Shailesh Lakhani
- Venture
“Being a talented programmer today is like being a painter in the Renaissance. If you can write great code, you can do anything.”
Backstory
We moved from India to Canada when I was four. When I was 12, my dad bought us a computer – and that changed my life. I was early on the internet and realised that’s where I wanted to work. So I did an undergrad degree in computer engineering.
I felt I would understand tech companies better if I invested in them. So I traded stocks all through college and the dot com bubble. I learned a lot, but felt it didn’t give me the ability to understand a company deeply. I was sure there had to be a way to see entrepreneurship and technology up closer than this.
I went on to join a small software company that grew quite quickly to a few tens of millions of revenue. When they set up shop in India I moved, and was soon running a team of about 100 people. This was in 2004/05 when the IT services companies had started to really break out. I felt then, that India would probably be amongst the most exciting places in our lifetimes to see businesses grow.
Then I went to business school and met some really interesting people there, including folks from Sequoia India, and ended up joining that team quite early on, in 2007. The ecosystem has changed so much since then.
We’ve had the privilege of meeting most of India’s large leading startups at a very early stage. And it feels like we are at still at the beginning still. Each week, the Peak XV teams meets founders with even more audacious goals and more opportunities in front of them.
On the lookout for
The thing that really gets me most excited is meeting the next generation of entrepreneurs. The young entrepreneurs we meet in India today are crazy smart, have a wonderful infrastructure to build upon, and have good role models. The world is their canvas, they can literally do whatever they want.
I’m passionate about Web3, about the benefits of decentralisation and the possibilities that it opens up. It levels the playing field for entrepreneurs everywhere.
I look for genuine authenticity, people who are really there to solve a problem for the long term, and have a special insight into how to do it. I like to think of the market more than the individual though. Where you choose to play has more influence on how big something will be, vs how great you are.
I like to invest in a category before it’s mainstream and well understood, to be the first on the scene so you have some quiet time with the people who are in it for the right reasons, and not just for the hype. It’s ok to be too early as long as you have staying power in your convictions.
Get in touch with ShaileshPersonal Side
Family / pop music / mountains / chocolate / math
Press & Media
Current Companies
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1mg aims to make healthcare accessible, understandable, and affordable for all Indians. It offers ePharmacy, eDiagnostics, and health information to enable consumers to better manage their health.Partnered In
2015
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Avataar is a 3D AI company that helps large enterprise customers create immersive and interactive shopping experiences for their end consumers.Partnered In
2020
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BankBazaar helps consumers choose the right financial product for their needs.Partnered In
2014
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Bounce is India's first smart-mobility solution, with a mission of making daily commute stress-free, time-saving, reliable, and convenient.Partnered In
2018
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Capillary is a provider of cloud-based software solutions that enables retail marketers to manage their customer data across channels and drive a significant increase in sales and loyalty.Partnered In
2013
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CarDekho is a popular auto portal that lists new and used cars in India and offers to-the-minute auto insights from around the world.Partnered In
2013
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Coinswitch is an app to buy, sell and store cryptos.Partnered In
2018
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DeHaat™ is one of the fastest-growing start-ups in the Agri Tech sector, building AI-enabled technologies to revolutionize supply chain and production efficiency in the farm sector.Partnered In
2020
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epiFi is a FinTech startup with a mission to help users demystify their finances, maximise their savings and spend intelligently.Partnered In
2019
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HealthKart is an online nutrition and fitness destination, which offers products, services, and expert assistance to fitness enthusiastsPartnered In
2011
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Ixigo is a technology company focused on empowering Indian travellers to plan, book, and manage their trips by leveraging AI, ML, and data science-led innovations.Partnered In
2016
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LocoNav is democratizing access to cutting-edge technology for safe and efficient commercial fleet management.Partnered In
2017
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Metasky is a Web3 platform poised to enable the next billion users of crypto and NFT powered communities, games, and experiences.Partnered In
2021
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Minimalist creates hard-working, clean, easy to understand, and affordable skincare for all.Partnered In
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OneCard is on a mission to re-imagine credit and payments from first principles and is building a mobile-first credit card in India.Partnered In
2019
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Polygon offers a wide range of secure, fast, affordable and energy-efficient Ethereum scaling solutions for Web3 developers.Partnered In
2020
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Porter is an online logistics marketplace that enables intra-city pickups and deliveries.Partnered In
2015
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Quick Heal is a provider of Internet Security tools and a leader in Anti-Virus technology in India.Partnered In
2010
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SalesKen uses AI and data science to give companies insights into the last mile of customer-salesperson interactions.Partnered In
2019
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Truecaller is transforming today's phonebook to make it more intelligent and useful.Partnered In
2013
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Vymo, a predictive sales analytics leader that offers proactive recommendations for sales teams to drive higher outcomes.Partnered In
2016
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Whatfix is a SaaS based platform which provides in-app guidance and performance support for web applications and software productsPartnered In
2020
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Zarget is a SaaS-based web optimization and marketing platform that provides comprehensive solutions for small- and medium-sized businesses.Partnered In
2016
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Zetwerk provides global end-to-end manufacturing supply chain solutions.Partnered In
2018
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Zuper builds digital solutions to help businesses provide exceptional customer experience, and aims to create the world’s most comprehensive tool for field workforce management.Partnered In
2022