Hello Reader, "Go to school, work hard, follow the rules." That was the path to success for many immigrant and middle-class families. But sometimes, an idea is so big, so timely, that you just have to drop everything and chase it, even college. This idea challenges the core values I grew up with and still hold as a faculty teaching at INSEAD, but I get it: sometimes you have to break the rules. That's where 1517 Fund comes in. It is a VC firm that exclusively backs entrepreneurs as early as...
18 days ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Sure Ventures primarily invests in the pre-seed and seed stages. We recently attended a conference for emerging manager VCs where Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta, shared a comprehensive analysis of industry trends. His presentation, which draws on approximately 500,000 transactions recorded since 2018, offers valuable insights into the current challenges and opportunities in venture capital. You can view the presentation here. Upcoming Event: I will be speaking to...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, AI has totally blown up in the last couple of years! But honestly, there's been some super cool, groundbreaking stuff happening behind the scenes for the past two decades that didn't get the spotlight it deserved. So, I convinced my friend Bhaskar Ghosh to step into a guest host role and chat with an engineering leader who's been a key player in building the next-gen AI platforms at LinkedIn. Get ready to tune into a podcast episode with a fun twist. It's a deep-dive...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, Startup investments are taking longer to pay off. Founders, early investors, and employees want liquidity sooner. That's why secondary markets are booming! I truly believe this is a crucial structure for our ecosystem to stay healthy. I recently chatted with Aman Verjee from Practical VC, a Silicon Valley veteran who offers some fantastic insights on this trend. We also dove into the evolution of the startup world since the 1990s, all the way to the big question today: are we in...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, Eight years ago, Sure Ventures pioneered the space, becoming the world's first seed-stage institutional VC firm focused on insurtech. Since then, the sector has exploded: startups have achieved unicorn status, investor interest has broadened significantly, and some companies have even gone public. Today, the insurtech VC landscape is not just thriving, it has matured, proving its resilience by weathering a downturn. The growth has been far more rapid and extensive than even my...
2 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, I hope your new year is off to a great start. Over the holidays, I had my first interview in Tamil, recorded in Chennai with a good friend. We, of course, spent time discussing artificial intelligence among other topics. You can find a summary of the interview here and a link to the full conversation on YouTube. The AI bubble conversation has reached fever pitch. Every investor I speak with asks the same question: Are we witnessing innovation or irrational exuberance? On our...
3 months ago • 3 min read
Hello Reader, At Sure Ventures, my strategy is to build a focused portfolio of 15 to 20 startups per fund. The philosophy behind this concentration is the commitment to founders that every investment is important. This approach requires that VCs like me have the necessary intent, bandwidth, and skill to actively support founders in their journey toward building a successful business. A fund with 75 companies is considered highly diversified, a style that is seen as controversial because it...
4 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, The venture capital landscape is constantly changing. New talent joins the ecosystem at junior levels, developing their skills over time. Experienced leaders transition from successful careers into senior VC roles or launch their own firms. For me, launching Sure Ventures meant stepping away from lucrative, prestigious roles mid-career. It has been incredibly rewarding and, truly, the best job in the world. This week, I'm highlighting two different perspectives on the industry....
5 months ago • 2 min read
Hello Reader, This September, I had the pleasure of interviewing Oren Zeev at the Counterpart Ventures annual conference for corporate VCs. We discussed his notably independent thinking and penchant for making bold, contrarian bets. Just last week, one of the companies where he was the very first investor, Navan, went public at a spectacular $6.2 billion valuation. You can see my Linkedin post highlighting both Oren’s and the startup's incredible success. My latest podcast episode features...
5 months ago • 2 min read