Radhika Khandelwal 🪄

Excited to announce the launch of Bracket by BoldCap 🚀 India's first Go-To-Market platform for entrepreneurs building global AI companies. For the past year, Bracket has been exclusively supporting our portfolio founders to tackle the complexities of scaling AI-native products in the global market, especially North America. Today, I am excited to launch Bracket; to provide all AI builders with the same GTM accessibility.. 🎯 The new landscape shift has made it absolutely clear that traditional SaaS playbooks no longer fit the bill for AI-native products. We are redefining this through Bracket – our closely curated community of 50+ GTM operators across North America and Europe who offer the resources, networks, and the new-age playbooks that founders need in their $0-$1M journey of building an AI company from India to the world. 🌍 We work with some of the smartest minds in GTM globally– from the Revenue director at Clari, Pricing leader at DocuSign, GTM leader at Databricks, Sales leader at Outreach to Growth Leader at Snowflake and many more– all exceptionally talented operators who have built multiple GTM motions from scratch and are now committed to support the upcoming generation of entrepreneurs along with us. We deeply believe this is what our ecosystem needs: accessibility to the right leaders in the global market, and we aim to bridge this for Indian founders. Thanks to our early GTM partners Jyoti Swarnkar Samuel Sunderaraj Kiran Surapaneni Merritt Baer Murali K Atul Sahai Ramana Narayanam Sara Archer Sara Jones Shiv Sundar Stan Rymkiewicz Andreas Drakos Andres Lozano Sanudo Ashwath M. Brant W. Cody Harris Connor Williams Daniil Krets Jake Haselden Jeff de Ruyter Karthik Ramamoorthy Kevin Flitcroft Laura Handy LeeRon Yahalomi Paul McGhee Shane O'Neill (and the list goes on.... unfortunately not able to tag more) who shaped Bracket into a powerful community along with us. Big shout out to Aditi Gera for all her effort on putting this together and to the rest of the BoldCap team Shiv Tayal Pratham Chadha Kevin D'Souza. Thank you Bhuvana Kamath and YourStory Media for this exclusive coverage - https://lnkd.in/gZBXTsmv If you're founder in the AI software space, we are excited to work with you! BoldCap

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Managing a VC fund is not as easy or glamorous as it might seem. While there are opportunities, there are also many challenges. Here's a candid conversation with Dr. Srikanth Sundararajan general partner at VenturEast Investing since 1997! Dr. Sundararajan has experience in both the US and Indian startup ecosystems and has witnessed the evolution of the venture capital industry. He shares valuable insights on how to improve the investment landscape, focusing on policy and regulatory changes. Link to the video in the first comment. #venturecapital Excluto

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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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5.1 Years to Billion Dollar Dreams: India's Startup Boom Accelerates Forget the seven-year itch. In India's booming startup scene, achieving unicorn status (a valuation of over $1 billion) is happening at breakneck speed. While Inc42 Media reports a median time of 5.1 years, some startups are reaching this milestone in mere months! This lightning-fast growth is a testament to the incredible maturity of India's entrepreneurial landscape. Gone are the days of waiting years for billion-dollar valuations. Today's market is a launchpad for ambitious ideas, fueled by increased investor interest and a growing pool of tech talent. Of course, the past two years haven't been without their challenges. Market corrections have slowed the overall pace of unicorn creation. However, this doesn't diminish the underlying trend: India's startup ecosystem is undergoing a revolution, with innovation happening faster than ever before. This is a powerful moment for Indian entrepreneurs. The time is ripe to seize the opportunity and build the next generation of global giants. What do you think of India's Startup Ecosystem and journey to 100+ unicorns? Is it time to forget Silicon Valley? Is India the New Startup Capital? Share your insights in the comments below! 🔖Save this post, for future reference 🔁Repost to help others If you liked this post,give a 👍Follow me Monica Jasuja #startups #india #unicorns #digitalindia #fintech

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V3 Ventures Deal Announcement: Creme Castle - A tech first driven assembly line bakery for Bharat! 🔥 While I was evaluating this file, a lot of people said - bakery? There are 100s of home bakers. How is this scalable? I would have agreed, until I met Pranjay Mittal, who brought innovation from IIT-D, FMS and CarDekho Group to his mom’s humble bakery in Noida. You might remember their Shark Tank episode where his mom famously said, “Main neend mein baking kar sakti hu” 😊 That passion is exactly what we want in founders! From a small bakery in Noida to now clocking monthly sales of over 1 Cr, Creme Castle is disrupting the $12.6 billion Indian bakery industry. 🎂 Here is why we invested… ✅Changing consumer behavior from mithai → cakes & desserts India is a land of festivals and no festival is complete without mithai. However, cakes & desserts are now taking center stage in these celebrations. as the Gen Z takes over. We all know India is trading up. So, there's a growing demand for Tiramisu in Tier 2 and 3. But, we’re lacking a player. ✅The Assembly Line Model: And, we need a player that’s standardized. The biggest problem with F&B is that when you order from the 2nd and 3rd outlet - the product isn’t as good. This is the most unique part of Creme Castle. Cakes are made in 3 components in a central kitchen - base (sponge), icing and customization. At spoke kitchen it’s only about putting these parts together - thus ensuring quality! ✅This industry is regionalized and heavily fragmented: Think about it, growing up, we all had cakes from our favorite local bakery. Every city has one, but when we moved for college or work - it wasn’t there. Cakes have a nostalgia factor associated with it and so making this change is hard. With all of this Creme Castle is can offer something India hasn’t seen before: - 100% customized cakes in just 2 hours - World's highest # of flavor profiles to choose from They have >10 Lakh loyal customers with a 60% repeat rate and we’re all geared up to expand from NCR to Jaipur and Chandigarh! We’re excited to back the mother-son duo of Veena and Pranjay to disrupt India’s cake market 🎂 What’s do you order cake? PS: Delhi-NCR folks, give us a try. Even available on Blinkit! #india #investment #startup #investor #entrepreneur

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Akash Kumar, co-founder of DIME (YC W24), transitioned from being a product software engineer at Snap Inc. to solving manufacturing problems with his startup, backed by Y Combinator. Here’s a glimpse into his journey: Growing up around factories, thanks to his parents' careers in aerospace and automotive, Akash's early exposure to manufacturing environments sparked his interest in tech and entrepreneurship. Though initially pushed towards medicine, Akash's knack for math contests and coding in college led him to pursue a hashtag #tech career, eventually joining Snapchat's AI platform team. Akash and his co-founder, who he met in high school, began brainstorming ideas. A pivotal text exchange from a friend highlighted a major inefficiency in manufacturing processes, leading to the creation of Dime, a platform to help manufacturers manage their factories more efficiently. Applying on the last day, they endured a rigorous interview process, emphasizing unique insights and market knowledge. Their persistence paid off, earning them a spot in YC, which provided crucial mentorship and a $500K investment. Akash highlights the importance of honest user feedback and continuous iteration. By genuinely understanding and solving customer pain points, Dime gained traction and onboarded multiple clients, showcasing the value of their solution. Advice for Aspiring hashtag #Entrepreneurs: Be brutally honest with yourself and iterate quickly. Validation isn't everything; understanding and solving real problems is key to startup success. 🎙️ Listen to Akash’s full story on our podcast -https://lnkd.in/gSWPmZWu #entrepreneur #founder #ai #ycombinator #manufacturing

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India’s Oyo, once valued at $10 billion, is finalizing new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation. This marks a steep decline from its $10 billion valuation in 2019. The startup, which has raised over $3 billion from backers like SoftBank, Peak XV Ventures, Lightspeed, Airbnb, and Microsoft, has struggled to attract institutional investors. In recent months, it has aggressively pitched to high-net-worth individuals after withdrawing its IPO application twice in the past four years. Once a red-hot Indian startup active in markets including the U.S. and Europe, Oyo has now scaled back its international presence. #venture #downround https://lnkd.in/gE2GjYnM

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Presenting my most detailed piece on AI covering applications & agents, which I believe are rapidly evolving as the biggest value investment opportunities for VCs in an industry of attrition amid expensive scaling laws. Full post - https://lnkd.in/gKYURDpA TL;DR (written by an AI application 😉) 🚀 The AI Economy: A Paradigm Shift The AI economy is generating tremendous value, driven by nascence, technological differentiation, commercial traction, and risks taken. Generative AI (GenAI) has led to the rise of not just chatbots like ChatGPT but copilots that enhance human workflows. ​ 💡 Investment Surge VCs invested $38.6 billion in AI and machine learning startups in the U.S. in the first half of 2024. ​ In Europe, €7.9 billion was invested in AI startups across 1,030 deals in YTD 2024. ​ 🔍 The GenAI Value Chain ​ Key categories: Chips, Compute, Models, Data, and Applications. ​ I make a case that the compute hyperscalers as well as the acceleration layer (together, the infra of AI) albeit are the biggest fish in the pond, would not be the purveyors of the best in AI agent and application innovation. 🤖 AI Agents: The Next Evolution AI agents can handle complex tasks with minimal intervention, from sales prospecting to scheduling meetings. ​ Fully autonomous agents, or digital coworkers, are still in early adoption phases. ​ These are nevertheless reinventing the way software was delivered and consumed. 📈 Applications & Agents: The Future of AI Applications are expected to drive the highest acceleration in AI. ​ While horizontal (& B2B) AI apps are gaining traction, vertical AI apps (esp. in regulated industries with a lot of data) could create strong moats. 💰 Monetization Strategies Direct monetization: Charging for AI features directly. ​ Indirect monetization: Integrating AI features into existing bundles without altering the price. ​ 🔮 The Road Ahead Agents are coalescing around unique GTM motions, and I expect them to become the new paradigm of software delivery and consumption beyond SaaS. ​ #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #GenAI #AIApplications #AIAgents #TechInnovation #VentureCapital #FutureOfWork #DigitalTransformation

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Vinod Khosla, a renowned Indian-American billionaire and influential venture capitalist, is a key player in the industry, with a remarkable track record that includes founding Sun Microsystems and Khosla Ventures. His investments in companies like Square, Stripe, DoorDash, and Instacart have been pivotal. Mario Gabriele shares valuable insights from Vinod: - Remember, you may be closer to a yes than you think. - Focus on getting the goose, not just the golden egg. - Be prepared for resistance to innovative ideas. - Your ultimate task is to sell. Delve into top resources from Khosla to boost your entrepreneurial journey: 1. Pitch the way VCs think: [Link] 2. Master how to solve the Pitch Problem: [Link] 3. Explore "Plausible Tomorrows 2035-2049": [Link] 4. Read "Letters to a Young Founder" by Vinod Khosla: [Link] Leverage these insights to thrive in the realm of venture capitalism and entrepreneurship. #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #Innovation

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"Interesting insights into the Indian VC landscape! This article sheds light on the evolving nature of venture capital investments in deep tech. It's fascinating to see the changing dynamics and the potential impact on innovation and entrepreneurship in India. #VentureCapital #DeepTech #Innovation #Entrepreneurship" https://lnkd.in/gNY_zNXq

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Can technical founders become effective CEOs? Srinath Sridhar knew he needed to step out of his comfort zone when he founded Regie.ai four years ago. Now he and cofounder Matt Millen have raised more than $20 million and landed on G2’s list of fastest-growing software products of 2024. My full conversation with Sri is in the comments.

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In the last 2 decades, we at Elevation Capital have not just invested in 200+ startups, but also strived hard to create the best possible platform that can improve the chances of a founder / thesis / company being more successful. Built for the audacious - our new motto - is how we express our promise of being the most effective company building partner going forward. Check this out on the new Elevation website.

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if you know, you know Vinod Khosla of Khosla Ventures. nerd. founder. wise. man. been there done that sv. wisdom. it's missing. let's face it. it's always been missing over time. for.ever. so it's a blessing truly to have an o.g. that keeps it for reals. yes we are a fan. much like Jensen Huang Fei-Fei Li ilya sutskever ...and other good people in sv. they are the ones who make this place so special. indeed they do. here https://lnkd.in/exWqey9K we have sam i am that's all that i am sam (alt)man having a 1-1 with the man. this is a must watch to provide a foundational (no llm required here) mindset as to how sv is at it's best (and worse). caution. watch out for the truth bombs. vinod is (in)famous for this style and we <love> him for it. thank g-d he exists. if you meet the dbags in sf/bayarea your experience you will be quickly lonely, dazed and confused. best to listen to these wise words from vinod and from that determine your spot in the sv landscape. with an insight on the sv playbook from a master. well. need i say more. it's about the very spirit of sv that makes it so special. and this is indeed embodied in a few who are masters. deserve our attention. yeah. yeah. i know attention is all you need. although what happens if your attention is being distracted from building. being in the company of those who will join your mission ala brian chesky of Airbnb. missionaries. search for the good missionaries in sv. keep away and keep in mind of the mercenaries. they are there. pg. he's another gift (as opposed to the grifters) paul graham wrote about this too https://lnkd.in/eEYmQwqZ - being a chesky-esque missionary. these are good things to follow on the path of achieving escape velocity as an (ai) startup. oh. hollywood has entered the ranks of sv. yes it has. so there is a bit of performance art that is required. not enough that you've created something that's novel (truly, novel). also requires a bit of showmanship. audacious in fact. it's a well known sentiment that audacious ideas motivate people. sun microsystems. audacious. juniper. audacious. OpenAI. vinod as an early investor. audacious. Vinod Khosla was born audacious. so fitting he found a place in this world where many have benefitted from this sentiment. perhaps years ago a bit on the abrasive side. now with those white hairs. the elder statesman. non-diplomat. rules, the roost of that which allows for others to flourish. note if you manage to thread the needle of vinod means that it's a very very very good beginning. nothing is guaranteed of course. as my lawyer 'friends' like to say. * buyer beware. be aware. Vinod Khosla is. are you (ai)? are you?? perhaps yes. perhaps, non. < . >

Just a few years ago, the idea of Indian unicorns was a distant dream, yet today we boast over 100 unicorns across various sectors, including technology, e-commerce, and fintech. Take companies like BYJU'S, Zomato, and Freshworks, for example. These startups began with a vision and have grown into global powerhouses, each leveraging technology to solve unique challenges. Now, we’re witnessing a similar wave in the AI space, where startups are pushing the boundaries of innovation in healthcare, finance, logistics, and beyond. The rise of AI-focused unicorns is not just possible; it's inevitable. With the right support, India’s vibrant startup ecosystem is primed to produce the next generation of AI giants that will revolutionize industries worldwide. If you’re an AI founder with a groundbreaking idea in AI applications or tooling, we want to hear from you! Reach out to us at pitch@senseai.ai

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✨ Chet Kapoor ✨ is quite the Silicon Valley legend. Three-time founder and currently the CEO of DataStax his wisdom for founders is incredibly spot-on ✅ and timeless ⏰ ! In this most recent and probably best-ever episode of The Enterprise GTM podcast, Chet discusses what it takes to build enduring tech companies. Some 🎤 soundbites 🎤 from our conversation: 👩‍🏫 The quality of people influences the outcome of your startup the most. 🔥 You do not need smart people who sit around and pontificate. ☄ Momentum is everything. Never underestimate it. 🌟 Having complete clarity of thought at any given time is very important--who are you doing this for, and how will it change their lives? 🌈 One of the best ways to create a large company is to create a parade or join one. ☝ Know who you are. There's a high likelihood that the company will become more like who you are rather than who you want to be. 🛑 Don't make the mistake of hiring sales execs too soon. Be extra cautious about partnerships. 📣 Tune in to hear about what he has to say about AI startups getting started today, the future of the data layer, the evolving importance of data roles (data science, data engineering), and so much more! #devtool #founder #startup #data #ai https://lnkd.in/gW-58nvE

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Facebook's parent company is making significant investments in India's gaming sector, recognizing its massive potential. Here's why this matters: 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Meta's move confirms the attractiveness of India's gaming industry for global players. 𝗜𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Expect more investment and innovation, benefiting both gamers and the industry. 𝗠𝗼𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗲-𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗙𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀: Meta's emphasis on mobile gaming aligns with India's dominant gaming trend. 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵: With 700 million gamers projected by 2028, the opportunities are immense. 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆: This is a strong signal for those considering investments in the Indian gaming market.   𝗠𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲: Meta's entry will further accelerate growth and create exciting opportunities. However, investors should carefully analyze specific segments and business models within the gaming sector. Want to discuss India's gaming landscape and investment strategies? Connect with me! Mona Motwani Meta Source: The Times Of India #IndiaGaming #Meta #Investment #GamingIndustry #FutureofGaming #OnlineGambling #InvestmentStrategy #MonaMotwani #MetaInvestment

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Recently read a very interesting post by Balaji BK about how he’s frustrated with the Indian VC ecosystem. While I completely agree with you, I think you should chat with us. We have a different and new strategy at All In Capital. Best in class or not we don't know but we are surely doing our best to achieve that. 1) We back way more companies than a traditional VC would back (20-25) - It allows us to back non-obvious founders and newer technologies. 2) Our Value add is very well defined our expertise lies in backing non-obvious founders who are not ready for tier 1 VC and preparing them for that. Our 100+ founders would vouch for that. 3) Yes we are a bit conservative but very open to backing new technologies - our portfolio includes a space tech company - PierSight Space, @Piiko.io - Helping improve diagnosis with a deep tech revolutionary device and many more. 4) We have this thesis of obvious and non-obvious founders and we don't back companies alongside tier 1 VCs but before them. Many of our founders are not from tier-1 colleges. Our strategy does get pushback at times but we continue to try and disrupt the pre seed VC market in India.

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India's deeptech landscape is at a crucial point. Nasscom’s latest report shows that 70% of deeptech startups are worried about not having enough capital for computing operations. On the flip side, over 70% of investment firms are hesitant because these high-potential ventures need patient capital due to their long gestation periods. It's a bit of a chicken-and-egg situation! To really support our deeptech startups and their groundbreaking innovations, we need to rethink our funding approach. This is where we hope the government can step in with some help. Co-investment programs, grants, and tax credits for R&D could make a huge difference. By working together, we can ensure our deeptech startups have the support they need to push boundaries and lead the way in technological innovation. #Deeptech #StartupEcosystem #Innovation #Funding #VentureCapital #GovernmentSupport #IndiaTech #RnD

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We’re thrilled to announce that Internlink has secured its first investor in our pre-seed round! What began as a quick idea scribbled on a tissue paper between Viraj Sahu, Abhimit Suman, and me has grown into a platform with 540+ companies and loved by 39,000+ pre-registered users. This journey has not only accelerated the growth of our product but also led to conversations that have shaped my personal growth—from the Aryaveer of 2023 to the Aryaveer of 2024. A heartfelt thank you to my parents, Satyajit and Riya Singh, for supporting my journey and always putting my experiments above their own wishes. Your belief in me means everything. Through this process, the first 3 intern of InternLink have now become the 3 founders of InternLink. 🚀 And trust me—the first is just the beginning. There’s so much more to come! #InternLink #StartupJourney #FirstInvestor #FromInternsToFounders #PreSeedRound #MoreToCome #HiringRevolution #PersonalGrowth

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