Private equity, private credit and real-estate funds that don't employ leverage except for operating needs. The largest AIF category.
Mela Ventures Trust is a SEBI-registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund (IN/AIF2/20-21/0801), registered on May 21, 2020, and managed by Mela Ventures Management Private Limited. The fund is headquartered at 2297, 24th Main, 16th Cross, HSR Sector 1, Bengaluru 560102 — the same address as the SEBI registration. Mela Ventures was founded in 2020 by Krishnakumar Natarajan ('KK') and Parthasarathy N.S., co-founders of Mindtree (India's pioneering IT services firm, which they scaled from a VC-funded startup to a USD 2.5 billion market cap company). The fund's maiden scheme, MV Core Tech Fund I, achieved final close at ₹320 crore, backed by a diverse group of global investors, government institutions, tech professionals, and family offices — including SIDBI's Fund of Funds for Startups and Nippon India Digital Innovation AIF. As of 2025, the fund has invested in 16 companies and is planning a second fund targeting approximately ₹1,000 crore. Mela Ventures invests exclusively in early-to-growth-stage B2B startups across AI/ML, AR/VR, IoT, cloud infrastructure, deep tech, adtech, agritech, and enterprise technology. Notable portfolio companies include GalaxEye Space (SAR satellite), Mindgrove (semiconductor chips), VuNet Systems (observability), General Aeronautics (agricultural drones), Indra Water, Optimized Electrotech, and Knolskape.
Krishnakumar Natarajan
Managing Partner
Entrepreneur, Investor & Startup Mentor. Some leaders build companies. Others build industries. Krishnakumar Natarajan (KK) has done both. He has a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the College of Engineering, Chennai, India, and a master's degree in Business Administration from the Xavier Institute, Jamshedpur, India.
Parthasarathy N.S.
Managing Partner
Parthasarathy NS (Partha) is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, and technology leader with a distinguished career spanning over four decades in the global IT industry. As the co-founder, COO, and Executive Vice-Chairperson of Mindtree, he played a pivotal role in transforming the company from a VC-funded startup in 1999 to a billion-dollar enterprise by 2019. Partha's expertise lies in scaling technology businesses, executing successful M&A strategies, and fostering high-performance, high-caring organizational cultures.
Viju George
Partner
Viju George has spent over two decades analyzing markets, predicting trends, and identifying breakout companies. As a Partner at Mela Ventures, he backs bold founders and helps them build high-impact businesses. As an Executive Director at J.P. Morgan, he was India's top-rated Technology, Telecom, and Internet Investment Analyst, earning multiple industry accolades over several years. At Mphasis, he played a critical role in finance, corporate development and investor relations.
Prachi Malpani
VP, Investments
Prachi takes a research-first approach to backing bold ideas early and believes that identifying the right problem and making the investment is just the beginning. As VP - Investments at Mela Ventures, she brings a sharp analytical mind and works closely with founders across strategy, operations, and go-to-market. With over a decade in investment analysis, financial modeling, and IPO research, she brings both breadth and depth to early-stage investing. At Vidura Capital, she led deal mandates and industry assessments. At CRISIL, she specialized in IPO analyses.
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Suhani Doshi
VP, Investments
Suhani brings a balanced blend of market rigor and intuitive judgment. As VP of Investments at Mela Ventures, she partners with founders at critical inflection points, bringing sharp analysis and grounded judgment. With over a decade of experience across public and private markets, Suhani has worked across diverse functions at ICICI Bank, Edelweiss Mutual Fund, and Deutsche Bank, building a strong foundation in financial analysis, market cycles, and investment decision-making.
Kalyan Sundar
Head of Finance
Kalyan Sundar believes that success in a VC hinges on strategy, patience, and precise execution. As Head of Finance at Mela Ventures, he ensures every investment decision is grounded in solid fundamentals, thorough financial analysis, and a long-term vision. Beyond overseeing fund operations and compliance, he reviews the performance of the portfolio on an ongoing basis. With over a decade of experience in financial evaluation, due diligence, and deal structuring, Kalyan has held key roles at Stakeboat Capital, Ernst & Young, and Wipro Ltd.
Narendran Sivakumar
Head of Marketing & Partnerships
Narendran is a startup veteran, with stints in four early stage startups in roles across marketing, strategy, and business. As Head of Marketing & Partnerships, Narendran drives Mela's outreach and positioning in the wider startup ecosystem. He brings experience from startups across healthcare, personal finance, and commercial real estate.
Ashwath Narayan
Assistant Manager, Finance
Ashwath is an Assistant Manager, Finance at Mela Ventures. With extensive experience in fund accounting, fund finance, financial reporting, and regulatory compliance, Ashwath plays a vital role in maintaining the highest standards of transparency and compliance for the funds.
Rostow Ravanan
Member, Investment Committee
Sudip Nandy
Member, Investment Committee
S. Somasegar
AdvisorManaging Director at Madrona Venture Group
Neetan Chopra
AdvisorChief Digital and Information Officer at IndiGo
Padmashree Shagrithaya
AdvisorExecutive Vice President & MD, Insights & Data GBL, at Capgemini
Mack Gill
AdvisorHead of Global Securities Processing at FIS Capital Markets
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