principles of its four partners. Sriram shares insights into Celesta’s investment thesis, rooted in the operational expertise of its team, and offers lessons on what makes a successful venture capitalist, from the importance of relationships and authenticity to navigating leadership changes. We discuss the immense opportunities in deep tech, particularly in India, the impact of geo-politics and regulation on investing, and strategies for attracting LPs to deep tech funds. With advice on choosing the right VC partner, building with an exit mindset, and running efficient board meetings, this conversation is packed with valuable takeaways for founders, investors, and anyone navigating the world of deep tech and venture capital. 🎙️ Fun fact: Sriram also hosts @techsurge-deeptech podcast. Give it a listen! ⌛ Timestamps: 1. Episode Trailer | 00:00 2. Guest Introduction | 01:23 3. Episode Kickoff | 04:12 4. The secret behind longevity at Intel | 05:24 5. Why Intel bet big on deep tech | 08:51 6. How Intel evaluated deep tech in the 90s | 11:13 7. Convincing Steven Spielberg to use Intel's InTru3D for Shrek | 13:13 8. Building a culture of longevity in organizations | 17:08 9. Laying the foundation for a career in venture investing | 19:57 10. Traits of a successful venture capitalist | 23:58 11. The tough decisions in VC: leadership changes | 30:04 12. Why VC is about people and relationships | 32:32 13. Choosing the right VC partner over a big-name fund | 36:15 14. “Elon doesn’t run SpaceX” | 37:40 15. How to run efficient board meetings | 39:08 16. Authenticity as a superpower | 40:14 17. Celesta Capital’s investment philosophy | 41:40 18. The three pillars of a VC fund and founding Celesta Capital | 45:00 19. Key investment criteria at Celesta | 50:10 20. “Venture capital sucks” | 53:28 21. Why deep tech is a major opportunity in India | 58:25 22. How geo-politics and regulation shape investing in India | 01:01:21 23. Why LPs are excited & going long on deep tech | 01:03:55 24. Balancing returns across markets with different maturities (India & the US) | 01:05:40 25. Attracting new LPs to deep tech | 01:07:46 26. Building deep tech with an exit mindset | 01:11:45 27. Lessons learned from venture investing | 01:13:28 28. Sriram’s decision-making framework | 01:16:22 29. Episode Outro | 01:20:16 🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on YouTube 🎧 Follow us on Spotify 📸 Follow us on Instagram 🐦 Follow us on Twitter/X 💼 Follow us on LinkedIn 🎵 Follow us on TikTok 💌 BTS content on Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E145 - Built & Sold 2 Companies & Now Manages $350M AUM Fintech Fund | Sheel Mohnot 1:02:07

13 weeks ago1:02:07

1:02:07

In this episode, we sit down with ⁠ Sheel Mohnot ⁠ , co-founder of ⁠ Better Tomorrow Ventures ⁠ (BTV), a San Francisco-based $350M AUM fund that leads pre-seed and seed rounds in fintech companies globally, typically writing first checks ranging from $500K to $4M. BTV also runs The Mint Accelerator, a program providing mentorship, resources, and community support for fintech founders. At its core, BTV invests for a better future, driven by the belief that fintech can genuinely improve people’s lives. Sheel is an operator-turned-investor. He built and sold FeeFighters, a Stripe-like payment gateway and processor product called Samurai, which was acquired by Groupon pre-launch in 2012, as well as Innovative Auctions. He also co-founded Thistle, a healthy meal delivery company that raised minimal VC funding and now employs over 500 people. In this episode, we dive deep with Sheel to uncover the lessons he’s learned from building and exiting two businesses, the profound influence of family on his journey as both a founder and now an investor, and why he believes seed-stage investing allows BTV to have the greatest impact. He shares candid insights about what it means to be the first call for his founders, the perks and challenges of being an operator-turned-investor, and the importance of portfolio diversification. Sheel also reflects on traits of an ideal investor, finding life’s purpose, and even tells a story about the time he smoked a cigarette just to close a deal as a founder. Whether you’re an aspiring investor, an entrepreneur, or just someone looking to grow as an individual, this episode is packed with stories, lessons, and actionable insights. It’s the perfect way to kick off the year—leaving you inspired and introspective! ⌛ Timestamps : Episode trailer | 00:00 Family's influence on Sheel | 02:15 First encounter with Fintech | 04:44 Lessons from working in India | 05:43 Impression of India while growing up | 09:05 Correlation between family, values and investing | 11:57 Why VCs seek billion-dollar outcomes | 15:28 Importance of discipline in venture investing | 17:53 How does Sheel view himself? | 20:40 Value of approachability | 22:21 Importance of putting oneself ‘out there’ | 27:30 Hard problems, emerging markets & power of writing | 28:57 Dealing with imposter syndrome | 30:35 The hidden role of a VC | 34:10 Benefits of portfolio diversification | 38:09 Advantages Operator-turned-VCs hold over pure investors | 39:06 Traits of the ideal investor | 40:15 Finding life’s purpose | 45:17 Advice for indecisive founders | 47:12 Angel investing as a precursor to VC | 52:38 Key Learnings as a second time founder | 53:43 Story of smoking a cigarette to make a sale | 54:52 Insights from successful leaders & why startups fail | 57:09 Sheel’s fashion & style | 59:07 🎥 Subscribe to see watch more unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE on ⁠YouTube⁠ 🎧 Follow us on ⁠Spotify⁠ 📸 Follow us on ⁠Instagram⁠ 🐦 Follow us on ⁠Twitter/X⁠ 💼 Follow us on ⁠LinkedIn⁠ 🎵 Follow us on ⁠TikTok⁠ 💌 BTS content on ⁠Substack…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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Trailer: We're now on video! 2:04

13 weeks ago2:04

2:04

After 150 audio-only episodes on Spotify & Apple Podcasts, The Desi VC is finally stepping into the world of video ! The first video episode drops on January 1st. Join host Akash Bhat every fortnight as he interviews: Top investors managing billion-dollar funds Serial entrepreneurs with multiple successful exits Operators who’ve built some of the most recognizable tech companies Get ready for: Candid stories of personal highs, lows, and the decisions that shaped these leaders' journeys Exclusive insights into venture capital & the art of building successful startups Playbooks & strategies for cracking the US market (founders, take notes!) Funny & relatable moments that show the human side of the industry’s best 🎥 Subscribe now to see unfiltered, unscripted conversations that will inspire, educate, and entertain! 🔗 SUBSCRIBE: https://youtube.com/thedesivc 🎧 Follow us on Spotify: https://spoti.fi/41OVDhM 📸 Follow us on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash 🐦 Follow us on X: https://x.com/bhatvakash 💼 Follow us on LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/bhatakash 🎵 Follow us on TikTok: https://tiktok.com/thedesivc 💌 Sponsor The Desi VC Podcast: akash@thedesivc.com…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E144: Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl (Founder & Managing Partner, Eternal Capital) 58:46

14 weeks ago58:46

58:46

Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl is the Founder & Managing Partner at Eternal Capital , a 120-crore fund investing in transformative startups across technology, healthcare, and consumer sectors in India. He is the former COO of BharatPe, and a leader with extensive experience in scaling businesses and driving operational excellence across Airtel, PayTM, and Fortis Hospitals, where he spearheaded growth and strategy initiatives. This is the first of a two-part series, with the second part coming out next week. Stay tuned! Episode Notes: Introduction (1:45) Dhruv’s transition from operator to investor (5:09) Insights from launching a new fund in India in 2024 (16:20) Developing investment skills and discipline as a venture fund manager (27:30) Strategies for fund managers to unlock capital for portfolio companies in later rounds (42:30) Perspectives of external vs domestic investors/LPs on India’s venture landscape (49:35) Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dhruv on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Dhruv ⁠⁠ on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E143: Dhirendra Mahyavanshi (Co-founder & CEO, Turtlemint) 50:52

14 weeks ago50:52

50:52

Dhirendra Mahyavanshi is the Co-Founder of Turtlemint , an online insurance platform backed by Nexus Venture Partners, Peak XV, Jungle Ventures, GGV Capital, Blume Ventures among others. The company is on a mission to makes it easy to understand and buy insurance. Before founding this company he held leadership positions at Quikr and ICICI Lombard. He holds an MBA degree from The IIM Calcutta. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:20) Early exposure to entrepreneurship (2:16) Influence of ICICI and Quikr roles on founding Turtlemint (5:15) Startups in the 2010s: parallels and differences (8:50) The inspiration behind starting Turtlemint (12:34) The Indian insurance landscape in 2014 and VC sentiment (17:05) Enhancing the insurance buying experience in India (21:20) Insurance purchasing patterns across India’s diverse tiers (24:24) The leadership journey at Turtlemint (28:25) Mental models and decision-making frameworks (33:38) Challenges in running Turtlemint (37:40) Dhirendra's vision for Turtlemint’s future (40:01) Influencing policy and regulation in India’s insurance sector (43:15) Reflections on the entrepreneurial journey (47:47) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dhirendra on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ Dhirendra ⁠⁠ on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E142: Archana Jahagirdar (Managing Partner, Rukam Capital) 54:24

16 weeks ago54:24

54:24

Archana Jahagirdar is the founder and managing partner of Rukam Capital , to find out. Set up in 2019, the Delhi-based venture capital firm invests in early-stage consumer products and services companies with significant growth potential. The VC has funded as many as 20+ startups, including noted brands such as Go DESi, Sleepy Owl Coffee, Burger Singh, BECO, The Indus Valley, Curefoods and more. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:25) Why did Archana venture into investing in startups? (2:51) The evolution of the Indian startup ecosystem (7:14) Why are Rukum’s LPs excited about India and the fund? (14:04) How do Indian LPs add value to portfolio companies? (17:50) Key learnings from portfolio founders (22:08) Essential practices for every founder (31:19) Rukam Capital: Investment focus and thesis (41:15) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Archana on Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Archana ⁠⁠ on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E141: Anshuman Singh (Co-Founder of Scaler) 55:46

17 weeks ago55:46

55:46

Anshuman Singh is the Co-founder of ⁠ Scaler ⁠ , an edtech company designed to upskill college graduates and young software engineers in advanced computer science topics. The company has raised $55M from Lightrock, Peak XV Partners and Tiger Global Management, at a valuation of $700M. Before Scaler, Anshuman had co-founded InterviewBit, a platform aimed at helping software engineers prepare for technical interviews. During this time, he noticed that many talented individuals were struggling with the practical skills required to excel in real-world tech jobs, despite holding degrees in computer science. This realization laid the groundwork for Scaler. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:20) Shifts in EdTech: A Founder’s Perspective (2:35) The Inspiration Behind Scaler (6:40) Crafting a World-Class Curriculum (14:48) Navigating Challenges as a VC-Backed Startup (21:10) Building Brand Advocacy and Community (25:19) Preparing Talent for an Evolving Workforce (31:20) Today’s Student and Their Approach to Learning (35:49) Surprising Insights About EdTech in India (44:55) Key Learnings as a Founder and Leader of Scaler (50:11) Advice for Aspiring EdTech Founders (53:25) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Anshuman on Twitter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠ ⁠ Anshuman Singh on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E140: ⁠Sagar Kochhar⁠ (Co-founder & CEO, Eatsure, Rebel Foods) 58:19

22 weeks ago58:19

58:19

Sagar Kochhar is the Co-founder of Rebel Foods , and CEO of Eatsure . After completing his engineering degree from NIT Kurukshetra and an MBA from SCMHRD Pune, he began as a design engineer with Larsen & Toubro, then moved to Perfetti Van Melle and Vodafone in marketing roles. At Rebel Foods, he initially joined as Sr. VP of Operations, playing a crucial role in building brands from scratch to multi-million-dollar valuations. Since becoming Group CMO in 2016, Sagar has led brand growth across geographies, focusing on innovative campaigns and community engagement to strengthen brand equity and deliver memorable consumer experiences. In 2020, he launched and became the CEO of Eatsure , a food delivery platform and brand created by Rebel Foods that focuses on providing safe, quality-assured food from a curated selection of restaurant brands. It’s known for its "100% Safe Food Guarantee," where every meal is prepared following strict hygiene and safety protocols. Eatsure's app aggregates multiple brands under one platform, offering a wide variety of cuisines through a virtual food court concept. It also uses technology to track and assure quality across Rebel Foods’ cloud kitchens, enabling customers to order from different brands in one single order. . . . Episode Notes: The journey of Rebel Foods: From inception to today (2:50) Cracking the cloud kitchen business model (24:11) Insights from Sagar on India's evolving food consumption habits (31:45) Leveraging technology and AI to drive Rebel Foods' operations (43:13) Leadership transformation throughout the company’s growth (52:55) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sagar on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Sagar on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Akash Bhat on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠…

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⁠⁠E139: Karthik Prabhakar⁠⁠ (Managing Partner, ⁠⁠PeerCapital) 1:09:16

28 weeks ago1:09:16

1:09:16

⁠ Karthik Prabhakar ⁠ is the Managing Partner at ⁠ PeerCapital ⁠ , an early-stage investment fund in India focused on seed to Series A rounds. Karthik has been a part of the Indian tech ecosystem since 2005, with a wealth of experience in venture capital, product development, and marketing. Prior to PeerCapital, Karthik was the Managing Director at Chiratae Ventures (formerly known as IDG Ventures). . . . Episode Notes: What still excites Karthik about India today (2:35) Staying ahead of trends as an investor (5:11) India’s trajectory over the next 10-15 years (10:18) Karthik’s evolution as an investor from the beginning to now (17:40) How to build a strong network in venture capital (21:20) Building a world-class institution in venture capital (26:40) Measuring the factors that contribute to a VC fund’s brand (31:30) The importance of branding for a VC fund (33:45) PeerCapital’s success in building a brand (40:22) How to genuinely add value as an investor (46:46) Is competition beneficial for a VC fund? (54:30) Why gaming is a focus area for PeerCapital (57:05) Top 3 lessons from Karthik’s investing career (1:03:35) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Karthik on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Karthik on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠…

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E138: Aditya Nambiar (Co-founder, Fennel AI) 42:22

28 weeks ago42:22

42:22

⁠ Aditya Nambiar ⁠ is the co-founder of ⁠ Fennel ⁠ , a modern feature engineering platform that enables you to author, compute, store, serve, monitor, and govern both real-time and batch ML features, backed by Foundational Capital. Before diving into entrepreneurship, Aditya built products at Google and Facebook, and is an IIT-B alumnus. . . . Episode notes: Introduction (1:40) Why choose entrepreneurship? (2:32) The mindset shift: Small teams solving big problems vs. hyper-focused challenges (9:05) When is a product truly ready to ship? (12:10) What does it take for someone transitioning from big tech to thrive in startups? (16:44) Beyond technical skills: What to look for in an early startup hire (21:08) The personal impact of startup life on founders (25:51) Key learnings from building a startup (32:58) Aditya’s life purpose (36:05) How to enjoy the process of pursuing your purpose (38:25) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Aditya on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Aditya on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E137: Mayuresh Raut (Managing Partner, Seafund) 56:22

31 weeks ago56:22

56:22

Mayuresh Raut is the Co-founder & Managing Partner of Seafund , investing in pre-Series A startups in India with investments in companies such as Wigzo, Inc42, Zippee, ClooTrack among others. SEA Fund’s mission is to help the next set of technical founders, with small amounts of early capital in getting to market to build efficient and scalable businesses. He is an Engineer and an MBA and is an alumnus of Virginia Tech and INSEAD, has over 21 years of leadership experience with global clients in Manufacturing, Construction & Analytics in Financial Services & Healthcare and has been investing in startups for over 10 years. . . . Episode Notes: Why pursue a career in venture capital? (2:33) What excites investors about India today compared to when they first started? (4:24) Improving policy-making: How India has evolved (10:24) Areas where India can excel on the global stage (18:55) Adopting a long-term perspective on investing (32:15) Accelerating India's middle-class growth and GDP (36:17) Cultivating the next generation of top entrepreneurs (43:35) India's trajectory over the next decade (52:13) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mayuresh on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Mayuresh on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn⁠…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E136: Swati Bhargava (Co-founder, CashKaro.com) 1:10:22

31 weeks ago1:10:22

1:10:22

Swati Bhargava is the Co-Founder of CashKaro.com , India’s largest Cashback & Coupons site, backed by Kalaari Capital, Korea investment partners and Affle. Swati first started Pouring Pounds with her husband Rohan Bhargava in the UK in 2011. Seeing the huge opportunity in India they launched CashKaro.com in April 2013. Swati is an alumnus of the London School of Economics and has worked at Goldman Sachs in London for 5 years before embarking on the path of entreprneurship. In this episode we’ll cover her decade long journey building a consumer business and all things she’s learned about being a founder and growing as leader. . . . Episode Notes: Swati's journey into entrepreneurship (2:54) Influence of parents on career decisions (7:30) Essential advice for aspiring and first-time entrepreneurs (10:40) Embracing uncertainty in entrepreneurship (15:25) Founder’s evolution as the company grows (18:35) Cultivating company culture (23:55) Pros and cons of having your life partner as a co-founder (31:40) Early days of CashKaro: Customer acquisition, attracting investors, and brand building (34:50) How capital empowers founders (39:04) Taking a step back to move forward (42:42) Investor sentiment in 2024 (45:28) Transformations in the Indian startup ecosystem over the past decade (47:45) CashKaro’s larger vision and future outlook (52:54) Spirituality and mental resilience as a founder (59:36) The importance of vulnerability in leadership (1:02:52) Advice to a younger Swati (1:09:02) . . . Social links Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Swati on Twitter⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Swati on LinkedIn⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E135: Anish Achuthan (Co-founder & CEO, Open Financial Technologies) 1:02:07

36 weeks ago1:02:07

1:02:07

Anish is the Co-founder and CEO of Open , a neo-banking platform which provides business banking services to SMEs and startups. With over 17 years in the fintech industry, Anish has a rich entrepreneurial background. In 2001, he co-founded his first startup, iFuturz Wireless, focusing on mobile value-added services. In 2007, he founded CashNxt, a plug-and-play mobile payment and financial inclusion platform for semi-urban and rural markets, which was later acquired by a Latin American company. In 2009, he built Neartivity Wireless, an NFC-based payment processing platform. In 2013, he co-founded Zwitch, India’s first developer-focused payment platform, which was acquired by Citrus Payments in 2015. At CitrusPay and later at PayU, Anish interacted with numerous SMEs and realized that banking was broken for small businesses, with owners struggling to track their income and expenses, leading him to found Open. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:50) Why entrepreneurship? (2:37) Selling his first company (9:00) Building fintech in India from 2010 to 2024 (13:45) Why Open and what was the vision for the company when it was initially founded? (18:48) Building trust as an early Neo bank in India (23:20) Lessons from building multiple startups (28:20) Building and nurturing culture (33:20) Building during the years of the pandemic (40:55) Growing as a leader (47:55) Challenges of building a company at scale (52:20) Vision for Open in the coming years (56:38) Advice Anish would have given himself early in his career (58:55) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Anish on Twitter ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Anish on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E134: Edul Patel (Co-founder & CEO, Mudrex) 54:47

37 weeks ago54:47

54:47

Edul Patel is the Co-founder & CEO of Mudrex , a crypto exchange platform on a mission to democratize investing, with its primary goal being to make crypto investing easy and accessible to all. The company has raised over $22M from Y Combinator, Nexus Venture Partners, Tribe Captial, QED Investors and Arkam Ventures. Edul brings with him over 10 years of experience deep-rooted in finance, entrepreneurship, and building tech-driven applications. Previously Co-Founded Niffler, which was acquired by Tapzo where he led the product team to build the core infrastructure and the app. . . . Episode Notes: Intro (1:50) How Edul got into entrepreneurship (2:45) Why so many IITians become founders (6:45) Overcoming insecurities as a founder (13:13) Learnings as a second-time entrepreneur (17:40) The origin of Mudrex (22:02) How Indian VCs viewed crypto in 2017 (29:36) The crypto and web3 movement: why community matters (35:15) Building investor confidence in crypto after recent events (42:17) What Edul has learned about himself as an operator (45:45) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Edul on Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Edul on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E133: Navin Honagudi (Managing Partner, Elev8 Venture Partners) 48:32

38 weeks ago48:32

48:32

Navin Honagudi is the Managing Partner at Elev8 Venture Partners , an India-focused $200M Growth-stage fund. Elev8 focuses on Series B and C rounds of financing in hyper growth companies. He bring 18+ years of experience investing in early and growth stage technology firms and also held the positions of Co-founder and Partner at Kae Capital. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:48) How Naveen entered venture capital (2:24) Comparing entrepreneurs: 2000s vs. today (4:45) Indian VC landscape & expected exits/returns in the 2000s (8:38) What Elev8 looks for in founders (11:45) Why India is exciting today (18:01) Opportunities in offline to online transition in India (25:30) Emerging sectors like faith-tech (28:15) Next billion dollar opportunities: alcohol, sex-tech, betting, gaming (32:25) Summarizing investment experiences: CVC, consumer VC, and growth-stage VC (37:25) Investing in early-stage vs. growth-stage (42:15) Advice Naveen would give his younger self (45:28) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠⁠ Navin on Twitter⁠ ⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Navin on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E132: Sanket Shah (Co-founder & CEO, invideo) 1:03:34

41 weeks ago1:03:34

1:03:34

Sanket Shah is the Founder of invideo, an AI-powered video creation platform for creators, boasting over 25 million users worldwide. As a trusted leader in the industry, InVideo serves customers in 190 countries and has raised over $52 million from investors including Tiger Global, Peak 15, RTP Global, Titan Capital, and Hummingbird Ventures. Prior to InVideo, Sanket founded MassBlurb, which was acquired by Mobikon in 2016. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) How to discover your superpowers? (2:50) Why did Sanket decide to be an entrepreneur? (3:40) How did growing up in an entrepreneurial family influence Sanket's decision to become a founder himself? (7:20) How did the idea for invideo come into being? (13:03) Early days of invideo (18:18) Serving the anti-power user (23:20) How does invideo ensure stickiness with its product (32:37) Fostering a culture of multifaceted thinking within the organization (37:25) Sanket’s view on hiring, culture and leadership within the company (42:55) Internalizing as a founder (58:20) Reflecting back on the journey and advising a younger self (1:02:25) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠⁠ Sanket on Twitter ⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠ Sanket on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E131: Ashok Hariharan (CEO, IDfy) 1:00:24

42 weeks ago1:00:24

1:00:24

Ashok is the Co-founder and CEO of IDfy, an online fraud detection and identity platform that provides background verification services to banks and financial institutions. He started his career in semi-conductors, building high-speed network processors. His MBA degree took him away from Engineering and into the world of Business Strategy. He worked with British Telecom in London for 5 years before deciding that his heart lay in creating value grounds-up. The company has raised over $54M from IndiaMart, KB Investment, Blume Ventures, Elev8 Venture Partners among many others. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) Was entrepreneurship part of Ashok’s career plan (3:04) Early influence of entrepreneurship (4:40) Learnings from building (13:50) What does entrepreneurship teach you about failure and setbacks (25:00) Struggling with mental health as founders (30:00) Evolving as a founder: Doer to enabler (39:45) Building a ‘change culture’ (44:01) Impact of entrepreneurship on personal life (51:35) Advice to self and other founders (54:29) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠ ⁠Ashok on Twitter ⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠ Ashok on LinkedIn ⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E130: Rajiv Srivatsa (Partner, Antler India) 1:05:20

47 weeks ago1:05:20

1:05:20

Rajiv Srivatsa is a Partner at Antler India , one of the most active early-stage venture capital firms. Prior to Antler, he co-founded Urban Ladder, an omni-channel furniture and decor retailer started in 2012. The company raised over $100M from SAIF Partners, Kalaari, Steadview, Peak XV Partners, Trifecta Capital and Ratan Tata. In November 2020, the company was acquired by Reliance Retail. Prior to Urban Ladder, he served as a Senior Product Manager with Yahoo, and before that at Infosys. He is an alumnus of IIT-Madras and IIM-Bangalore. . . . Episode Notes: How did it all start for Rajiv (2:02) When and why did Rajiv decide to start Urban Ladder (5:50) Where does Rajiv’s love for consumer products come from (12:10) How did idea of selling home decor / furniture originate (14:41) How did Urban Ladder look at culture internally and build a great one at scale (28:45) How has Rajiv’s leadership evolved over the years (34:12) How and why did Rajiv decide to enter venture capital (42:35) What does Rajiv enjoy the most - being an operator, founder or investor (55:10) Rajiv’s advice to anyone on a break looking for a framework on how to develop a career plan (57:35) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠ Rajiv on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠⁠ Rajiv on LinkedIn⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠⁠ Follow ⁠⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E129: Shwetank Verma (Co-founder & Managing Partner, Leo Capital) 52:30

49 weeks ago52:30

52:30

Shwetank Verma is the co-founder of Leo Capital, a venture capital fund investing in companies inIndiaand South East Asia. Recent investments include CoLearn (edtech), WayForward (mental health), CoverGenius (Insurtech) and IndiaGold (Digital Gold). Leo Capital is backed by institutional investorsfrom Singapore and Silicon Valley. Prior to Leo Capital, he led Open Innovation for MetLife Asia and was a part of the senior management team of LumenLab, MetLife's innovation consultancy. At LumenLab, he advised MetLife country CEOs andsenior leaders on growth, startup collaboration, culture change and new product development. Prior to joining MetLife, he was a serial entrepreneur in healthcare and education in India. He serves asInnovation Adviser to the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at the Singapore Management University. He is also a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales and holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics and Econometrics from the University of Nottingham (UK), where he was a Foreignand Commonwealth Office scholar. . . . Episode Notes: State of the industry in 2024 How does Shwetank define a good investor? Takeaways from working with portfolio founders Vision for India the next 5 years Examples of building from India for the world from a category-creation play Best investor persona: Operator vs Pure investor? How did Leo build its internal thesis? Why did Shwetank become an investor? What does Shwetank like and dislike about investing? How has Shwetank evolved as an investor? Insights from working with Leo’s porticos Advice Shwetank would give his younger self . . . Social Links: Follow Shwetank on Twitter Follow ⁠ Shwetank on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠ Follow Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E128: Prayank Swaroop (Partner, Accel) 48:41

1 year ago48:41

48:41

Prayank Swaroop is a Partner at Accel, and joined the firm in 2011. He focuses on cybersecurity, developer tools, marketplaces, and SaaS investments. Some of the investments led by him are - Aavenir, Bizongo, Maverix, OnsiteGo, Securden, Slintel, Skeps, and Zetwerk. Prior to Accel, he worked at Adobe and Standard Chartered Bank in India and Singapore. He held positions across engineering, product marketing, pre-sales, and product management. He has an integrated master's degree in Mathematics and Computing from IIT Delhi and an MBA from the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad. . . . Episode Notes: What made Prayank take a bet on venture as a career path (3:38) Naivety in venture capital (7:10) Where is venture as of October 2023, post the global slow down (9:50) Sectors that have shown massive potential in spite of it being a dull year in terms of venture activity (18:18) Insights gained by Prayank over the course of his ten years of investment experience (22:15) How to evaluate people as an investor (27:38) How would Prayank rebuild his career as an investor if given a chance to restart (38:37) Advice to founders (48:15) . . . Social Links: Follow Prayank on Twitter Follow ⁠ Prayank on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E127: Priya Saiprasad (General Partner, Touring Capital) 53:53

1 year ago53:53

53:53

Priya Saiprasad is a General Partner at Touring Capital , a fund investing in enterprise-focused AI powered global startups. She co-founded Touring after 13 years in venture capital, M&A and enterprise technology. She was most recently a Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund, where she led investments into category-defining software companies including Pixis, Vendr, Observe.ai, CommerceIQ, Sendoso and Skedulo. Previously, Priya was at Mayfield Fund focused on early-growth investments, and a founding member of M12 (Microsoft’s Venture Fund), where she led investments in Go1, Workboard, PandaDoc, Element AI (acquired by ServiceNow), and Bonsai (acquired by Microsoft). Prior to that, she was a Deal Lead in Square’s M&A team leading acquisitions at the intersection of software and machine learning. Priya was recognized by Forbes in 2018 as part of their 30 under 30 in Venture Capital list. She is actively involved with All Raise, Neythri, and several prominent Women in Tech associations. Priya holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the Haas School of Business at UC Berkeley. . . . Episode Notes: How did Priya end up in venture (2:36) What about venture surprised Priya the most (6:00) Insecurities as/of an investor (11:25) Learnings as an investor when investments haven’t really worked out (17:02) How can one acquire the skills to assist founders, even if they haven't personally experienced those challenges? (25:05) Investing is personal: Do investors derive guidance from aspects of their life when making investment decisions? (29:35) How does competition drive investors (34:52) Prestige and perception in venture (41:30) Advice Priya would give her younger self (47:20) . . . Social Links: Follow ⁠Priya on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠ Priya on LinkedIn ⁠ Follow ⁠The Desi VC on LinkedIn⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on Twitter⁠ Follow ⁠Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

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E126: Rohit Bansal (Co-founder, Snapdeal) 56:03

1 year ago56:03

56:03

Rohit Bansal is the Co-founder Snapdeal, one of the largest online marketplaces in India. The company has raised over $1.7B from eBay, Kalaari Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Intel Capital, BlackRock, Temasek Holdings and SoftBank. He is also the Co-Founder of Titan Capital , which has invested in companies such as Mamaearth, Dealshare, OLA, RazorPay and OfBusiness. He an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (2:00) What motivated Rohit to become an entrepreneur (2:57) Why is entrepreneurship on the rise in India (10:30) How did Rohit get into investing (14:30) How did and does Rohit deal with tough moments in life (19:26) How do founders continue to stay motivated over the years (27:58) What frameworks does Rohit deploy to navigate tough situations in life (31:39) Why it’s important for founders to look after themselves (36:20) Looking back at his career what is Rohit the most proud of? (41:15) What is Rohit dedicating the next 5-10 years of his life towards (45:45) What advice would Rohit give his younger self? (52:02) . . . Social Links: Follow Rohit on Twitter Follow Rohit on LinkedIn Follow The Desi VC on LinkedIn Follow Akash Bhat on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on LinkedIn…

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E125: Shubham Goel (Co-founder & Co-CEO, Affinity) 47:00

1 year ago47:00

47:00

Shubham Goel is the Co-foudner and Co-CEO of Affinity, a relationship intelligence platform for dealmakers. The company has raised over $120M in funding from Menlo Ventures, MassMutual Ventures, Pear VC and Advance Venture Partners. Prior to Affinity, Shubham completed his BS in Computer Science at Stanford University. . . . Episode notes: What made Shubham pick entrepreneurship (2:00) Propensity of risk increasing as the company grows (6:08) The journey until the ah-ha moment (10:06) The aha-moment (17:00) Unlocking the operator and leader persona as a founder (25:15) Getting the most out of your teams as a leader (31:10) Things that have surprised Shubham in the company building journey (37:15) What would Shubham do differently if he were to build Affinity from scratch today? (43:54) . . . Social links: Follow Shubham on Twitter Follow The Desi VC Podcast on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on Twitter…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E124: Sumeet Mehta (Co-founder & CEO, LEAD) 44:35

1 year ago44:35

44:35

Sumeet Mehta is the co-founder and CEO of LEAD , an edtech company helping digitize and transform affordable private schools to better serve students from middle and low-income groups of families. Before co-founding LEAD, Sumeet was Chief Executive Officer at Zee Learn (2007-2012). He transformed the institution from a pre-school franchise company to an education company with a presence in pre-schools and K-10 schools, and science activity and animation classes. Prior to that, Sumeet spent eight years at Procter & Gamble Singapore, where he was involved in in brand management, leading businesses in Australia, Southeast Asia, and India. Sumeet is an alumnus of IIM-Ahmedabad and PEC Chandigarh. . . . Episode Notes: Introduction (1:40) How and why did Sumeet co-found LEAD? (3:08) How do you 'figure out' your mission as a founder? (8:18) Do founders take time to introspect about their personal growth? If they do, how frequently do they engage in this practice, and what methods do they employ? (14:23) How can a founder effectively address and manage their insecurities while continually learning and growing in their role? (19:20) What has Sumeet learned about himself over the course of his entrepreneurial journey (24:00) The toughest part of building a company (28:36) Working with your significant other as a co-founder (32:08) Non-negotiables as a founder (34:50) Fostering a culture of long-term thinking among employees (39:02) Advice Sumeet would offer his younger self (41:11) . . . Social links: Follow Sumeet on Twitter Follow LEAD on LinkedIn Follow The Desi VC Podcast on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on Twitter Follow Akash Bhat on Instagram…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E123: Sankar Bora (Co-founder & COO, Dealshare) 53:56

2 years ago53:56

53:56

Sankar Bora is the Co-founder & COO, Dealshare , a social ecommerce startup in India, that has raised close to $400M in venture money from marquee investors such as Alpha Wave Global, Tiger Global, Matrix India, Alteria Capital and WestBridge Capital. Prior to this, he co-founded Myntra in 2007, which was sold to Flipkart in 2010. . . . Episode Notes: Why entrepreneurship? (2:30) What gave Sankar the conviction to embark on the path of entrepreneurship (5:50) Early days of Mantra (10:32) A few mistakes made at Myntra (14:25) How to pick co-founders? (20:34) Learnings from building Myntra (22:50) Validating the thesis around Dealshare (27:50) What did Sankar get right about building Dealshare and early signs of success (33:45) Understanding the diversity of Indian customers Nurturing consistency at Dealshare (43:25) What has entrepreneurship taught Sankar (46:20) . . . Social Links: Dealshare on Twitter: https://twitter.com/dealshareindia Sankar on Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/SankarBora6 Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash…

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

1
E122: Aloke Bajpai (Co-founder & CEO, ixigo) 1:01:32

2 years ago1:01:32