Ep 103: India's Only School Ed-tech Unicorn ft. Lead Group

Join us as we talk to Rajat Deshpande, the Co-founder and CEO of FinBox about their story. In 2009, Rajat completed his Bachelor's and Master's degrees in Mechanical Engineering at IIT Bombay. His professional journey includes roles such as General Analytics Associate at ZS Associates, Senior Associate at Citigroup, Advisor at BookMyCab, and Vice President of Product at GoPigeon. In 2017, he co-founded FinBox. 🏢 About FinBox: FinBox was founded in 2017 with a mission to democratize financial services for the next billion Indians. It provides advanced credit infrastructure, simplifying business operations so companies can concentrate on growth. It offers a comprehensive lending platform, featuring tools like bank statement analysis, alternate data underwriting, LOS, journey orchestration, partner management, business rules, and multi-bureau analytics.

Join us as we talk to Sumeet Mehta, the Co-Founder and CEO of LEAD Group about their story. Sumeet earned his Bachelor's in Electrical Engineering at PEC, followed by an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad in 1999. After his MBA, he delved into brand management at Procter & Gamble, Singapore, and later served as CEO at Zee Learn for almost five years. In 2012, he co-founded LEAD School. 🏢 About LEAD Group: LEAD, India's largest school EdTech unicorn, strives to revolutionize schools for a confident India. With a vast network of over 9000 LEAD partner schools, LEAD impacts over 5 million students across 400+ cities in India.

Join us as we talk to Sneh Jain, the Co-founder of The Baker’s Dozen about their story. Sneh Jain completed his B.Tech degree at UDCT, Mumbai, and subsequently an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad in 2009. He gained professional experience at renowned firms such as Cipla and Orchid Pharma before serving as a consultant at McKinsey & Company post his MBA. In 2012, alongside his wife, Aditi Handa, he co-founded The Baker’s Dozen. 🏢 About The Baker’s Dozen: The Baker’s Dozen is a neighbourhood artisan bakery specializing in a wide range of international baked goods, with a focus on delivering high-quality, freshly made European breads and pastries.

Join us as we talk to Ramaswamy Iyer, the Founder and CEO of Vayana Network about their story. Ramaswamy completed his Bachelor of Engineering at VJTI, Mumbai, followed by an MBA from IIM Ahmedabad. Subsequently, he gained experience as a senior consultant at Accenture. Additionally, he played a pivotal role as a Co-founder of CashTech Solutions, later acquired by Fundtech. Following this, he Co-founded Clayfin in 2009 and eventually founded Vayana Network in 2017. 🏢 About Vayana Network: Vayana, India's top supply chain finance platform, offers trade credit and trade enablement solutions for all supply chain tiers. It has facilitated financing of over USD 30 billion across 3,000+ supply chains and 3,00,000+ enterprises. It spans 600 cities and 2000+ pin codes, focusing on MSMEs.

Join us as we talk to Mohit Bedi, the co-founder of Kiwi about their story. Mohit pursued his MBA degree from the Symbiosis Institute of Management in 2000. Subsequently, he held positions such as Product Manager at GE, AVP and Product Head at Citi Bank, Head of Bancassurance at Barclays, Head of Credit Cards at Standard Chartered Bank, SVP and Business Head at Axis Bank, and Senior Vice President at PayU. Finally, in 2022, he co-founded Kiwi. 🏢 About Kiwi: Kiwi introduces an innovative payment solution that combines the advantages of a credit card with the ease of UPI payments. With Kiwi, users can experience the seamless blend of credit card perks and the simplicity of UPI transactions, marking a significant shift in India's payment landscape.  🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/

Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin. Join us as we talk to Anshuman Singh, the Co-Founder of Scaler about their story. Anshuman graduated with a B.Tech in Computer Science from IIIT Hyderabad in 2010. As a college student, he excelled as a two-time ACM ICPC World Finalist. He began his career as an intern at Directi before joining Facebook's US office. Later, he moved to Facebook's London office, contributing significantly to tech recruitment. In 2015, he co-founded InterviewBit, followed by Scaler in 2019. 🏢 About Scaler: Scaler offers comprehensive programs for individuals looking to enhance their coding skills and pursue successful careers in software engineering or data science. The curriculum is industry-ready and taught by expert instructors, fostering a supportive learning environment. 

Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin. Join us as we talk to Yamini Bhat, the Co-founder & CEO of Vymo about their story. In 2004, Yamini completed her Bachelor's degree in Computer Science from BITS Pilani, followed by her MBA from IIM Bangalore in 2007. She gained internship experience at Goldman Sachs, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, and INSEAD before joining McKinsey & Company as an engagement manager. In May 2013, she co-founded Vymo. 🏢 About Vymo: Vymo is a sales engagement platform designed for financial institutions, prioritizing mobile accessibility and offering solutions for over 18 industry-specific challenges. Its unique focus lies in addressing real issues faced by banks, insurance, and financial services.

Join us as we talk to Sacheth Kadam, the Co-founder of 56 Secure about their story. Sacheth completed his Bachelor of Engineering at Visvesvaraya Technological University in 2010 and pursued Executive Education in Business Administration at the University of Notre Dame. His professional experience includes roles such as a research assistant at the Indian Institute of Science, a business analyst at Stratburg Market Research & Consulting, and a director at GraspIO Innovations. Additionally, he served as the founding member and lead at OLA Smart Mobility, and in 2020, he co-founded 56 Secure. 🏢 About 56 Secure: 56 Secure is an AI-powered automated security platform for homes and enterprises. It is India's only connected security platform, on a mission to create a safer world by making security effective and accessible to all.

Join us as we talk to Anand Jain, the Co-founder of CleverTap about their story. In 1996, Anand completed his Bachelor of Commerce degree at Sahajanand Arts & Commerce College. Despite having a commerce education, he gained experience as a software engineer at various companies, including Compoint Computers, Cyberworld Technologies, Software Frontiers, Brience, and Motorola. Additionally, he worked as a consultant at AT&T in the Seattle office. In 2005, Anand played a key role in the co-founding of Burrp!, a venture that was later acquired by Network18 in 2009. He also served as the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of Network18 for two years. Finally, in 2013, he co-founded CleverTap.   🏢 About CleverTap: CleverTap is the all-in-one engagement platform that helps brands unlock limitless customer lifetime value by helping them create personalized experiences to retain their most valuable customers. Backed by leading investors such as Peak XV Partners, Tiger Global, Accel, CDPQ and 360 One, the company is headquartered in Mountain View, California, with presence in San Francisco, New York, São Paulo, Bogota, London, Amsterdam, Sofia, Dubai, Mumbai, Bangalore, Singapore, and Jakarta

Join us as we talk to Suyash Singh, the Co founder & CEO of GalaxEye of about their story. Suyash completed his undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering at LNCT College, followed by his postgraduate studies in aerospace engineering at IIT Madras in 2019. He gained experience as a data analyst and machine vision researcher at TCS and also founded Team Avishkar Hyperloop. In May 2021, he co-founded GalaxEye. Suyash received the Fortune India 40 under 40 recognition in 2023. 🏢 About GalaxEye: GalaxEye, an IIT Madras-incubated space tech startup, is creating The Drishti Mission, the world's pioneering multi-sensor imaging satellite. Founded by a team of 5 IIT Madras students/alumni, previously part of the successful Team Avishkar Hyperloop, GalaxEye was the sole Asian finalist at the 2019 SpaceX Hyperloop Competition led by Elon Musk. 🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/