Friday, August 21, 2015

STARTUP SPECIAL... MIDAS TOUCH AWARD FOR BEST INVESTOR - The Ones With the Golden Touch that Can Create Unicorns

STARTUP MIDAS TOUCH AWARD FOR BEST INVESTOR - The Ones With the Golden Touch that Can Create Unicorns


Vani Kola boasts an enviable record of spotting entrepreneurs capable of building large companies

...and the (ET) award goes to Vani Kola Kalaari Capital
When venture capital investor Vani Kola meets entrepreneurs for the first time, she typically shoots a rapid-fire round of questions that helps her grasp how well they understand the problem they are trying to solve. It was after one such encounter that a Wharton graduate felt that Kola did not understand his business or was not interested. Then he got a call from Kola with more questions. Soon a deal was signed, which was Kalaari Capital's only new investment in 2009.
That entrepreneur was Kunal Bahl, who was then running online couponing venture Moneysaver. His company has since morphed into Snapdeal.
Kola's venture capital firm made the investment at post-money valuation of $4-5 million in the company , which is now valued at over $3 billion, making it one of her best investments. When it comes to India's e-retailing sector, Kola boasts an enviable record of spotting entrepreneurs capable of building large companies. Kola also bet on Mukesh Bansal of Myntra, which was initially a gifts and merchandise website. Myntra became an online fashion retailer and was acquired by Flipkart in 2014, giving Kalaari stake in two of India's largest e-retailers. Her other investments are online furniture retailer UrbanLadder, mobile app developer AppsDaily , and lingerie e-retailer Zivame.
“We want to be part of disruptive ideas which create high impact in India and work with entrepreneurs to build a lifelong relationship,“ said Kola, whose investment firm Kalaari Capital is raising a new $275-million fund.
The entrepreneur-turned-investor said that while she was touched by ET's recognition of venture capital investors, the award is reflected glory of what entrepreneurs are able to achieve after much struggle and making difficult decisions.“I always think of awards in the context of entrepreneurs and they are the real heroes. Having sat on the other side of the table, it is a lot harder to be an entrepreneur than a VC,“ said Kola.
Born and educated in Hyderabad, Kola started her bachelor's degree in electrical engineering at Osmania University at the age of 16. She then left to get a masters degree from Arizona State University, spending 22 years in the US. Kola cofounded Kalaari, after successfully building and selling two companies--Certus and Rightworks--in Silicon Valley .

ET14AUG15

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