Loading organizations...
Loading organizations...
Key people at Core91.vc.
Core91.vc operates as an early-stage venture capital firm, strategically deploying capital into innovative technology companies. The firm focuses on identifying and supporting B2B SaaS solutions, specifically targeting pre-seed to Series A startups. It seeks out ambitious founders, particularly those of Indian origin, who are building companies with global aspirations and outlier ideas. Core91.vc provides capital and guidance to help these nascent businesses develop and expand.
The firm was established in 2020, with key figures including Shalin Shah and Keshav Jain. Shalin Shah, a Partner, brings a background in engineering, startup founding, and experience within hedge funds and private equity, which informed his passion for assisting founders. Keshav Jain, a Venture Partner, contributes expertise from finance and his own entrepreneurial success with a molecular diagnostics startup, recognizing the potential in early-stage ventures. Their combined experience likely fueled the insight to create a fund dedicated to fostering promising early-stage companies.
Core91.vc primarily serves founders building high-potential B2B SaaS startups, offering more than just capital but also strategic support during critical early growth phases. The firm's long-term vision centers on cultivating a portfolio of companies that demonstrate significant potential for disruption and global reach. It aims to empower entrepreneurs to translate their outlier ideas into successful, scalable businesses, making a substantial impact in their respective markets.
CORE91 VC is an early-stage venture capital fund that primarily invests in seed to Series A startups founded by Indian entrepreneurs globally. Their focus is on intelligent B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) companies, backing outlier ideas and ambitious founders with deep user empathy. The firm aims to provide not just capital but also strategic guidance to help startups scale, positioning itself as a key enabler in the early-stage startup ecosystem, especially for Indian founders building globally relevant technology solutions[1][3][5].
Founded by a team with diverse backgrounds spanning biomedical engineering, hedge funds, private equity, and startup operations, CORE91 VC emerged from a passion for supporting founders beyond just financial investment. The founding partners include Shalin, who has a technical and startup founding background from Carnegie Mellon and experience in private equity; Keshav, a molecular diagnostics entrepreneur and startup expert; and Aman, an IIT-Bombay graduate with operational experience in startups like Drivojoy, Halodoc, and Swiggy. Their combined experience in investing, founding, and scaling startups shaped CORE91’s focus on early-stage Indian founders with global ambitions[3].
CORE91 rides the wave of increasing global recognition of Indian founders and the growing prominence of B2B SaaS startups. The timing is critical as Indian tech entrepreneurs are increasingly building globally competitive SaaS products, and early-stage capital with domain expertise is in demand. By focusing on intelligent SaaS solutions, CORE91 taps into the digital transformation trend across industries, supporting startups that solve complex business problems with scalable software. Their role extends to nurturing a community of ambitious Indian founders, thereby influencing the broader ecosystem by accelerating innovation and cross-border startup growth[1][3][5].
Looking ahead, CORE91 is well-positioned to capitalize on the expanding global SaaS market and the rising prominence of Indian technology entrepreneurs. Trends such as AI integration in SaaS, remote work enabling global product adoption, and increasing enterprise digitization will shape their portfolio’s growth trajectory. CORE91’s influence is likely to grow as they continue to back outlier ideas and provide strategic support, potentially becoming a key bridge between Indian founders and global markets. Their commitment to early-stage investments and founder-centric support suggests sustained impact on the startup ecosystem, fostering innovation and scaling of Indian-origin SaaS ventures worldwide[3].
Key people at Core91.vc.
| Date | Company | Round | Lead Investor(s) | Co-Investor(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 1, 2023 | Togai | $3.0M Seed | Manav Garg | Kunal Shah, Prasanna Shankar, BoldCap, Core91 |
| Oct 1, 2022 | Mason | $2.0M Seed | Accel, Creandum, Ideaspring Capital | 3one4 Capital, Acton Capital Partners, Adverb Ventures, AngelList Syndicator, Bond, CapitalX, Coalition Operators, FirstMark Capital, Frontline Ventures, Global Founders Capital, Icebreaker.vc, LGF, Lightspeed India Partners, Logos Labs, Long Journey Ventures, Next Play Ventures, Not Boring Capital, Pareto Holdings, Point Nine Capital, Prototype Capital, TCV, Akshay Kothari, Alex Kayyal, Andrew Nutter, Andrus Purde, Christian Bach, Claire Hughes Johnson, Cristina Cordova, Dylan Field, Emre Baran, Fareed Mosavat, Gokul Rajaram, Guillaume Lestrade, Jan Deepen, Job Van Der Voort, Johnny Boufarhat, Julian Shapiro, Koen Bok, Kristjan Vilosius, Kunal Shah, Megan Quinn, Paul Yacoubian, Phillip Chambers, Scott Belsky, Shane Curran, Stefan Jeschonnek, Stewart Butterfield, Core91, Gaingels, Lightspeed India, Mana Ventures, VH Capital, Christian Reber, Fredrik Björk, Renaud Visage, Tobias Lütke |
| Dec 1, 2021 | Dista | $1.0M Seed | Pentathlon Ventures | Core91 |
| Jan 15, 2021 | Kiwi | $2.5M Seed | — | AppyHigh, Shalin Shah, Mihir Jha |
| Dec 9, 2020 | Mihup Communications | $1.5M Series A | — | Jayant Kadambi, Subrata Mitra, Rajesh Jain, Ideaspring Capital |
