The Only Way to Move is Forward
Founded in 2019, Stride is the leading credit fund investing in sponsor backed ventures across the Globe. Synonymous with innovative startup funding and financing for the startup ecosystem, Stride has anchored itself as a reliable and trusted partner in empowering entrepreneurial ambitions in India, the Gulf Cooperation Council, Southeast Asia and the United Kingdom. With an established presence across India, Gulf Cooperation Council and Southeast Asia, Stride is a Global Venture Debt and Growth Credit fund manager and advisor in the United Kingdom, dedicated to advancing innovation and success.
Ishpreet Singh Gandhi
Founder & Managing Partner
Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, the visionary behind Stride Ventures, demonstrates a profound passion for the vibrant startup ecosystem. His dedication to connecting with ambitious entrepreneurs and empowering their transformative ideas is evident in his daily interactions. With a focus on driving inclusive and exponential growth in India's startup landscape, Ishpreet founded Stride Ventures in 2018 to pioneer Venture Debt as a founder-friendly alternative to equity. Under his leadership, Stride Ventures has achieved industry-leading returns while maintaining best-in-class asset quality, supporting market leaders. Recognizing the need for tailored short-term solutions for growth-stage businesses and MSMEs, Ishpreet launched StrideOne to democratize credit access across sectors.
Apoorva Sharma
Managing Partner
CFA, PGDM (IIM Shillong)
Apoorva Sharma, Managing Partner at Stride Ventures, is a pioneering figure in venture debt financing. With over 11 years of experience in the lending ecosystem, she oversees critical functions like fund raising, investor relations, and deal sourcing. Apoorva's leadership has led to groundbreaking deals across sectors like FinTech, Consumer, B2B commerce, and HealthTech. She holds the distinction of being one of the first Indian women to hold the position of Managing Partner at a venture debt fund. Apoorva's professional journey began at HSBC, where she contributed to debt capital markets and successful bond issuances. Later, at Xander Finance, she played a key role in deal sourcing and structuring investments across various sectors. Her academic credentials include post-graduation in management from the Indian Institute of Management Shillong and the prestigious CFA charter holder designation.
Sarthak Sood
Partner
Sarthak Sood is a Partner at Stride Ventures, focusing on deal sourcing, evaluation, and portfolio management across venture debt investments.
Investments in securities markets are subject to market risks. Read all the related documents carefully before investing. Past performance is not indicative of future returns.
Registered 2024
Pankaj Kwatra
Partner & CFO
Chartered Accountant, B.Com (Hons)
Pankaj brings over 17 years of experience in finance and taxation, with significant exposure to the private equity, venture capital, and real estate sectors. Prior to joining Stride Ventures, he served as Assistant Vice President at Rising Straits Capital, where he led the business finance and operational finance functions for the group's India and overseas entities. Earlier in his career, Pankaj spent over eight years with Big Four firms Ernst & Young (EY) and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where he was part of the tax and regulatory teams. He is a Chartered Accountant (May 2006 batch) and holds a B.Com (Hons) degree from Sri Guru Gobind Singh College of Commerce, University of Delhi.
Vivek Sharma
Partner
Vivek Sharma is a Partner at Stride Ventures with expertise in venture debt, credit structuring, and startup financing across sectors.
Fariha Ansari
Partner, GCC & Global Capital Formation
BA (Mount Holyoke College), Harvard Business School alumnus
Fariha currently serves as the Partner, GCC & Global Capital Formation at Stride Ventures, leveraging 21 years of experience across finance, insurance, and government in the US, Europe, and APAC regions. In this role, she oversees fundraising and global investor relations for INR and USD funds, while also serving on the Alumni Board of Harvard Business School and the HBS Club of India Board. Previously, Fariha held the position of Chief Strategy Officer at Toffee Insurance, driving strategic partnerships to enhance company revenue and long-term value. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and Quantitative Economics from Mount Holyoke College and is an alumnus of Harvard Business School.
Manikandan Sanjive
Director, Risk
FRM
With nearly fifteen years of experience, Manikandan has built deep expertise in credit risk management, deal origination and structuring, negotiations, and portfolio monitoring. Over the course of his career, he has worked across both investments and risk functions, managing diverse portfolios spanning startups, SMEs, supply chain, mid-markets, large corporates, and project finance. He is a certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM) and has also completed certifications in blockchain and machine learning, further strengthening his technical and analytical skill set.
Neelashi Shukla
Head of Responsible Investment & Impact
Neelashi has extensive experience in trade and investment strategy across business and government domains. She was previously leading investment facilitation in the consumer goods sector and outreach for Europe under the Government of India's flagship Make in India initiative at Invest India. Prior to that, she was responsible for executing India's strategic economic partnerships globally and was also the founding member of the Women Entrepreneurship Platform at NITI Aayog. She also co-founded Whiter Slates, a startup enabling talent mapping and discovery in the creator economy landscape. Neelashi is an alumnus of St. Stephen's College, Delhi and the London School of Economics and Political Science.
Pushpesh Dindorkar
Vice President, Compliance
Company Secretary, LLB, PGD (Business and Corporate Laws)
Pushpesh Dindorkar is a senior compliance professional with over 11 years of experience in financial services, specializing in regulatory compliance and fund governance across alternative investment platforms. At Stride Ventures, he leads the firm's compliance function across multiple jurisdictions, overseeing regulatory obligations and licensing frameworks for the firm's fund structures in India, the UK, and the GCC. Pushpesh has extensive experience in regulatory compliance relating to Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs), portfolio management services, and cross-border fund structures. Pushpesh is a qualified Company Secretary and holds a degree in Law (LLB), along with a Post Graduate Diploma in Business and Corporate Laws from Symbiosis University.
Amaira Singh Balyan
Manager, Marketing & Communications
Amay Ganguly
Analyst, Capital Formation
Anshika Puri
Manager, Human Resources
Devansh Methi
Associate, Risk
Devin Gupta
Analyst, Investments
Divya Sharma
AVP, Marketing & Communications
Ganeev Chadha
Analyst, Investments
Gurpreet Singh Virk
Manager, Marketing - Video Production
Hrushikesh Brahma
Principal Associate, Risk
Jhanvi Punia
Analyst, Investments
Jyoti Golia
Analyst, Investments
Kholoud Almohammadi
Director, Investments
Kriti Sachdeva
AVP, Human Resources
Kunal Manocha
Analyst, Investments
Kushvardhan Soni
Analyst, Investments
Mitesh Pawar
Associate, Investments
Mohit Kumar Bagra
Assistant Manager, Finance
Nandita Chauhan
Director, Investments
Navneet Sachar
Principal Associate, Investments
Nikhil Agarwal
Associate, Investments
Niranjan Rathi
Principal, Investments
Purvasha Mansharamani
Legal Head, Stride Ventures
Radhika Rajkotia
Principal
Raghav Khanna
Associate, Investments
Rajat Mohan
Manager, Administration
Rajit Uboweja
Partner
Rakhi Jain
Principal Associate, Investments
Raunak Jain
Associate, Investments
Ravneet Mann
Partner, United Kingdom
Rutvik Shukla
Assistant Manager, Finance
Samiran Santra
Senior Manager, Transactions
Sanatha Kumar
Associate, Investments
Sanjeev Singh
Senior Manager, Credit Administration
Siddharth Manohar
Manager, Technology
Sumit Hans
Assistant Vice President, Finance
Tarun Garg
Manager, Finance
Twinkle Narang
Manager, Transaction Fulfilment
Utkarsh Singh
Principal Associate
Varun Agarwal
Partner, GCC
Vedant Bhasin
Associate, Investments
Vikram Raghavan
Director, United Kingdom
Vinod Puniyani
Manager, Operations
Vishakha Gupta
Principal, Investments
Yojit Grover
Director, Investments
Zubin Siddarth Pal
Manager, Marketing & Communications
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