A passionate musician turned Investor meet Pranav Sanghvi, Principal at Merak Ventures, an early-stage B2B Tech VC Fund and a TedX speaker.
Born & brought up in Bombay, Pranav was a passionate musician under the stage name One&One. Across his music career, Pranav played at numerous Indian and international music festivals.
Coming from a business family, Pranav highlighted that he got the opportunity to learn the how real businesses were built & scaled, a skill that eventually helped him break into the Indian venture capital ecosystem.
In 2020, Pranav switched to a career in investments with the MABS Family Office & spent the next few years building a portfolio that now has over 20 early-stage businesses across different sectors.
This experience, coupled with a keen interest in meeting with and learning from early-stage Founders, led him to pursuing a long-term career in venture capital.
Pranav joined Merak in late 2022 & has been with the firm for almost 2 years now.
Merak Ventures is a sector-agnostic venture capital fund that invests in early-stage B2B and emerging technology companies that are solving hard, real world problems and creating large-scale impact.
The firm’s investment focus spans across all B2B and Tech first or tech-enabled early-stage businesses across different sectors.
Investment Ticket Size:
• First cheque: USD 0.5-1.5 million (approx. INR 5 crores)
• Sweet spot: USD 1 million
During a recent conversation, Pranav emphasised the importance of storytelling when pitching to investors.
As an early-stage investor, his primary responsibility is to back meaningful businesses and generate promising financial returns for their investors.
If you have an innovative idea that addresses a significant real-world problem, consider reaching out to Pranav Sanghvi
.
Key Takeaways from My Interaction with Pranav Sanghvi:
✅ As an investor, Focus on financial returns while solving real-world problems
✅ Insights into investing in emerging technologies and sectors with high growth potential
✅ Strategies for identifying and nurturing early-stage startups
A special thanks to eChai Ventures , Draper Startup House and the amazing co-hosts Mansi Baheti and moderator Tanya Mary and Nivin Joseph for organizing such an insightful event.
Born & brought up in Bombay, Pranav was a passionate musician under the stage name One&One. Across his music career, Pranav played at numerous Indian and international music festivals.
Coming from a business family, Pranav highlighted that he got the opportunity to learn the how real businesses were built & scaled, a skill that eventually helped him break into the Indian venture capital ecosystem.
In 2020, Pranav switched to a career in investments with the MABS Family Office & spent the next few years building a portfolio that now has over 20 early-stage businesses across different sectors.
This experience, coupled with a keen interest in meeting with and learning from early-stage Founders, led him to pursuing a long-term career in venture capital.
Pranav joined Merak in late 2022 & has been with the firm for almost 2 years now.
Merak Ventures is a sector-agnostic venture capital fund that invests in early-stage B2B and emerging technology companies that are solving hard, real world problems and creating large-scale impact.
The firm’s investment focus spans across all B2B and Tech first or tech-enabled early-stage businesses across different sectors.
Investment Ticket Size:
• First cheque: USD 0.5-1.5 million (approx. INR 5 crores)
• Sweet spot: USD 1 million
During a recent conversation, Pranav emphasised the importance of storytelling when pitching to investors.
As an early-stage investor, his primary responsibility is to back meaningful businesses and generate promising financial returns for their investors.
If you have an innovative idea that addresses a significant real-world problem, consider reaching out to Pranav Sanghvi
.
Key Takeaways from My Interaction with Pranav Sanghvi:
✅ As an investor, Focus on financial returns while solving real-world problems
✅ Insights into investing in emerging technologies and sectors with high growth potential
✅ Strategies for identifying and nurturing early-stage startups
A special thanks to eChai Ventures , Draper Startup House and the amazing co-hosts Mansi Baheti and moderator Tanya Mary and Nivin Joseph for organizing such an insightful event.
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"At DevX.Work, we’ve greatly benefited from our association with eChai. Their events and networking forums have connected us with high-potential startups, ecosystem leaders, and innovation-driven professionals — many of whom have become valuable partners, collaborators, and even clients. What stands out most is the openness and accessibility of the community — whether you're an early-stage founder or an experienced entrepreneur, eChai provides a welcoming space to learn, collaborate, and grow. It's more than just a network — it's a catalyst for real, collaborative growth. We’re proud to be part of the eChai community. Highly recommended for any organization aiming to grow within the startup space."
Umesh Uttamchandani
Co-Founder, DevX
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
"eChai has played a truly pivotal role in HummingBird’s journey — even before Day Zero. From ideation to establishment and into growth, it’s been a constant source of support. It connected me with incredible people who’ve become more than just friends. One of the biggest reasons I chose to stay in Ahmedabad is because of the eChai community. It has shaped my growth — both personally and professionally — in ways that are hard to articulate. Honestly, words fall short when I try to express what eChai means to me. I’m deeply thankful and forever grateful to eChai for being such an integral part of my journey."
Harsha Bhurani
Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
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eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.
