Over the last decade, I have had the privilege of meeting thousands of founders.
Some were just getting started. Some went on to build remarkable companies. Most were somewhere in between, trying to solve a problem they cared deeply about and looking for the right partners to help them on that journey.
This section is for founders who would like to pitch their startup to me.
But before you do that, I would encourage you to spend some time exploring the rest of this substack. I write a lot, and this should help you understand me better.
Start with the LVX Journey
Building LetsVenture (now LVX) has been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. This is my second venture, having founded, raised funding, scaled and exited my earlier venture in the embedded systems space. I was heading engineering and wrote some of the protocol stacks - so yes, I understand hardware, firmware, embedded. (when deep tech was not the trend!)
At LVX, like most startups, it did not begin with a grand plan. It began with curiosity, conversations and a problem that felt worth solving.
In the LVX Journey section, I write openly about building the platform, finding the problem, finding a co-founder, fundraising, making mistakes and learning along the way.
If you are a founder, I suspect many of those lessons will feel familiar.
Visit The Pitchroom
I also write regularly in The Pitchroom, where I share how investors evaluate startups, what makes founders stand out and how capital actually works.
Many founders spend weeks perfecting their pitch deck without fully understanding what investors are trying to assess.
The Pitchroom is my attempt to make that process a little more transparent.
One article I would strongly recommend is:
It is a simple framework that helps founders understand how investors think about opportunities. It may also help you build a stronger fundraising narrative and a better deck. As a founder, going into an investor meeting prepared almost always leads to deeper and more meaningful conversations.
What I look for in founders
People often ask about my investment thesis.
The truth is that I spend more time evaluating founders than evaluating sectors.
I am drawn to founders who have a deep understanding of the problem they are solving.
I like founders who are curious.
I like founders who are learning continuously.
I like founders who can balance ambition with humility. I like when conversations are authentic and genuine. I don’t like name dropping, and being shallow - its just a deal breaker for me.
Most importantly, I like founders who are building for customers rather than building for headlines.
A few things that catch my attention:
Strong founder-market fit
A problem that is real and meaningful
Evidence that customers care
Clarity of thought
Ability to execute
Long-term commitment to the problem
Honesty in conversations
I care less about polished presentations and more about genuine insight.
My investing journey
I have personally invested in 66 startups, primarily at the early stage.
Some of the companies I have backed include:
Giva
Jar
Online RTI (10x exit)
BotLabs
CureSkin
Sensemei
Kissan Konnect
Cherry
hBits
I am also an LP in a few venture funds.
Like every investor, I have had successes, mistakes and surprises. Investing has taught me that outcomes are often less predictable than they appear in hindsight.
What matters is finding founders who are resilient, thoughtful and committed to solving a real problem.
Beyond investing
Outside of startups and investing, a significant part of my time and personal capital goes into MyPragati, the non-profit initiative that is very close to my heart.
Working with communities through MyPragati has shaped how I think about impact, privilege and long-term change.
It has also reminded me that while businesses create value, not all value is measured in financial returns.
Before you pitch
Before you send me your deck, ask yourself three questions:
Why this problem?
Why now?
Why are you the right person to solve it?
If you have thoughtful answers to those questions, we already have a good starting point.
Pitch To Me
If you would like me to review your startup, please send:
A short note about what you are building
The problem you are solving
Your pitch deck
Any traction or customer insights
I cannot promise I will invest. I cannot promise I will respond to every pitch.
But I do promise that I respect the courage it takes to build. And I genuinely enjoy meeting founders early in their journey. Some of the most interesting companies start as a simple conversation.
I look forward to hearing your story.
Have fun building.
Shanti