Ravi Gururaj

"Health is an investment, not an expense." — Anonymous Just a few days ago, our teams at DeVC and PeerCapital brought together an incredible group of entrepreneurs and enablers to explore the real investments and expenses in healthcare. On stage, we had the dynamic trio of Mayank Banerjee , Dilip Kumar and Tarun Bhambra, who combined their wit and wisdom to delve into: - The consumerization of healthcare, preventive vs. curative approaches, accessibility and affordability challenges, offline vs. online dynamics, and how founders can bridge skill gaps. - The evolving role of AI and tech in healthcare, and how founders are strategically allocating resources to build cutting-edge solutions. - Collaborating with doctors, aligning incentives across systems and how ambitious change starts with robust foundational systems (think CAC's and LTV's). The conversations were raw, experiential, and refreshingly honest. If it weren’t for the ticking clock and the rainy day, we might still be chatting! It was inspiring to engage with so many passionate builders committed to reshaping India's #healthcare future. Let’s keep the dialogue alive. We invite more of your participation and views. Together, we are investing in the future of health. #healthtech #investing #founders

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Co-lead a workshop (with Sumathi my business partner and Komal lath of Tute Consult) on branding and communication and why/how its' strategic & important for the portfolio companies of an early stage growth focused PE fund in Mumbai this noon. very interactive session. lots of takeaways. one of the biggest benefits of doing such workshops with founders and CXOs of growth companies is that you get to first hand understand their pain points and priorities. which makes you realize there is a long road ahead laden with great opportunity for those in PR & comms if we take off our hats and look at it from their perspective.

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The Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) has proposed easing angel fund regulations and opening up these funds to more diverse investor groups. In a major step, the regulatory body will soon allow family trusts and sole proprietorships to invest in angel funds.   These measures are likely to boost opportunities for startup funding and supply young ventures with essential capital for growth, highlighting SEBI’s commitment to cultivating a robust entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. Read more: https://lnkd.in/g3aGwgJP #StartupFunding #AngelInvestors #SEBINorms #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #IndiaStartups #BusinessGrowth #StartupEcosystem

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When you find a practical use of AI in an area that has strong tailwinds in the India growth story, you know this is a venture that has a high potential not just for value creation but for job creation in the country. Delighted to back TraqCheck founders Jaibir Nihal Singh, Armaan Mehta and @rishabh jain as they make it easier for over 200 corporations to embrace the new way of work. Traqcheck's Ai-enabled background checks of employees is way, way faster and far more reliable than traditional methods of background verification. Pankaj Bansal (पंकज बंसल)Karann Mittal Danish Dogra Aman Khan Yukta Kelkar Atreyi D.

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A few weeks back, we at SkillsOn, set sail with India's first venture capital (VC) school - with fresh, engaging & 100% practical sessions backed by 10+ years of investing experience & conducted by executives from India's leading investment funds. The last module of the VC masterclass set the ground running with a thorough overview of the deal flow - stages, steps, skills & a real-world case. And as with every module, a signature offering - this time it was the "Alpha Doc" - a one-stop guide to set valuation multiples for companies. More on the Alpha Doc in the upcoming module, “The Venture Capital Engine” this Saturday, 10th August @ 5pm. This module will discuss how India’s leading funds evaluate sectors and companies, conducting research beyond Google, getting high-quality inputs, drawing razor-sharp conclusions and deciphering hidden stories in company financials. All with the backdrop of a real-world case to build 100% practical understanding. This will be the heart of the VC masterclass series. And you do not want to miss this! If you’re eager to explore the world of start-ups, looking to build a career in investments, planning to raise funds for your venture or simply enthusiastic about this space, this is the session for you. More in comments. #venturecapital #entrepreneurship #innovation

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Shruti Gandhi: From Underestimated to Unstoppable Solo Venture Capitalist 🚀 🎤Introduction: Shruti Gandhi, the solo general partner of Array Ventures, has become an unstoppable force in the venture capital world, boasting 15 exits in just five years. Her unique approach and impressive track record have set her apart in a competitive industry. 🌟 🎯Investment Strategy: 1- Preparedness: Gandhi meticulously researches startups before meetings, allowing her to make quick, confident investment decisions. She often decides to invest by the end of her first meeting with founders. 2 - Early Commitment: For instance, she invested in Nikhil Teja Kolli's mokSa.ai during their initial call, impressed by her thorough understanding of the market and strategy. 📝Track Record: 1 - Successful Exits: Gandhi's $7 million maiden fund has yielded a net multiple of almost four, with notable exits such as Simility (sold to PayPal for $120 million) and Zimperium (sold for $525 million). 2 - Ongoing Investments: Her first fund still supports promising startups like Solugen and Openprise, with potential future exits that could elevate the fund's net multiple to 10x. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦Background: 1 - Early Life and Education: Gandhi moved from India to the U.S. at 17, taught herself to code, and worked as a software engineer at IBM while earning her master’s degree at Columbia University. 2 - Entrepreneurial Beginnings: She founded Penseev, a startup aimed at creating visual timelines from social network data, but pivoted to venture capital after struggling to attract investors. 💰Investment Philosophy: 1 - Agitated Workforce: Gandhi seeks out founders frustrated by inadequate tools who are motivated to create better solutions. 2 - Early Trust: She is often the first to invest in a company, recognizing potential in founders before others do. Her hands-on approach and technical expertise make her a valuable partner. 🏃‍♂️Transition to Venture Capital: 1 - Supportive Network: Encouraged by founders she had supported, Gandhi transitioned to raising her own fund, starting Array Ventures in 2016. 2 - Fundraising Success: Array has raised three funds and several special-purpose vehicles, totaling $150 million in assets under management. Over half of the entrepreneurs in her portfolio have reinvested in her funds. 🤝Hands-On Approach: Founder Relations: Gandhi’s technical skills and proactive support are highly valued by the founders. For example, she secured investment for Rad AI by expressing her enthusiasm and commitment during a casual elevator conversation reported by Business Insider in a recent article. 🌟 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #VCfund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments (Series A/Series B)?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE

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Discover why AI's future is Indian! 🇮🇳 I recently spoke to The Economic Times about SenseAI Ventures' latest WhitePaper, which reveals how India is poised to lead in AI adoption. From SaaS dominance to untapped AI tooling potential, find out what the future holds for Indian AI startups. Explore the full WhitePaper: https://lnkd.in/dC8jQU6j Check out the Economic Times article to learn more about these recent developments. SenseAI Ventures #ai #indiaai

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The process of getting deeper into the Indian start-up ecosystem as an angel investor and limited partner (2 new hats of mine since 2023) is well on its way. Today spent the day attending Ivycap day 2024 as a special attendee. getting to understand the dynamics of investing, assessing business models and plans, valuation and most importantly founders. should have started a bit earlier but then no regrets. these new hats are part of a larger connecting the dots am attempting.

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Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) is on the rise globally, with India hosting over 150 CVCs. This trend reflects corporations' recognition of the innovation startups bring and their desire to stay competitive. By investing in startups, corporations gain access to innovation, value-adding technologies, and financial incentives. CVCs play strategic roles by investing in startups within their industries, offering benefits like industry networks and expertise, while also providing general support such as access to experienced professionals and relaxed return expectations. The significance of corporates investing in the startup ecosystem is continually growing globally, with many Southeast Asian corporations turning their attention to South Asia, particularly India. Read More Here: https://bit.ly/4a8vsTJ #Restaurants #Hospitality #Technology #Business #Innovation #AI #investing #venturecapital Branded Hospitality Ventures Noah Stern

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Tech of today was at some point of time considered as DeepTech. This evolution happens gradually, powered by visionary innovators and supportive investors who pave the way forward. Today, India stands in a unique position—not only to drive groundbreaking innovation and attract top talent but to do so at a significantly lower cost than in other markets. At Aeravti Ventures, we are continuously inspired by the innovation potential of the Indian founders and are thrilled to be at the forefront of it. Below is the link of the The Economic Times article in collaboration with Ankit K. of Capital-A https://lnkd.in/gPhJ3pyk

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Zerodha launches new fund to support global open source projects. This is the first kind of fund which support open source projects. Great initiative Nikhil Kamath The fund represents a structured effort to provide financial support to FOSS projects, ensuring long-term sustainability for developers and contributors. A dedicated $1-million annual fund aimed at supporting Free/Libre and Open Source Software (FOSS/FLOSS) projects globally. emphasised the importance of FOSS in Zerodha's success, acknowledging that the company has been built on open-source tools and technologies — from programming languages to databases. #opensource #community #developers The Linux Foundation Open Source India Zerodha https://lnkd.in/duVh2tWV

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Only TWO days left to apply for the RippleX Fellowship program! If you are a student/dropout/recent grad building a b2b software company in Canada/US, this is the program for you. In our last batch we had some amazing mentors like: - Braden Ream (CEO, Voiceflow): Mastering storytelling and navigating selling into enterprises - Rahul Parmar (Prev. Senior Director of Sales, Drata): Sales 101 – Converting pilots to real revenue, creating urgency among buyers, and best practices to manage a sales process - Nicholas Chepesiuk (CEO, OnCall Virtual Care, now part of Qualifacts): Striving towards product-market fit, utilizing creative outbound strategies, and the importance of building trust with customers in the early days - Justin Sky (CEO, Rose Rocket): Identifying venture-scale markets, learning when to pivot, and building strong organizational culture - Josh Gray (CEO, Artemis): Conducting customer validation, segmenting your ICP, and advice for young founders Apply here: https://lnkd.in/e2iAu6vi

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Founder blows up $22bn edtech startup to zero. 0️⃣ Founder runs away and hides in Dubai. 🛩 👻 Founder blames investors. 😯 In this situation, what words other than f*%k come to your mind? 👇 👇 👇 I present to you Loot and Thug - today’s Indian origin words that are commonly used in the English language. This is the 4th weekly edition of such words. Please repost and share with your friends if you like this. Words from the last 3 weeks are at the bottom of this post. LOOT: The term loot is primarily derived from the Hindi word lūṭ, which means "booty" or "spoils of war." The Hindi term can be traced back to the Sanskrit words loptra meaning "booty" or luṇṭ which translates to "to rob" or "plunder". Loot can be used as a noun as in booty (not that booty), or as a verb to carry off or take something. The adoption of this word into English occurred when India was a British colony. The earliest recorded use of loot in English dates back to 1802, when it was defined in a military context as an "Indian term for plunder or pillage." By the 1920s, its figurative meaning had developed further within American English. An example of its use in modern slang is “stash the loot.” THUG: Originates from the Hindi word ṭhag meaning "swindler, thief, cheat" and is ultimately derived from the Sanskrit word sthaga meaning "cunning, fraudulent." The first use of the term goes back to the 14th century and referred to a gang or network of criminals operating around India’s main roads. The first recorded English use was in 1810 to refer to members of the Thuggee gang. Like loot the adoption of this word occurred when India was a British colony. In modern usage it typically refers to a violent criminal or bully. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher of the UK used it to describe everyone from unruly football fans to people involved in race riots. The word thug actually rebounded in American popular culture, thanks in part to Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. It has also been adopted in hip-hop culture since the 1990s, sometimes with more positive connotations of resilience, like by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. But it continues to retain strong negative connotations as well outside of its original cultural context and use PLEASE REPOST AND SHARE with friends if you enjoyed reading this. Last week we covered Musk and Juggernaut. In previous weeks we have talked about Orange, Candy, Khaki, Shampoo, Jungle and Pepper... all words of Indian origin commonly used in the English language. You can find the previous posts on my timeline. In closing, did the edtech founder do something wrong? Until the courts decide, he is innocent until proven otherwise. CAN YOU GUESS WHO IS THIS FOUNDER?

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Exciting Developments in the Indian Budget 2024 for the Startup Ecosystem! 🚀 The Indian Budget 2024 has unveiled several groundbreaking measures that reflect a strong commitment to economic stability, growth, and innovation. Here’s a quick overview of the key highlights: ✅️ ₹5000 Crore Innovation Fund: A substantial new fund has been introduced to support innovative startups and extend tax benefits, providing a significant boost to the entrepreneurial ecosystem. ✅️ ₹1000 Crore Venture Capital Fund for Space Economy: The establishment of this fund demonstrates India’s forward-looking vision and positions the country as a leader in the emerging space sector. ✅️ Angel Tax Abolished: The removal of angel tax is a major step forward, eliminating a significant barrier for startups and investors. ✅️ Long-Term Capital Gains Tax Reduced to 12.5%: The new rate of 12.5% on long-term capital gains will enhance investment attractiveness and encourage more funding into startups. These measures are set to invigorate the startup landscape, drive innovation, and support long-term growth. As an entrepreneur and angel investor, I’m excited about the opportunities these initiatives will unlock for the startup ecosystem! For a deeper dive into these developments and their implications, check out my views in a detailed article in the Economic Times https://lnkd.in/g_znAT9r #IndianBudget2024 #StartupEcosystem #Innovation #EconomicGrowth #SpaceEconomy #VentureCapital #AngelTax #CapitalGains #Faad Aditya Arora Dr.Dinesh Singh Harshika Paliwal Shivani Khare Neha Mourya Vatsal Lunawat Abhilash Gupta Samarth Gupta Sanyam Jain

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As someone who is privileged to be closely involved in the journey of several startups including Mygate, the ability to write such a blog, let alone publish it to the public shows an extraordinary longterm thinking and maturity for founders. First of all, kudos to the team on stellar execution and is the input to this blog. Secondly kudos on the courage to publish such information, for a second time now. Last but not least, I encourage all founders to write such a blog and a similar plan for the year ahead. Publishing this can be at your own discretion - private, management team, board, investors, public. Use your best judgement but write you must! It’s a great discipline to have - ideally once a quarter! Yes the first two times will be difficult, but it will soon become a “liberating” habit.

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"Be the change you wish to see in the world." These powerful words by Mahatma Gandhi hold a mirror to the entrepreneurial spirit that is driving India’s transformation today. Just as he led movements that redefined the nation, India’s startup founders are reshaping industries with bold ideas, innovation, and determination. Through their vision and grit, our entrepreneurs are driving meaningful change—solving real-world problems, creating jobs, and building solutions that affect lives on a large scale. This Gandhi Jayanti, let’s celebrate the innovators who embody this ethos, turning challenges into opportunities for a better, more sustainable future. #GandhiJayanti #Entrepreneurship #StartupIndia #InnovatorsForChange #IANGroup

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Should be a fun panel today with Deep Bajaj and Sandeep Jethwani on all things "Founder Wealth"

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