Ep 133: Deploying 100 Cr in Indian Startups ft. AJVC

On this week’s episde we have a mid-year update on the fund that is on track to invest about 40 Cr in 25 companies this year. We talk about the 8,000+ companis that have applied from all over India, the problems founders are tackling and about AI and the future of work.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.

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 Akshay Verma, the Co-founder of FITPASS about their story.Akshay completed his bachelor's in Mathematics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, followed by a master's in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford and another master's in Public Administration from Columbia University.He went on to work at UBS Investment Bank in London, Echoing Green, founded Shillhippo, served as Director at Agratam India, and eventually co-founded FITPASS in 2015.🏢 About FITPASS:FITPASS is India’s leading corporate wellness platform offering a single membership for fitness and health services. With access to 8,100+ gyms across 75+ cities, it helps companies boost employee wellbeing and productivity.Its tech-led services include AI health checks, custom wellness plans, doctor consults, mental health support, and on-site programs to cut costs and boost performance.

Join us as we talk to Nilesh Patel, Founder & CEO, and Prashant Singh, Co-founder & COO of LeadSquared, about their story.Nilesh Patel graduated from Delhi University in 1999 and held leadership roles at IBM, Proteans, Symphony Services, and MarketXpander before founding LeadSquared, where he is the Founder and CEO.Prashant Singh completed his MS from IIT Delhi in 1999 and worked at TeleSoft, i2 Technologies, and Oracle. He later co-founded Proteans and served as VP at Symphony Teleca before co-founding LeadSquared, where he is the Co-founder and COO.🏢 About Leadsquared:LeadSquared is a modern SaaS CRM platform offering end-to-end automation for sales, marketing, and onboarding. Designed for high-velocity, high lead-volume businesses, it powers 2000+ enterprises across 40 countries. With tailored solutions for sectors like EdTech, Healthcare, BFSI, and more, LeadSquared is headquartered in Bengaluru with a global footprint in the US, Philippines, South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia.

Join us as we talk to Prachi Dharani, the Co-Founder and CEO of PayGlocal Technologies about their story.Prachi is a Chartered Accountant by profession. She has held leadership roles across the financial services and payments industry — having served as Chief Manager at ICICI Bank, Head of E-Commerce Projects at First Data India, and Senior Director at Visa. In 2021, she co-founded PayGlocal.🏢 About PayGlocal Technologies:PayGlocal is a global payments company enabling seamless cross-border commerce for Indian businesses. Built by seasoned finance professionals, it addresses international payment challenges through a sharp focus on business needs, user experience, and risk management.

Join us as we talk to Eshwar K Vikas, the Co-founder of Beyond Appliances about their story.Eshwar holds a Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from SRM University and later pursued Entrepreneurial Studies at the Stanford Graduate School of Business.He began his career as an Associate at Ichiban Consultants, followed by a role as Executive Assistant to the CEO of Amar Group. Eshwar is the CEO and Co-founder of Mukunda Foods, a company he has successfully led for the past 13 years.In 2024, he co-founded Beyond Appliances, marking his latest entrepreneurial venture.🏢 About Beyond Appliances:Beyond Appliances is dedicated to transforming everyday cooking into a more enjoyable experience.

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 Sundeep Mohindru, the Founder Director of M1xchange about their story.Sundeep Mohindru is a visionary entrepreneur and Chartered Accountant with over 18 years of experience in consulting, audit, and finance. He is the Founder Director of Mynd Solutions, a leading business process solutions firm with over 1,200 employees, serving clients across India, APAC, and MEA. Under his leadership, Mynd Solutions launched M1xchange in 2017, a transformative platform that has revolutionized the industry.🏢 About M1xchange:M1xchange is an RBI-approved TReDS platform launched in 2017, enabling MSMEs to digitally access collateral-free invoice financing from banks and NBFCs. It ensures fast, competitive funding through a secure bidding process—recognized as the Best Digital Solution of 2017 by NITI Aayog.

Join us as we talk to Gaurav Jalan, the Founder & CEO of mPokket about their story.Gaurav pursued his Bachelor's degree in Economics and Computer Science from Amherst College, US, followed by an MBA from Columbia Business School. He later worked at Bain & Company and Fidelity International before serving as the MD and Chief Investment Officer at Avant Garde Wealth Management. In 2015, he founded mPokket.🏢 About mPokket:mPokket empowers India’s youth with quick personal loans up to ₹50,000. With over 50 million customers and a 4.4 Google Play rating, it supports part-time earners, professionals, and the self-employed. Beyond finance, it fosters a culture of learning and innovation while driving social impact through education and skill development initiatives.🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/

Join us as we talk to Srini Chinamilli, the Co-founder & CEO of Tessolve about their story.Srini earned his B.E. in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from BIT Mesra, followed by an M.S. in the same field from the University of Southern California.Later, he served as Director at Cirrus Logic and Director of Engineering at Centillium Communications before co-founding Tessolve in 2004.🏢 About Tessolve:Tessolve provides turnkey ASIC solutions, integrating pre- and post-silicon expertise for efficient silicon bring-up. With 3000+ employees and advanced testing labs, it offers design services, embedded product development, and R&D in areas like 5G, mmWave, and silicon photonics. Serving Tier 1 clients, including 9 of the top 10 semiconductor companies, Tessolve operates globally with offices and test labs across multiple countries.

Join us as we talk to Sachin Agarwal, the Co-founder of Bizongo about their story. This is yet another episode with a Bizongo co-founder! Last time, in March 2022, we had Ankit Deb. Today, we have Sachin, who completed his B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from IIT Bombay in 2012. He went on to work with leading companies like PepsiCo and Biocon before serving as a Risk Manager at Gravitas. In 2014, he co-founded Bizongo. 🏢 About Bizongo: Bizongo simplifies business with technology, enabling Business On the Go. As India’s fastest-growing B2B platform, they help SMEs and enterprises scale through business financing and raw material procurement. They’ve powered ₹14,000+ Cr in financing and 1,00,000+ MT of raw materials for 500+ brands. With BizongoFin, businesses get fast digital financing via 30+ NBFC & bank partners, while BizongoBuy ensures seamless raw material procurement.

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 Sanjiva Weerawarana, the founder of WSO2 about their story.Sanjiva earned his bachelor's and master's in Mathematics/CS from Kent State University, Ohio, and later completed a Ph.D. in Computer Science at Purdue University.He worked as a Research Staff Member at IBM and held visiting professorships at Purdue University, the Polytechnic Institute of New York University, and the University of Moratuwa.Beyond academia, he served on various committees, including the Arthur C. Clarke Institute, the University of Colombo, the University Grants Commission, The Apache Software Foundation, and several Sri Lankan institutions in technology, finance, and science.He founded multiple organizations, including WSO2 (2005), Thinkcube Systems, Sahana Software Foundation, Lanka Software Foundation, Lanka Data Foundation, and Avinya Foundation.Interestingly, he also served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Sri Lanka Army.🏢 About WSO2:WSO2 enables enterprises, universities, and governments to drive digital transformation, handling 60 trillion transactions and 1 billion identities annually. Its API-first tools for application development and CIAM help organizations securely build and deliver seamless digital experiences across cloud and on-premises environments. WSO2 has 800+ employees with offices in Australia, Brazil, Germany, India, Sri Lanka, the UAE, the UK, and the US.