Merak Ventures

What Do I Actually Do?

As someone who gets regular LinkedIn messages from aspiring VCs and questions from my family and friends, I thought it’d be worth shedding some light on what a junior venture capitalist (VC) actually does. Read More >>

Lessons from the Locker Room

Building a startup is a lot like putting together a sports team - not one of those superstar-packed lineups where everyone’s jostling for the spotlight Read More >>

The Single Founder Conundrum: Why VCs are Reluctant to Back Solo Entrepreneurs

In the vibrant Indian early-stage ecosystem, we have come across countless passionate entrepreneurs with innovative ideas and pathbreaking solutions to real, hard world problems. Read More >>

The Unseen Forces: Insights into the Venture Capital Decision Making Process

The decision-making process behind venture capital funding often appears enigmatic and opaque to those outside the industry. Read More >>

Once Upon a Startup

A couple of years ago, when I was running my own clothing business, I found myself behind a stall at yet another exhibition, hoping for that magical moment when someone would spot my brand and fall head over heels in love with it. Read More >>

Helium - Merak’s Bet on the eCommerce Enablement Space

Over the past several quarters, we have repeatedly emphasised our belief in the significant transformation occurring in the broader SME enablement space in India and across the globe. Read More >>

Hardware is Hard

The VC industry loves recurring revenue and the sound of a software startups’ account going cha-ching every month makes it quite appealing. Read More >>

Strong Opinions, Weakly Held

For many years, Marc Andreessen’s Twitter bio read: ‘Strong Opinions, Weakly Held (SOWH)’. What do these words mean? I’ve heard quite a few explanations, and they all seem to miss the point. Read More >>

Believe

In the popular series, Ted Lasso, there's a simple yet powerful poster hanging above the coach's office door that reads: "Believe". This mantra, though now a source of inspiration for many, wasn’t always a part of my mindset. Read More >>

Unlocking India’s Potential in Specialty Chemicals Market – Merak Ventures’ Investment in Atomgrid

India’s specialty chemicals sector has demonstrated exceptional growth in demand and capital generation on a global scale over the past decade. Read More >>

My name is Pranav, not Pranay

I promise, the title is not clickbait. Instead, it's a precursor to exploring potential obstacles in your fundraising journey. This article will discuss why taking a moment to pause and reassess your approach to engaging with investors could significantly impact your success. Read More >>

Dancing with data: The Simpson’s Paradox in VC Investing

Assur, the ancient Mesopotamian city, was famous for the ingenuity of its merchants, among other things. The city was the cradle of notable inventions and fascinating business practices, leading the charge for which were its merchants. Read More >>

Stars and Startups: A Techie Turned VC's Perspective on the Nuances of Early-Stage DeepTech Investing

We, at Merak, had a great start to the year as both of our SpaceTech bets (Pixxel and Bellatrix Aerospace) are now space-qualified in their respective domains, so it felt befitting to write using context borrowed from space and its unending grandness. Read More >>

How a Tech Startup is Turning Food Waste into Farmers' Gain

In the world of grocery shopping, the quest for perfect produce is pretty much universal. Shoppers, without a second thought Read More >>

The Emerging AI Stack

Every few years, the world of technology goes through a platform shift: the emergence of new capabilities or business models that have a transcendent impact on society. Read More >>

Compound Startups from India

At Merak, we are thesis-driven investors. We are generalists and invest across a broad range of industries, business models and technology stacks. Read More >>

Merak Ventures' Investment in Rupyz: A Strategic Bet on India's B2B Commerce Evolution

In a world where technology is flipping the script on traditional business practices, it's the innovations that tackle real challenges head-on that catch our eye. Read More >>

On the Trials and Tribulations of Fund-Raising

More than a decade ago, before my foray into investing, I was part of a startup in desperate need of funding. At that time, the Indian market had a limited number of seed investors, Read More >>

Green Horizons: A Startups' Guide to the Post-COP28 Era

Climate change is no longer a distant threat, but a sweaty reality. We're all sharing a hot seat, and the temperature is rising faster than our Zomato bills. Read More >>

Biomimicry: Imitation Elevated to an Art Form

Humans are inherently curious. The concept of learning from nature is not new - it's as old as humanity itself, for we are nature. Our inspirations have, at times, been strikingly evident. Read More >>

The Importance of Defensibility

At Merak, we are thesis-driven investors. We are generalists and invest across a broad range of industries, business models and technology stacks. Read More >>

From Newsroom Drama to Startup Revelations

Ever so often, a TV show grabs hold of you in a way that’s unexpected. ‘The Morning Show’ on Apple TV+ has done that for me. Read More >>

Why India's Homegrown Creators are Our Next Big Investment

In a country echoing with countless tales, the voice of creators resonates the loudest. Each has a story – from the kitchens of Punjab to the gaming cafes in Bengal. Read More >>

From Record Heat to Cool Solutions

It's no secret – the world's thermometer is rising. The United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Read More >>

When Excellence Fails

“Best practices” can be a trap. Functional excellence often breeds tunnel vision, and that way lies disaster. Read More >>

Build for India

Three years ago, in the depths of the first wave of COVID, internet pioneer and venture capitalist Marc Andreessen wrote "It's Time to Build". Read More >>

India's InsurTech Landscape – A Glimpse into Tomorrow

In recent years, India has emerged as a burgeoning hub for technological innovations, especially in the insurance sector. Read More >>

When Should I Raise My Next Round?

VCs love to invest – and therefore, you should try to raise – just after a major inflection point in the business. Read More >>