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Analysis · Professional & Local Services

Merak Ventures founder Manu Rikhye discusses startup evolution and founder traits

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Date
Company
Merak Ventures
What it does
venture capital firm
Kind
Analysis
Sector
Professional & Local Services

What they do

Merak Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage B2B startups solving real-world problems

What happened

Manu Rikhye, a founding partner, emphasizes perseverance, problem understanding, and execution as key traits of strong founders

Why it matters

The firm has backed companies like AbleCredit, Progcap, and 4baseCare, which are applying AI and solving complex issues in finance, supply chain, and healthcare

The details

  • Merak Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage B2B startups solving real-world problems.
  • Manu Rikhye, a founding partner, has over two decades of operating experience and over a decade of early-stage investing.
  • He previously worked at Encore Capital, where he set up the firm’s India operations and scaled it into a 2,000-person operation contributing close to $100 million in EBITDA.
  • At Merak Ventures, he and his partner Sheetal Bahl invest in early-stage B2B founders addressing hard, real-world problems.
  • Manu emphasizes perseverance, problem understanding, and execution as key traits of strong founders.

The bigger picture

  • India’s startup ecosystem is evolving, with founders and investors focusing more on execution, capital efficiency, and long-term value creation.
  • The real inflection in the ecosystem came in 2022, when tighter capital conditions forced founders to operate in a cash-constrained environment.
  • Conversations with investors now focus on unit economics and profitability rather than fundraising roadmaps.
  • Execution quality has improved visibly in both businesses built for India and deeptech companies using the Indian ecosystem to attack large, frontier problems.

About the business

  • Merak Ventures is a venture capital firm focused on early-stage B2B startups solving real-world problems.
  • The firm invests in companies that apply AI and solve complex issues in finance, supply chain, and healthcare.
  • Manu Rikhye and Sheetal Bahl co-lead the firm, with Manu focusing on tech-enabled businesses and Sheetal on emerging technologies.
  • The firm has backed companies like AbleCredit, Progcap, and 4baseCare.

The deal

Type
other

Founders

  • Manu Rikhye, Founding Partner
  • Sheetal Bahl, Partner

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Same day

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