Deep insights, inspiration, founder stories, and comprehensive reports.
SaaS from Scratch: Dheeraj Pandey of Nutanix and DevRev on Building Category-Defining SaaS from India
Nutanix co-founder Dheeraj Pandey joins Vani Kola to unpack how he built a $20 billion company by betting on distributed systems and what he'd do differently if he were starting today.
SaaS from Scratch: Founder Playbook | 2025 Edition
What separates category-defining SaaS companies from the rest? As Indian SaaS grows from $2B in 2018 to $17B in ARR now to become the world’s second-largest SaaS ecosystem, this question matters more than ever.
SaaS From Scratch: From Zero to Category: How Fareye Built a Market That Didn't Exist
Kushal Nahata built Fareye in a category no one had defined and had to convince buyers, investors, and an entire industry that a better way was possible. Here's the playbook for building something the market doesn't know it needs yet.
SaaS From Scratch: How Darwinbox's Rohit Chennamaneni Built an HR Tech Unicorn to Take On SAP and Workday from Hyderabad
Rohit Chennamaneni left McKinsey not with a grand plan, but with a frustration consulting advice never stuck, and a product could fix that. Nine years later, that frustration became Darwinbox, India's homegrown HR tech unicorn competing with SAP, Oracle, and Workday on their own turf.
Saas From Scratch: RateGain's Bhanu Chopra on TAM Expansion and Building Category-Defining SaaS
RateGain founder Bhanu Chopra joins Vani Kola to unpack how he built a $90 billion TAM travel tech company by entering a niche no investor would have bet on and expanding it into a category no one saw coming.
SaaS from Scratch: Saahil Goel on Building Shiprocket: 7 Years of Pivots, ₹10L to India's Largest E-Commerce Enablement Platform
Every founding story has a pivot. Saahil Goel had seven years of them and built India's largest e-commerce enablement platform on the other side.
SaaS from Scratch: Sashi Narahari of HighRadius on Bootstrapping, Enterprise SaaS, and Why He Raised Too Late
Sashi Narahari built HighRadius to a $3B valuation without taking outside capital for years, then admitted it was a mistake. This is what he'd do differently, and why.
Smart Glasses: Unlocking the Next Frontier in AR
Imagine it’s 2030. You’re driving around and spot a house for sale. With a single glance, you instantly know its listing price, property taxes, and can even see a virtual tour of the interior—without reaching for your phone or asking a single question.
We’re excited to share that our portfolio company, Eloelo, has raised a $13.5 million Series B round led by Play Ventures with participation from GamesKraft and existing investors Kalaari Capital, Courtside Ventures, Waterbridge Ventures, MIXI, Griffin Gaming Partners and Rocket Capital.
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Founder Spotlight: Hiver
Niraj Ranjan Rout and Nitesh Nandy, co-founders of Hiver, detailing their early entrepreneurial journeys and the inspiration behind optimizing email for team collaboration.
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From Law Grad to VC Fellow: Navigating the Unlikely Path
I remember the raised eyebrows and surprised looks when I announced my career shift from law to venture capital. It was a stark reminder of the unconventional path I had chosen.
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From Startup Trenches to Venture Capital
After a brief stint at an early-stage proptech and climate tech VC, two years ago I decided to take the plunge and apply to the Kalaari Fellowship. I was excited by the opportunity to shift closer to the ecosystem and build depth in venture, grounded in real operating experience rather than theory.
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From working with Social Impact Startups to Venture Capital
“The secret of life is to fall seven times and to get up eight times.” — Paulo Coelho In 2020, the email arrived – I hadn’t made the cut for Kalaari Capital’s fellowship program. Four years and countless experiences later, I’m writing this as part of Kalaari’s 2024 fellowship batch. That initial rejection didn’t mark the end of my path – it was merely a redirect.
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Gameconomy
India’s gaming ecosystem is evolving rapidly, with founders building global products, platforms, and infrastructure. Based on insights from 200+ gaming startups, this primer explores key trends, opportunities, and emerging white spaces in the industry.
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PERSPECTIVE
Generative AI: Unlocking the Future of Indian EdTech
India’s education sector is poised for a significant transformation, with Generative AI (GenAI) set to play a pivotal role.
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How Diverse Experiences Led Me to Kalaari Capital
You know that feeling when life takes you somewhere completely unexpected, but somehow it all makes perfect sense? That’s exactly how I feel about my journey to the Kalaari Fellowship.
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