Anil Dharni

From our PearX S25 cohort, meet Pravāh, the AI-native operating system for the electric grid When Mohak Mangal, Dhruv Suri, and Aman Gupta looked at the strain on the U.S. electric grid, they saw a system pushed to its limits. Exploding demand and unpredictable supply have made blackouts increasingly common. This costs the economy more than $150B a year, a number that could 10x in the next five years. Mohak Mangal and team founded Pravāh to help fix it. Their platform helps utilities and grid operators make real-time decisions on load, generation, and congestion, reducing blackout risks, optimizing power procurement, and bringing much-needed stability to the backbone of modern life. We’re proud to support the Pravāh team as they take on one of the toughest and most important infrastructure challenges of our time.

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At Atomic Capital, we are committed to backing exceptional founders building for the next wave of India’s consumption story. The country’s consumer market is expected to more than double by 2030, reaching over $4 trillion, with fashion emerging as one of the fastest-growing categories. By 2030, India’s apparel market is projected to cross $125 billion, driven by a rising middle class, increased digital adoption, and evolving consumer preferences. Fashion, particularly women's apparel, will play a significant role in this growth. Despite being a highly competitive category, we believe there's still white space for brands that combine customer insight, product excellence, and operational efficiency. We are incredibly excited to announce our investment in ANNY. From our very first interaction with the founding team, we felt there was strong alignment in vision, strategy, and focus on building a lean, sustainable, and scalable business. Here's why we chose to partner with them: 1. Aligned Operating Philosophy: The founding team - Japjot, Aveen, and Rahul, shares our belief in building a capital-efficient brand. They focus on solving scale challenges with systems, data, and discipline—not by burning cash. From day one, they valued our partnership beyond just the capital contribution. 2. Distinctive Product Supply: Anny excels at the intersection of freshness × fabric × fit. Thanks to rigorous efforts in curation and sizing, Anny has achieved some of the lowest return and cancellation rates we’ve seen in the category. 3. Lean Inventory Model: The team has cracked a unique approach to managing inventory. Their system allows for timely sourcing of new designs that often become hero products—ensuring working capital efficiency while minimizing stockouts and lost sales. 4. High Consumer Love: With 100% of revenue coming through their own website and a substantial share from repeat customers, the brand has cultivated a deep and loyal customer base. 5. Efficient Acquisition Strategy: Anny has built a robust content engine, helping consumers visualize style and fit on real people. This “real-world relatability” has significantly improved conversion and reduced acquisition costs. 6. A Complementary Team: The founding team brings the perfect blend of design and curation, finance and analytics, and technology—a necessary trifecta to scale a modern, digitally native apparel brand. The founder-market fit here is strong and clear. 7. Strong Revenue Momentum: The team has scaled 7x in 12 months. Consistent growth, increasing repeats, and strong unit economics are a testament to the brand's product-market fit and sharp execution. In our experience, operational discipline, new launch velocity, a data-driven approach, and sharp storytelling can collectively build an enduring brand in Fashion. We believe the Anny team is uniquely positioned to do just that. Atomic Capital Nikhil Patil Manish Jain #ConsumerBrands #Fashion #D2C #IndiaConsumption #AtomicCapital

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Two major trends, we at eka.care believe, are set to transform the landscape of healthcare digitisation in India: 1. Health AI: The rise of indigenous AI models tailored specifically for healthcare, driving purpose-driven innovations in the sector. 2. ABDM (Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission): A groundbreaking initiative enabling every Indian to digitally own and share their health records seamlessly, meticulously driven by National Health Authority (NHA) team. Our efforts are deeply aligned with these goals. A special thanks to the TechGraph team & Ajitesh Kaicker for spotlighting some of these ideas that define our mission at eka.care https://lnkd.in/guaPY7hx Deepak Tuli Amit Bharti Bhaskar Chaudhary Sankalp Gulati Neha Jagadeesh Vishal Kumar Tuniki Raghunandan gupta Pranjal Pandit Mohit Rajpal Sumit Kumar Rushabh Vasani Dr. Neelesh Kapoor Nikhil Kasukurthi Vasanth Murukuri Dr.Sanjana Sn Nura Almas Lourdes Dinesh Vishwesh Jainkuniya Trilok Yadav Saroj Kumar Sahu Arya Vashisht Shyamjith Palakkandy Nilaksh Kushwah Niharika Chaturvedi Karthick P Nadeemahmed Totad Divyesh Jivani Sam Dennis

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A founder who has spent 32 Years building IP-Owned Tech in India's Defense Sector. Ashok Atluri, Founder of Zen Technologies Limited shares a growth story bootstrapped from Hyderabad: -Revenue: ₹60 Cr (FY21) → ₹930 Cr(FY24) -Market cap: 40 Cr (2012-13) → 13000 Cr today -Growth: 400X in 12 years Takeaways from our conversation: 1. India historically imported 65–70% of its defense equipment. Today, defense exports have grown more than 30× over the past decade, with the private sector contributing around 60% of exports. Domestic defense production has increased to ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 174% rise since FY 2014–15. 2. For over two decades, Zen built advanced simulators but struggled to sell them in India because single-vendor bids weren’t accepted. The IDDM policy in 2015 gave preference to IP-owning Indian companies and allocated 75% of the capital acquisition budget to local sourcing. And decades of R&D became a real market worth ₹200 billion. 3. Defense tech startups in India have raised $184 million in VC funding since 2020. Zen’s journey shows that IP-owned Tech built with self-funded R&D can build the most defensible advantage, similar to how Apple captures value through IP rather than manufacturing. 4. Zen’s anti-drone systems were proven in field operations, leading to export inquiries from over 20 countries. This mirrors the broader trend of India’s defense exports growing from ₹1,940 crore (FY14) to ₹21,083 crore (FY24). Field-tested solutions build trust far faster than lab demos or pilot projects. 5. Government fundings are rewarding innovation over manufacturing. Programs like iDEX provide up to ₹10 crore for proven concepts, while DRDO offers ₹50 crore per system under the Technology Development Fund. This shift allows companies to reinvest profits into next-generation R&D. 6. Ashok believes that not all technologies should be patented. Highly secretive or complex innovations can be reverse-engineered if patented. Instead, patent what is obvious to outsiders to protect your competitive edge. 7. Build with a focused approach on Pareto technologies with maximum impact. Instead of chasing every opportunity, Zen concentrated on the 20% of technologies delivering 80% of results, anti-drone systems and simulators. Prioritizing high-leverage areas compounds impact effectively. 8. Time market entry around overlooked gaps: In 2018, drones were a hot topic, but there was little attention on anti-drone systems. Zen entered this gap and was ready when the need became urgent, from regional conflicts to domestic security. Opportunities often lie where others are silent. 9. Create policies around your innovation: Self-funded R&D firms face unique risks that conventional procurement rules often overlook. Zen advocated for new categories rather than adapting breakthrough technologies to unsuitable frameworks, ensuring their innovations could be evaluated on merit. Full Episode https://lnkd.in/gnAFEj3f

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After a fabulous two years at Kae Capital, I knew it was time to build the fund I wished had existed when I was a founder. Today, I’m launching Boundless Ventures, an early-stage, AI-native venture firm backing India-rooted founders who are building globally defensible companies at the intersection of science, systems, and culture. Boundless starts with a simple belief: the next decade’s breakout companies won’t “add AI” as a feature. They’ll be AI-native from day one, rethinking consumer products, enterprise workflows, and infrastructure with new primitives. We’ll write the first cheque, and then double down. We’ve proud to have already partnered with six category-shaping founding teams: • Superhealth: rethinking healthcare from the ground up • Armatrix: autonomous snake-arm robots for engine inspection • PierSight: real-time ocean intelligence • KNOT: AI-native fashion discovery and logistics • Two stealth companies in infra and consumer AI Our thesis spans four arenas: • The AI-native stack: infra, agents, and memory protocols • Make-in-India hardware: autonomous systems, design-led manufacturing • New-India consumer: culture × code • Science × story: where deep tech meets narrative leverage India is not catching up. It’s compounding. Boundless exists to back originals, with speed, belief and storytelling firepower. Link to our website & thesis below.

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In venture capital, ultimately “only a handful of companies per year actually matter”. Just 7 firms led the Series A of ~60% of startups in India that are worth $1B+ today. The list of firms leading investments in these cos is fairly predictable - PANZEL + Tiger Global. Full post on India's unicorn hunters in the comments

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The Great GCC Paradox: We’re Hiring, but Losing India’s GCCs are expected to cross $100B by 2030. But here’s what no one’s openly talking about: We’re leaking talent at the top, and hiring at the bottom. 1. A new study by Mercer shows mid-career attrition in tech has doubled since 2022. 2. CXO-level hiring cycles in GCCs have stretched beyond 6 months (Zinnov, 2024). 3. Returnee talent with global exposure is still asked: Q) “Why do you want to come back?” Q) “Are you too senior for this role?” We’ve mastered delivery. But we’re stuck in a talent loop: - Entry-level upskilling is celebrated - Strategic leadership hiring is feared - Internal mobility is sluggish - Culture fit outweighs culture transformation The result? India’s most capable talent is being interviewed by Singapore, Berlin, and Dubai, while local GCCs are still refining JD drafts. What if the real growth limiter isn’t infrastructure or policy… …but our inability to bet on catalytic leadership? You can’t build a $100B ecosystem with a $1M mindset. Let’s talk: What one mindset shift would unlock India’s next-gen GCC play? #GCC #LeadershipHiring #IndiaTalentCrisis #DigitalTransformation #ReturneeTalent #LeadershipGap #CXOHiring #Mercer #Zinnov #StrategicIndia #FutureOfWork #TalentFlight #HyderabadTech #GCCReset Zinnov Achyut Menon "AK" LinkedIn News India Reshab Shaw Vishwanadh Raju Viswanathan K S GCC Pulse™ Korn Ferry KPMG India

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How Samosa Party is Using AI to Scale 100+ Locations Had an insightful conversation with our portfolio founders Diksha Pande and Amit Nanwani from Samosa Party about their AI-first approach to restaurant operations. Here's how they're solving real problems across their 100+ locations: Customer Experience Revolution The Challenge: How do you track order-taking quality, stock-outs, and customer insights across dine-in locations? Their Solution: Storefox.ai uses ambient audio analysis at point-of-sale to automatically capture: Real-time stock-out alerts Customer product suggestions and feedback CX compliance (greetings, upselling, order accuracy) New product ideas directly from customer conversations Think about it: Every customer interaction becomes actionable data without any manual effort. Supply Chain Intelligence The Challenge: Forecasting and replenishment for 100 stores from multiple commissaries and warehouses. Their Solution: Crest AI platform generates automated indents considering: New store openings Seasonal patterns and holidays Product launches and promotional offers Historical demand patterns The game-changer? Full ERP integration means zero manual intervention for day-to-day operations. Operational Acceleration Beyond the core systems, AI is transforming their: Innovation cycles: Product development decisions that took weeks now happen in days Store design: AI-powered visualization for optimal layouts and workflows Marketing: Faster collateral creation and campaign development Training: Team members using AI for structured communication and training materials The Bigger Picture What impressed me most isn't just the tools—it's the systematic integration approach. Instead of isolated AI experiments, Samosa Party is weaving intelligence into every operational layer. Key Takeaways for Restaurant Tech: StoreFox-style ambient data capture can provide insights without disrupting workflows Crest-integrated ERP AI eliminates manual decision-making bottlenecks Democratizing AI tools across teams accelerates innovation at every level The restaurant industry often lags in tech adoption, but companies like Samosa Party are proving that strategic AI implementation can be a serious competitive advantage. What opportunities do you see for AI in traditional industries? Would love to hear your thoughts! #RestaurantTech #ArtificialIntelligence #SupplyChain #CustomerExperience #FoodTech #Innovation #Scaling #RetailTech Kalaari Capital

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Can AI livestreamers finally make livestreaming work in India?   For years, livestreaming has been unsolved in India. Despite being time-rich with a social-first internet, livestreaming as ecom format never took off like China. It wasn’t for lack of trying - dozens of players entered but the pieces never quite clicked   There are two key issues 1) Supply side never scaled. High quality hosts with skill to entertain/ sell "live" are incredibly hard. Even when you find them, time ROI doesn’t justify effort. W/o massive concurrent views, even great hosts can’t monetize their time well 2) Demand side never hit critical mass. Watching live video to shop isn’t a habit for most users. Unlike China, where buying from livestreams is normalized (even aspirational), we haven’t built that instinct   It is one of the hardest content formats to crack. It’s not just about entertainment - it’s about holding attention for long stretches, establishing emotional trust, selling well. That’s a high bar.   China, however, cracked the code.   In China, livestreaming isn’t just content - it’s an industry. There’s a whole ecosystem of training schools that turn novice into conversion machines. There’s trust in format, amplified by exclusive SKUs + deep discounts. And now, something magical is unfolding..   AI livestreamers Luo Yonghao, China’s most prominent livestreamer, recently launched his AI avatar on Baidu’s ecom with their foundational model. Results were incredible 13M+ views $7.6M in GMV 6 hours of seamless, emotionally engaging, product rich conversation "LIVE" by AI avatar   It delivered 97k+ character of product storytelling, 8k+ coordinated gestures, even held banter with co-host avatar, complete with sync movement. It mimicked spontaneity, emotional shifts, tonal variety - everything that was once thought to be uniquely human. What’s more interesting: it did better sales than human host’s original debut   Why this matters I believed livestreaming was one content format AI wouldn’t touch. Too human, too spontaneous, too dependent on emotional resonance. That assumption’s been shaken.   AI livestreamers now deliver: 24/7 performance w/o burnout Cost-efficiency (<$1K setup vs a full-fledged studio) Hyper-consistent quality in storytelling, gestures They may not replace top-tier influencers, who thrive on emotional intimacy & narrative originality. But they could easily replace the long tail - those who drive volume, not creativity   Can livestreaming finally work in India? AI livestreamers could solve the supply side issue. With avatars that can shoot 24/7, mimic human emotions, deliver crisp storytelling at very low cost. Could this unlock ecom in catg like food, electronics, impulse-led lifestyle where trust equation is lighter & trial isn’t mandatory? It’s too early to say. But India’s livestreaming moment might not come from human creators It might come from AI avatars - fluent in emotion, optimized for conversion & built to scale where humans couldn’t.

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