Loading organizations...
§ Accelerator · San Francisco, CA, USA
Upekkha is a Vertical AI Accelerator that helps Indian founders build global software brands
Upekkha, an AI accelerator, guides Indian founders to build global enterprise AI software companies. It partners with entrepreneurs to develop AI solutions, integrating first-principles thinking with product-led growth and enterprise go-to-market strategies. This cultivates category-defining AI software businesses for international markets.
December 27, 2017, marked Upekkha's founding by Managing Partners Prasanna Krishnamoorthy, Shekar, and Thiyagarajan (Rajan), alongside Partner Gokul. Their collective 15 years experience fostering global Indian founder networks provided insight to address unique scaling challenges faced by Indian AI ventures.
Upekkha targets ambitious Indian founders achieving global market presence in enterprise AI. The program minimizes startup pitfalls and accelerates product-market fit, boosting participant success. Its vision is to nurture future AI innovators, fostering a new wave of vertical AI powerhouses worldwide.
Key people at Upekkha Vertical AI Accelerator.
Upekkha Vertical AI Accelerator was founded in 2017 by Shekar Nair (Managing Partner and Co-founder) and Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan (Managing Partner and Co-Founder) and Prasanna Krishnamoorthy (Managing Partner and Co Founder).
Upekkha is a leading vertical AI accelerator focused on empowering Indian-origin founders to build global enterprise software brands. Its mission is to catalyze the next generation of category-defining AI startups by combining deep technical expertise, first-principles thinking, and proven growth strategies. Upekkha’s investment philosophy centers on identifying high-potential founders early—typically at the pre-seed to Series B stage—and helping them scale through hands-on product development, enterprise go-to-market support, and access to a robust global network. The firm specializes in vertical AI, targeting sectors such as finance, healthcare, manufacturing, logistics, energy, and retail, where AI can automate end-to-end workflows and deliver measurable ROI.
Upekkha’s impact on the startup ecosystem is significant: it has accelerated over 150 SaaS and AI startups, launched initiatives like the VIBE50 report to spotlight India’s vertical AI wave, and fostered real-world deployments across industries. By bridging the gap between Indian engineering talent and global enterprise needs, Upekkha is shaping India’s emergence as a global hub for vertical AI innovation.
---
Founded in 2017, Upekkha was established by a team of seasoned entrepreneurs and investors with deep roots in both Silicon Valley and India’s tech ecosystem. Key partners include Prasanna Krishnamoorthy and Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan, both of whom bring extensive experience in enterprise software, AI, and global scaling. The accelerator began as a platform to support Indian SaaS founders but quickly pivoted to focus on vertical AI as the market shifted toward industry-specific solutions.
Upekkha’s evolution reflects the broader transformation in the AI landscape: from general-purpose tools to specialized, workflow-automating platforms. The firm’s early bets on vertical AI—backed by India’s vast pool of engineers familiar with both U.S. enterprise workflows and local operational realities—positioned it at the forefront of the movement. In 2025, Upekkha launched its $40 million fund and the VIBE50 report, cementing its role as a thought leader and ecosystem builder in the vertical AI space.
---
---
Upekkha is riding the wave of vertical AI—a trend where AI is no longer a generic tool but a deeply embedded solution tailored to specific industries. The timing is critical: global enterprise spending on vertical AI is projected to grow from $5 billion in 2024 to $47 billion by 2030, driven by demand for measurable ROI and workflow automation. India’s structural advantage—over 100,000 engineers with cross-border experience—makes it a natural hub for this shift.
Upekkha is influencing the broader ecosystem by lowering the barrier to entry for vertical AI startups, accelerating real-world adoption, and fostering collaboration between enterprises and founders. Its work is helping redefine how AI is built, deployed, and scaled, moving the industry from experimentation to transformation.
---
Upekkha is poised to play a pivotal role in shaping the next decade of AI-driven enterprise software. As cloud providers begin subsidizing AI compute, local language models mature, and agent frameworks emerge, the vertical AI opportunity will only grow. Upekkha’s focus on founder empowerment, global scalability, and industry-specific solutions positions it to capture this wave.
Looking ahead, expect Upekkha to deepen its ecosystem partnerships, expand its global footprint, and continue spotlighting the startups that will define the future of vertical AI. As the world moves from general-purpose AI to specialized, workflow-automating platforms, Upekkha’s mission—to launch global software brands from India—will become increasingly central to the global tech narrative.
Upekkha Vertical AI Accelerator was founded in 2017 by Shekar Nair (Managing Partner and Co-founder) and Thiyagarajan Maruthavanan (Managing Partner and Co-Founder) and Prasanna Krishnamoorthy (Managing Partner and Co Founder).
Key people at Upekkha Vertical AI Accelerator.
