Key Takeaways
- • Bessemer Venture Partners appointed Mayank Khanduja as Partner in its India practice, effective October 2026, focusing on early-stage investments from first institutional round onwards.
- • Khanduja brings 15 years of venture investing experience across consumer tech, gaming, healthcare, AI, and deeptech, previously serving as a partner at Elevation Capital before joining Bessemer.
- • His track record includes backing ShareChat, NoBroker.com, PlaySimple Games, Jeh Aerospace, and Atlys, with demonstrated expertise in consumer technology and AI sectors aligned with Bessemer's India strategy.
- • The appointment strengthens Bessemer's early-stage practice in India following the firm's $350 million second India fund launch in March 2025, which targets AI, fintech, enterprise tech, health, and cybersecurity investments.
- • Bessemer's broader fundraising momentum supports the expansion: the firm closed a $5.75 billion global raise to back founders across seed through growth stages.
Summary
Bessemer Venture Partners has appointed Mayank Khanduja as Partner in its India practice, marking a strategic addition to the firm's early-stage investment operations in the region. Khanduja, who transitioned from Elevation Capital, brings 15 years of venture investing experience spanning consumer tech, gaming, healthcare, AI, and deeptech sectors. In his new role, he will focus on early-stage investments, partnering with founders from their first institutional capital round forward.
Khanduja's investment resume demonstrates deep expertise in the sectors Bessemer is prioritizing in India. His previous portfolio includes ShareChat, NoBroker.com, PlaySimple Games, Jeh Aerospace, and Atlys—a diversified set of companies reflecting strength across consumer platforms, proptech, gaming, aerospace tech, and travel fintech. Vishal Gupta, a Bessemer Partner, emphasized that Khanduja's depth in consumer tech and AI strengthens the firm's early-stage practice at a critical juncture for the Indian startup ecosystem.
The timing of Khanduja's appointment aligns with Bessemer's expanded India commitment. In March 2025, the firm announced its second India-dedicated fund with $350 million in capital, explicitly targeting investments in AI, fintech, enterprise tech, health, and cybersecurity. This appointment underscores Bessemer's intent to build local partnership capacity to execute that strategy. The firm's broader momentum is evident in its recent $5.75 billion global raise, which supports founder backing across seed through growth stages globally, providing Khanduja with significant capital and platform resources for India-focused deal sourcing and support.
Khanduja's investment resume demonstrates deep expertise in the sectors Bessemer is prioritizing in India. His previous portfolio includes ShareChat, NoBroker.com, PlaySimple Games, Jeh Aerospace, and Atlys—a diversified set of companies reflecting strength across consumer platforms, proptech, gaming, aerospace tech, and travel fintech. Vishal Gupta, a Bessemer Partner, emphasized that Khanduja's depth in consumer tech and AI strengthens the firm's early-stage practice at a critical juncture for the Indian startup ecosystem.
The timing of Khanduja's appointment aligns with Bessemer's expanded India commitment. In March 2025, the firm announced its second India-dedicated fund with $350 million in capital, explicitly targeting investments in AI, fintech, enterprise tech, health, and cybersecurity. This appointment underscores Bessemer's intent to build local partnership capacity to execute that strategy. The firm's broader momentum is evident in its recent $5.75 billion global raise, which supports founder backing across seed through growth stages globally, providing Khanduja with significant capital and platform resources for India-focused deal sourcing and support.
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