Introduction:

India’s fintech sector has emerged as a key driver of economic transformation, fostering innovation in digital finance, payments, lending, and more. A growing number of venture capitalists have recognized the vast potential within this space, leading to substantial investments in early-stage fintech startups. The following list highlights 30 prominent partner venture capitalists who are actively shaping the future of financial technology in India, providing funding, expertise, and strategic guidance to the next generation of disruptive fintech companies.

Abhinav Chaturvedi (Partner, Accel): A seasoned venture capitalist, Abhinav Chaturvedi is a Partner at Accel, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping India’s fintech landscape. With a sharp eye for high-growth startups, he has been instrumental in backing some of the country’s most promising financial technology ventures. His expertise spans across early-stage investments, helping founders scale and navigate the complexities of the market.

Ravi Gupta (Partner, Sequoia Capital): A distinguished financier with a keen eye for disruptive fintech ventures, Ravi Gupta plays a pivotal role at Sequoia Capital, one of the world’s most influential venture firms. With deep expertise in scaling businesses and a sharp understanding of financial ecosystems, he has been instrumental in backing game-changing fintech startups.

Vani Kola (Managing Director, Kalaari Capital): Vani Kola is the Founder and Managing Director of Kalaari Capital, one of India’s leading early-stage venture capital firms. Vani has successfully led more than 30 investments at Kalaari in e-commerce, gaming, digital content, healthcare and more. Some of her successes include: Dream11, Myntra, Cure.fit, and Snapdeal. Vani currently serves on the board of several companies that are redefining the landscape of Indian business.

Ashish Fafdia (Partner, Blume Ventures): Ashish Fafadia leads the Fintech and Growth portfolios at Blume Ventures, supporting the growth and success of notable portfolio companies such as Slice, Purplle, Turtlemint, Jai Kisan, and Stellapps. He also spearheads fundraising initiatives for Blume’s core, opportunity, and continuity funds across MENA, SE Asia, and India.

Sunitha Viswanathan (Partner, Kae Capital): With a sharp eye for disruptive fintech innovations, Sunitha Viswanathan, Partner at Kae Capital, has been instrumental in backing early-stage startups that redefine financial services in India. Leveraging her deep expertise in venture investing, she plays a pivotal role in identifying, nurturing, and scaling high-potential fintech ventures.

Sahil Anand (Founder & Managing Partner, Cedar-IBSi Capital): Sahil founded and manages Cedar-IBSi Capital, India’s only pure-play early-stage FinTech VC fund that invests primarily in B2B/BankTech and infra companies. He also works closely with the Cedar-IBSi FinTech Lab, their in-house accelerator that has been home to 48+ successful BankTechs and FinTechs since 2017.

Tarana Lalwani (Partner, Innoven Capital): Tarana Lalwani is a Partner at InnoVen Capital where she heads sourcing and execution of venture debt transactions, as well as portfolio management. Given her deep understanding of the Indian startup ecosystem, she plays an active role within the portfolio companies, leveraging an established network and senior relationships.

Ritu Verma (Co Founder, Managing Partner, Ankur Capital Fund): Ritu Verma is a leading venture capitalist driving fintech innovation in India. As Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Ankur Capital Fund, she backs early-stage startups transforming financial services through technology. Known for her hands-on mentorship, Ritu plays a crucial role in scaling startups, making her one of India’s most influential investors in fintech.

Anand Lunia (Founding Partner, India Quotient): Anand is the Founding Partner at India Quotient, a venture capital firm focused on start-ups operating in fintech, edtech, social networking, logistics, healthcare and other consumer businesses. Anand focuses on raising the investment fund from Limited Partners, and shaping and driving the fund’s investment strategy. Also, along with his team, he plays an active role in the investee companies’ development.

Padmaja Ruparel (Founding Partner, India Angel Network): A stalwart in India’s early-stage investment ecosystem, Padmaja Ruparel is the Founding Partner of India Angel Network (IAN), one of the country’s largest angel investment platforms. With a keen eye for identifying high-potential startups, she has played a pivotal role in shaping the venture capital landscape, particularly in fintech and emerging tech sectors. She has been awarded as one of the ‘Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business’ by Fortune India for 4 years.

Varun Malhotra (Partner, Quona Capital): Varun Malhotra, Partner at Quona Capital, has over a decade of venture investing experience across technology, financial services and impact. Varun focuses on Quona’s investment activities and portfolio in South and Southeast Asia. Varun was recognized as part of Forbes 30 under 30 for Finance & Venture Capital in Asia, and is a Kauffman Fellow.

Karan Mohla (General Partner, B Capital): Karan Mohla is a General Partner at B Capital where he co-leads the South and Southeast Asia team. Karan has two decades of global financial sector experience and nearly 15 years in technology-focused venture investing. At B Capital, he has invested primarily in early-stage venture investments, including Sugar.fit, Turno, Nektar, Brik and Accacia, among others.

Rishi Navani (Founder & Managing Partner, Epiq Capital): A veteran venture capitalist with over two decades of experience, Rishi Navani is the driving force behind Epiq Capital, a growth-focused investment firm backing some of India’s most promising technology startups. Before founding Epiq, he co-founded Matrix Partners India, where he played a pivotal role in shaping the country’s early-stage venture ecosystem. Under his leadership, Epiq Capital continues to fuel India’s innovation economy by partnering with visionary entrepreneurs in fintech and beyond.

Anirudh A Damaini (Managing Director, Artha India Ventures): A dynamic investor and entrepreneur, Anirudh A. Damani is the Managing Director of Artha India Ventures, an influential early-stage investment firm backing disruptive startups across sectors, with a strong focus on fintech, early stage investing and renewable energy. His deep market insights, hands-on investment approach, and keen eye for scalable business models have solidified his reputation as a leading venture capitalist in the ecosystem.

Bikram Mahajan (Partner, Unicorn India Ventures): Bikram is a Partner at Unicorn India Ventures, and a seasoned venture capital and investment banking professional. His investment landscape extends across Europe, North America, and Asia, with a deep-rooted emphasis on India, ranging from a fintech venture in the UK to one of the largest global QSR chains in India.

Sandeep Tandon (Partner, Whiteboard Capital): A seasoned investor and entrepreneur, Sandeep Tandon is a Partner at Whiteboard Capital, a firm backing early-stage startups with a sharp focus on fintech and consumer-tech. With a deep understanding of financial ecosystems, he plays a pivotal role in shaping the next generation of fintech disruptors in India.

Karthik Prabhakar (Managing Partner, PeerCapital): With a deep-rooted expertise in venture capital and a keen eye for fintech innovation, Karthik Prabhakar leads PeerCapital as its Managing Partner, backing disruptive startups in India’s evolving financial ecosystem. His investment philosophy is centered on identifying early-stage ventures with scalable potential, leveraging his extensive experience across venture investing, portfolio management, and strategic growth.

Ishaan Khosla (Founding Partner, Huddle Ventures): Ishaan Khosla, the Founding Partner of Huddle Ventures, has been a pivotal figure in India’s venture capital landscape since 2017. Under his leadership, Huddle Ventures has evolved into a prominent early-stage accelerator and venture fund, focusing on pre-seed and seed-stage investments across diverse sectors, including fintech. Through Huddle Ventures, Ishaan has been instrumental in supporting early-stage startups, providing them with essential resources and guidance to scale their operations.

Ravi Srivastava (General Partner, Leo Capital): Ravi is a partner at Leo Capital and is passionate about tech innovation as a lever for inclusive human progress. Ravi has a portfolio of over two dozen startups & has led pre-seed rounds for companies like Tala, Docquity, Sunstone & Knowlarity. Ravi is particularly curious about AI, Web3, Fintech, and interdisciplinary solution sets – like those at the intersection of life-sciences & engineering.

Ravi Thakur (Co-Founding Partner, StartupXseed Ventures LLP): Ravi Thakur is the Co-Founding Partner at StartupXseed Ventures and comes with over 21 years of Leadership and Entrepreneurial experience. At StartupXseed, he is responsible for the lifecycle of VC investments including Strategy, Investments, Operations and Exits. He is actively involved in Startup Ecosystem and ardent about nurturing the young entrepreneurs on their path to success.

Kiranbir Nag (Partner, Saama Capital): With a keen eye for high-growth ventures, Kiranbir Nag is a Partner at Saama Capital, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the firm’s investment strategy, particularly in fintech and emerging sectors. Backed by extensive experience in venture capital and private equity, he has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing disruptive startups that redefine financial services in India. At Saama Capital, Kiranbir focuses on early to growth-stage investments, leveraging his expertise to support entrepreneurs in scaling their businesses.

Kitti Agarwal (Partner, Info Edge Ventures): Kitti Agarwal is a Partner at Info Edge Ventures, where she plays a pivotal role in identifying and supporting high-potential startups, particularly in the fintech sector. With a keen eye for innovation and strategic growth, Kitti has been instrumental in driving the firm’s investments in fintech companies that are redefining financial services in India.

Priyamvada Ramkumar (Partner, Lok Capital): Priyamvada has played a key role in shaping Lok’s financial inclusion strategy over the last decade. She led and managed investments in Lok’s second and third funds, across financial services and healthcare. She serves on the board of Veritas Finance and Mintifi Finance, and has participated as a board observer in several other investments. She is also a member of the investment committee of Lok’s fourth fund.

Arunav G. (Managing Partner, Wavelaunch VC): Arunav G. is the Managing Partner at Wavelaunch VC. At Wavelaunch, Arunav has successfully led more than 20 investments in e-commerce, gaming, digital content, healthcare, and other industries including fintech. Arunav is currently on the board of directors of various companies that are reshaping the Indian business scene. He is a proponent of India’s digital opportunity to create next-gen large-scale companies.

Dravya Dholakia (Founding and Managing Partner, DHOLAKIA VENTURES): Dravya Dholakia is the Founding and Managing Partner of Dholakia Ventures, a leading venture capital firm specializing in fintech investments. With a deep understanding of the fintech landscape, Dravya has led numerous investments in cutting-edge technologies that are reshaping financial services. He is dedicated to identifying and nurturing disruptive fintech startups that have the potential to drive financial inclusion and innovation on a global scale.

Mayank Jain (Managing Partner & CEO, ThinKuvate): Mayank Jain is the Managing Partner & CEO at ThinKuvate, a prominent venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage fintech startups. With extensive experience in the venture capital space, Jain is known for his strategic insights into scaling innovative fintech solutions.  His deep understanding of the sector makes him one of the leading venture capitalists shaping the future of fintech.

Sankalp Gupta (Partner, Tanglin Venture Partners): Sankalp Gupta is a Partner at Tanglin Venture Partners, a prominent venture capital firm focusing on early-stage investments in the fintech sector. With a keen eye for disruptive innovations, Sankalp has played a pivotal role in identifying and nurturing high-growth startups that are reshaping the financial services landscape. His deep expertise in fintech investments, combined with a strategic approach to scaling ventures, has earned him recognition as one of the leading investors in this space.

Ajay Kamat (Partner, Pear VC): Ajay Kamat is a Partner at Pear VC, where he focuses on investing in early-stage companies across various sectors, including fintech. With a deep background in technology and finance, Ajay brings valuable expertise to Pear’s portfolio, guiding startups through their growth journey. His sharp insights into the fintech landscape have helped shape the success of several innovative companies.

Gaurav Gulati (Founder & Managing Partner, Aroa Venture Partners): Gaurav Gulati is the Founder and Managing Partner of Aroa Venture Partners, a prominent venture capital firm known for its investments in disruptive fintech startups. With a deep expertise in financial technology and a keen eye for innovation, Gaurav has successfully led the firm in supporting early-stage companies that are reshaping the financial services landscape.

Mahesh Parasuraman (Co-Founder and Partner, Amicus Capital): Mahesh Parasuraman is a Co-Founder and Partner at Amicus Capital, a venture capital firm focused on investing in early-stage startups in sectors such as technology, financial services and consumer. With a strong background in both finance and technology, Mahesh has been instrumental in identifying and nurturing disruptive fintech innovations in India. He leverages his deep industry knowledge to guide portfolio companies towards scaling and sustainable growth.

Conclusion:

These 30 venture capitalists are playing a crucial role in shaping India’s fintech revolution. By providing capital, mentorship, and strategic guidance, they are enabling startups to innovate and scale, ultimately transforming the financial landscape of the country. As fintech continues to evolve, these investors will remain at the forefront, backing the next generation of disruptive financial solutions.

–Authored and edited by Sandhya Bharti, Deputy Editor, Indian Startup Times.

Disclaimer

The selection process involves rigorous evaluation but is based on subjective criteria, which may lead to variations. Parameters include industry influence, reputation, experience, contributions, education, accolades, and followership. While comprehensive, assessments may not capture every aspect of a candidate’s profile. Selection does not imply endorsement or guaranteeing future performance. Feedback is welcomed for improvement.