Yash Vardhan Kanoi

I grew up in Assam, where my father ran a tea business for over twenty years. At its peak it employed close to 5,000 people, and the estate had its own schools and a medical centre. In 2012 the business closed after problems with team management and financial pressure we hadn't fully understood, and our family had to start over. Around then, my mother set up a non-profit with a vocational training centre to support aspiring entrepreneurs. Seeing both up close shaped how I think about entrepreneurship, and about the people it affects. I started my career in M&A and corporate finance at Deloitte in Mumbai and London. A couple of years in, I read about Ikigai and realised I wanted to combine finance with work that had a more direct impact. I approached the India CEO of Gray Matters Capital at a conference, which led to the IDEX Fellowship and running their edtech accelerator. After that I wanted to move into venture capital and be based in Silicon Valley, so I ended up writing to over 200 funds. Alter Global wrote back. I worked pro bono for the first few months, then moved to Indonesia to source deals on the ground and support their fintech portfolio as chief of staff. Over 6.5 years I led 30+ investments across South and Southeast Asia, MENA and Latin America, and lived in Indonesia, Singapore, London and the US. I've always believed that non-linear risks lead to non-linear returns, and most of my career has been built on that. Some of what I've learned: my best deals came through relationships, and many of those started with helping a founder before there was anything to invest in. Strong funding doesn't fix weak unit economics. And the companies that work are usually ten year journeys built on founder perseverance, not overnight successes. I'm analytical by training, but I've always been interested in how people think and make decisions. I read a lot of behavioural science and am training as an executive and leadership coach with the International Coaching Federation. I'm also a guest lecturer at Masters Union, where I love being around curious students and sharing what I've learned about VC 101, entrepreneurship and valuations. Whether it's a founder, a student or a colleague, I like helping people work towards what they're really trying to build. Today I invest in and advise early-stage startups in climate, AI and consumer through Ikigai Catalyst. I also consult for climate funds, global funds looking to enter India, and founders working towards product-market fit. If you're building or investing in any of these areas, I'd be glad to talk.