Motorexchange just announced their second round financing led by Epiphany. As early stage investors, its always an anticipated moment when your early investment goes out to raise their next round of capital. While at the initial investment, one would have bought into the team and the space, this is typically the first time there is […]
Journalistic over reach – why are we surprised?
Finally we were able to come out and share our perspectives on our investment in Naaptol. Over past few weeks, as the news leaked first in ET, then picked by various blogs; and then a second round in VCCircle, we received several enquiries on the same. I would like to thank media persons who resorted […]
Criticality of getting product roadmap right in early stage ventures
This is a cross post from my blog. Thought it might be relevant to share it in this forum. It is common knowledge that the success or failure for a new venture is primarily dependent on three factors – market, product and team. Entrepreneurs are traditionally good at identifying a market need and hence the two potential areas […]
Angel Funding Framework – some additional viewpoints
There is general consensus that entrepreneurship is on the rise in India, even though it is one of the most difficult propositions. Compared to their counterparts in other regions in the world, Indian entrepreneurs face more challenges that are ingrained in the social and economic conditions that are unique to India. One of the big challenges […]
Die another day
Very interesting post on why “fail fast” philosophy might be ill-founded. I think partly this mantra is open to interpretation – if an idea is not working, do you wish to spend $10M on it and then realize it, or quicker? In the manner that this article refers to it, its valuable to learn and […]
Funding for Real Innovation in India! UNAVAILABLE
If you look carefully at the blue fish in the water below, you can discern INDIA written faintly on the body. Well it is not a fish but India’s first indigenous designed Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV). I have a story about it for you. I first met Ammar in Delhi after he reached me through […]
Is Micro-Funding a New Trend to Come?
A lot of folks seem to be very curious as to what I am working on, since my stepping back from Proto.in. Well, quite a bit actually and on some rather serious stuff. Serious as cash, infact. One of the major concerns that has been on my mind is the scarcity of capital in this […]
Who is an entrepreneur?
 Do not stare at this picture for too long! Just out of a really late night discussion with a colleague at One Billion Minds. What is your word? 0
Who Owns The Company?
Once in a blue moon, this situation repeats itself. The board of a company along with the stake holders and investors are pushing the entrepreneur towards a direction and he/she is really not liking it, and tries the ownership card. “This is my company, and I do have the best in mind for it”. Nobody […]
Coming Unemployment Problem
With roughly 55 percent of India’s population of 1.2 billion made up of people aged 24 or younger, India was viewed as a country with a massive demographic advantage. Unfortunately, the global slump has turned the advantage into a big disadvantage.India’s economy will probably grow at the slowest pace since 2003 as a global recession […]
Starting Up in a Downturn
Downturn? I have only realized it much later after turning entrepreneur in December 2008. Nothing seems to have changed. March is busy as usual for clients when one rationalizes that business would start flowing in from April! Clients on the other hand are as difficult to make part with money beyond the idea honeymoon as […]
Why Not A Political Startup
Given the mess that our political system is in, I wonder why professionals have not seriously looked at creating a political startup. Present service providers have been providing low quality services for decades in what really should be a buyers’ market given that we are a democratic country. People have been crying for a better […]