Empowering Indian Startups: From 0 to 100 with India's First MicroVC Fund
Artha was founded in 2013 with a ₹60 Cr first fund and a simple belief that Indian founders deserved a partner with the craft of a global institution and the conviction of a first cheque. Twelve years and four funds later, the firm manages ₹2,300+ Cr across 130+ portfolio companies. Its LPs include sovereign pools, family offices, endowments, and a growing base of Indian founders whose companies it backed in earlier vintages.
Anirudh A Damani
Managing Partner
A second-generation investor and fourth-generation entrepreneur, Anirudh pioneered India's micro-VC model and built Artha Venture Fund into a multi-stage investment platform managing over ₹2,300 crore across venture funds, growth vehicles, and proprietary capital. His investment philosophy centers on disciplined company building in constrained environments and long-term value creation across emerging sectors. An active voice in India's startup and venture ecosystem through writing, speaking, and his podcast #DamaniTalks, Anirudh is a graduate of Austin College, Texas.
Sandesha Jaitapkar
Chief Operating Officer
Leads operational strategy and cross-functional execution across the platform, overseeing internal systems, strategic initiatives, and organizational scale. One of the firm's longest-tenured leaders with over 12 years at Artha Venture Fund, she plays a central role in driving operational discipline and execution across the organization. Her work spans process design, platform operations, stakeholder coordination, and organizational management, ensuring the firm operates with efficiency and precision as it expands across funds, portfolio support, and investor partnerships.
Ajay Tiwari
Chief Technology Officer
IIT Delhi MBA
An IIT Delhi MBA with 16+ years of experience across financial services, telecom, automotive, and venture capital, he has built and scaled AI platforms, enterprise systems, and intelligence solutions at Morgan Stanley, Vodafone India, HCL Technologies, Capgemini, and Tata Elxsi. At Artha Venture Fund, he leads the development of the Unified Intelligence Platform, the firm's proprietary AI engine powering investment insights across ₹2,300 crore in AUM and 135+ portfolio companies. He also holds multiple certifications, publications, and a patent in the field of technology innovation.
Sunita Manwani
Chief Financial Officer
With nearly three decades of experience across fund operations, governance, compliance, and financial strategy, Sunita oversees AIF operations, treasury management, audits, investor reporting, and regulatory compliance across Artha's multi-entity platform. She works closely with leadership on capital deployment, financial systems, and institutional growth, bringing operational discipline and strategic clarity to the firm. A strong advocate for governance-led scaling, Sunita also writes and speaks on financial literacy, behavioral finance, embedded finance, and the growing intersection of technology and financial services.
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Jashank Pohani
Head - Family Office Relationships
Brings over seven years of experience across wealth management, investor advisory, and family office consulting, having worked with family offices across India and the Middle East on India-focused investment strategies and cross-border capital deployment. He also helped establish a multi-family office platform in Dubai before returning to India to lead Investor Relations at Artha Venture Fund. His expertise spans financial analysis, investment management, capital advisory, and risk assessment, with a strong focus on institutional relationships, investor communication, and long-term capital partnerships across the firm's growing global investor network.
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