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Thirty years of building, acquiring, and exiting technology companies across US and…
Articles by Sekhar
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Perspective - Life during and after Corona
Perspective - Life during and after Corona
Hope you all are safe and doing well and spending time with your loved ones, streaming movies, shows that have been on…
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WINE, DINE ENTERTAIN & CHARITY
WINE, DINE ENTERTAIN & CHARITY
Did it ever occur to you that your Client/Customer/Investor doesn’t really care about your wine/dine/golf/entertainment…
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In Pursuit of Passion
In Pursuit of Passion
If you are like me, chances are you are among the majority of the people in the world who don't necessarily have a…
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Sekhar Puli shared thisLooking forward to an engaging session at T-Hub and hearing from the entrepreneurs building the futureSekhar Puli shared thisT-Hub is excited to welcome Aroa Venture Partners and their leadership team, Gaurav Gulati and Sekhar Puli, for an engaging day with startups on October 7. Gaurav and Sekhar bring extensive experience in building and scaling global companies and continue to actively support founders across diverse sectors. Get a chance to directly interact with seasoned investors, ask questions, and gain practical insights. In addition to the closed-door pitching sessions, founders can also connect with them through: 💬 Ask Me Anything (AMA) at 10:30 AM ☕ Hi-Tea with Aroa Ventures at 5:00 PM 👉 Register here: https://lnkd.in/gKeP-swY #THub #AroaVentures #StartupEcosystem #InvestorConnect #Innovation #Entrepreneurship
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Sekhar Puli reposted thisSekhar Puli reposted thisFrom 200 to nearly 9,000 startups in just a decade, Hyderabad is no longer catching up, it’s leading. In 2024 alone, startups in the city raised $571M, a 160% surge from the previous year. HealthTech funding skyrocketed, and AI roles grew by 54%, making Hyderabad one of the fastest-growing startup and talent hubs in the country. At Aroa Venture Partners, we believe the right platform can accelerate a founder’s journey and we’re committed to creating that space for bold ideas to thrive. Which is why we’re hosting Aroa Pitch Day on 7th October 2025 at T-Hub, Hyderabad. If you’re building in AI, Sustainability, or Healthcare, this is the room you want to be in. Today is the last day to apply. Application link: https://lnkd.in/g63ygYR4
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Sekhar Puli shared thisInviting early and growth stage startups building transformative solutions across Healthcare, Sustainability and cross platform AI to apply for an opportunity to present in person at T-Hub, HyderabadSekhar Puli shared thisAroa Venture Partners is pleased to announce Aroa Pitch Day, taking place on 7th October 2025 at T-Hub, Hyderabad. This initiative is designed to identify and engage with ambitious early-stage startups that are building across AI, Healthcare, and Sustainability. 📌 Who can apply? Early-stage startups headquartered in Hyderabad, or those able to present in person at T-Hub. 📌 Application Deadline: 28th September 2025 📌 Event Date: 7th October 2025 Selected startups will have the opportunity to present directly to the Aroa investment team and be evaluated for potential funding and strategic support. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/g63ygYR4 We look forward to connecting with founders who are shaping transformative solutions for India and beyond. Gaurav Gulati Sekhar Puli Nitin Wadhwa Sejal Mangal Prerna Singh Riya Nagpal Vaishali Bansla T-Hub Akhila Sri Vahini Devi Chinthireddy
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Sekhar Puli shared thisThanks for publishing this Janelle Teng, very insightfulSekhar Puli shared thisQ2T3 is the new T2D3 — in the AI era, startups are scaling at speeds that make yesterday’s “hypergrowth” SaaS look sluggish. But not all growth is equal... while we love "AI Supernovas", we believe this era will be defined not by a few outliers, but by hundreds of "AI Shooting Stars". Read on for the latest benchmarks, predictions, and roadmap deep dives, in our latest Bessemer Venture Partners State of AI 2025 report: https://lnkd.in/gt2uDSZj
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Sekhar Puli reposted thisSekhar Puli reposted thisCongratulations to Aroa Venture Partners for being featured in “Top 50 Family Offices Fueling India’s Startup Revolution” — an initiative by Indian Startup Times to spotlight the most influential family offices catalyzing innovation and entrepreneurial growth across the country. From backing bold global bets to supporting visionary Indian founders, Aroa Venture Partners exemplifies the power of patient capital, strategic foresight, and a founder-first approach to investing. Your commitment to enabling long-term, transformative change makes you not just investors — but true ecosystem builders. Gaurav Gulati, Founder & Managing Partner at Aroa Venture Partners, is a seasoned entrepreneur and capital strategist with two decades of experience spanning startup exits, private investments, and Fortune 500 advisory. Sekhar Puli – A global business leader with 25+ years of steering tech-driven growth, M&As, and scaling ventures across startups, Fortune 500s, and PE-backed firms. Nitin Wadhwa – Partner at Aroa Venture Partners, advising on complex corporate matters with a sharp focus on cross-border investments across public and private markets. #Top50FamilyOffices #StartupInvesting #FamilyOfficesIndia #VCIndia #IndianStartupTimes #StartupRevolution #PatientCapital #StrategicInvesting #GlobalInvestors #IndiaInnovation ROHIT MAHAJAN Rajjat Gulati
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Sekhar Puli reposted thisSekhar Puli reposted thisThis is an initiative we are bringing together founders across health-tech, biotech, life sciences, and digital health - to share learnings, discuss what’s working (and what’s not), and imagine the kind of innovation this sector truly needs. If you're building in this space or have insights to share - we would love to hear from you. Limited number of seats at our HQ for this event but we will make the session available online as well. More details to follow. If you are interested in participating - DM and our team will be in touch soon. #healthtech #biotech #lifesciences #digitalhealth #Startups #founders #innovation #impact Aroa Venture Partners Prerna Singh Sekhar Puli Riya Nagpal Nitin Wadhwa Vaishali Bansla Sejal Mangal
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Sekhar Puli shared thisMuch needed especially with seismic shift in Indian demographics, with more polarization of workforces to Urban areas, growing nuclear families and cramped homes with no room to take care of your elders, you need reliable caregivers to take care your elders 🙏🏾 Aroa Venture Partners is proud to be a partner of Samarth Care in this journeySekhar Puli shared thisOur Elders Need Specialised Medical Care. Not A Pile Of Referrals. Heart check-up? Here. Knees? Try that doctor. Memory lapses? That’s another specialist. For our elders, healthcare often becomes a maze. Exhausting. Confusing. Fragmented. --------- That’s why we built Samarth Clinics - to bring it all together. A place where doctors talk to each other. Care is customised. And where seniors feel seen, heard… and cared for. --------- Thank you, Gurgaon Times, for spotlighting our mission. - Specialised geriatric care - Thoughtful assessments - A human-first approach Curious why this clinic matters? Start with reading the article. Then take the first step toward better care for someone you love - come see how it’s done differently. The Times Of India
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Sekhar Puli shared thisCongratulations team TopBloc , wishing you all the best in continuing the amazing growth trajectory you guys have been on 👏🏽💐Sekhar Puli shared thisApex and ASGN Incorporated are excited to share our intent to acquire TopBloc LLC, a leading force in the Workday ecosystem. With its status as a preferred certified Workday Services Partner, TopBloc boasts an impressive track record of over 300 Workday installations in just five years, earning a stellar reputation among North America's medium and large enterprises. Keep an eye out for the final announcement! 🔗 https://bit.ly/412AQGT
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Sekhar Puli shared thisAroa Venture Partners proudly launches #SeedUP Program 2025 **** Application deadline: 31st March 2025 **** Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/geAKyqPD This program is designed to identify and support the state’s most promising ventures, offering them the tools, funding, and mentorship needed to achieve scale and make a meaningful impact. #SeedUP Program is more than just a funding initiative, it’s a commitment to transforming the startup landscape in Uttar Pradesh. We’re excited to work with ambitious founders ready to scale and succeed. So, if your venture is operational for less than 3 years and is focused on solving real-world challenges with unique solutions, we want to hear from you!Sekhar Puli shared thisAroa Venture Partners proudly launches #SeedUP Program 2025 **** Application deadline: 31st March 2025 **** Apply Now: https://lnkd.in/geAKyqPD This program is designed to identify and support the state’s most promising ventures, offering them the tools, funding, and mentorship needed to achieve scale and make a meaningful impact. The #SeedUP Program is more than just a funding initiative, it’s a commitment to transforming the startup landscape in Uttar Pradesh. We’re excited to work with ambitious founders ready to scale and succeed. So, if your venture is operational for less than 3 years and is focused on solving real-world challenges with unique solutions, we want to hear from you! SIDBI Venture Capital Ltd SIDBI(Small Industries Development Bank of India) Sekhar Puli Nitin Wadhwa Prerna Singh Riya Nagpal Sahithi Vegunta Vaishali Bansla Startup India Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow Indian Institute of Technology - Banaras Hindu University (IIT-BHU), Varanasi Indian Institute of Technology (Banaras Hindu University), Varanasi Amity University Government of Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh Government #startups #entrepreneurship #funding #startupindia #GOI
Sekhar Puli commented on a post
1mo
Very well articulated Ashok garu 👏 Thanks for sharing, always very insightful to hear your perspectives
Sekhar Puli commented on a post
2mo
Congratulations Nitin Wadhwa , not surprising to see you on this list knowing how much you put into your profession. 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 well deserved
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Sekhar Puli liked thisSekhar Puli liked thisArmchair Quarterbacks Be careful with these. They come in many forms. Advisors who are advising founders when they have no clue what they’re talking about, and the thing they did many years ago isn’t that relevant anymore. Are you one of those “has-beens”? VCs who were born into wealth, got lucky by accident, and have no operator experience, or what it’s like to be a founder and not know how you’re going to run payroll. LPs who don’t know how to find the best deals or win allocation, and think throwing money at a problem solves everything. We all, at times, slip into being an armchair quarterback. When it’s better to listen, we speak. When it’s better to keep it to 2 cents, we give $2 or $20 🤷♂️ Here’s to being the wo(man) in the arena, instead of the armchair quarterback.
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Sekhar Puli liked thisSekhar Puli liked thisFamily + Hiking Everything I have written so far below 👇 ________ 𝐌𝐚𝐫 𝟐𝟑 - 𝐌𝐚𝐫 𝟐𝟗 - Sisu: https://lnkd.in/eVweEBxN - Safety Net: https://lnkd.in/e-RabVkt - In the Arena: https://lnkd.in/ek3S5fCz ________ 𝗟𝗮𝘀𝘁 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵'𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 - Green Card: https://lnkd.in/g8g92smN - Millionaire without a House: https://lnkd.in/gQJWvGPb - 3 Paths to Your First Million: https://lnkd.in/gv5xpSXJ - First Check to Fund: https://lnkd.in/gn-JVQrX - San Francisco Angels: https://lnkd.in/gt6zMvNu - Risk tolerance: https://lnkd.in/gwbkzJZx - 18 years of Persistence: https://lnkd.in/gHtSFs4N - First race: https://lnkd.in/gkt5ctMw - Feeling grateful: https://lnkd.in/gNsb3Wqj ________ 𝗧𝗼𝗽 𝗣𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 - Negotiate: https://lnkd.in/grpdz_Qn - High Stakes Interviews: https://lnkd.in/gCpKGwDv - 45K --> 500K+ TC: https://lnkd.in/gxxFbDk3 - Got my Green Card: https://lnkd.in/g8g92smN - Founder Holistic Health: https://lnkd.in/gDyYE5bt - You Deserve this: https://lnkd.in/gXTRKjvg - 7 H1B Transfers: https://lnkd.in/gVfktt4F - Follow the Money: https://lnkd.in/gZbKnYFU - Equity and TC: https://lnkd.in/gCNkBwhc - (- $200K) Debt: https://lnkd.in/gRU9bz6J - H1B/O1A/EB1A Lessons: https://lnkd.in/gPzEStty ________ Archives AI + Bio + Context: Mar 09 - Mar 15: https://lnkd.in/ecMRuUei Build Trap: Mar 02 - Mar 08: https://lnkd.in/eNDEy3p4 AI Everywhere: Feb 23 - Mar 01: https://lnkd.in/ebNJWHeE Vibe Mania: Feb 16 - Feb 22: https://lnkd.in/ec_44NrG Boomerang Valentine: Feb 09 - Feb 15: https://lnkd.in/epa-SNxU Running, immigration, Money: Feb 02 - Feb 08: https://lnkd.in/eNTun3c8 Fund Vs SPV: Jan 26 - Feb 01: https://lnkd.in/eaqt6wYm 40 lessons: Jan 19 - Jan 25: https://lnkd.in/exNypS77 Day 1 again: Jan 12 - Jan 18: https://lnkd.in/gzxKgm8V Trade offs: Jan 05 - Jan 11: https://lnkd.in/gBQPsBch New Year, New Misogi: Dec 29 - Jan 04: https://lnkd.in/gEhnmKbS Expectation Hangovers: Oct 13 - Dec 28: https://lnkd.in/gz47svAQ Love Yourself: May 26 - Oct 12: https://lnkd.in/gE_76xDf Sleep and Relationships matter: Oct 08 - May 25: https://lnkd.in/giC9-Cxc
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Sekhar Puli liked thisSekhar Puli liked thisExcited to share: Started a new chapter as Senior Director, Clinical Scientist at Incyte. I’m thrilled to join the Clinical Development team at Incyte and contribute to the innovative pipeline. I look forward to connecting with my new colleagues and continuing our shared mission of bringing meaningful treatments to patients. A huge thanks to the team at Allogene Therapeutics and wishing them continued success. #ClinicalScientist #ClinicalDevelopment #Incyte #Oncology
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Sekhar Puli reacted on thisSekhar Puli reacted on thisIt’s a blessing I don’t say this lightly. Having a safety net is critical to our survival and thriving in life. I am grateful and blessed to have a huge family that has been my safety net. While we don’t agree on everything, I can say my family has my back. I don’t have to worry about a place to stay I don’t have to worry about having something to eat I haven’t taken a break in a while Glad I took the time to visit family in the DC area Celebrate them Workout with them.
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Sekhar Puli liked thisSekhar Puli liked thisAn emotional bond b/w Teacher🙏/Student In middle school, I was the kid drifting in the background. I didn’t have a "thing." I wasn't a star athlete, I wasn't a math whiz, and honestly, I had zero direction. I was just trying to navigate the halls without a map. Then, this incredible woman, Valli Kumari ma’am walked into my life. She didn't just teach a syllabus; she taught me that I was capable of more than just "getting by." She challenged my perspective, pushed me when I was ready to settle for average, and gave me the encouragement I needed to finally find my footing. That foothold turned into a foundation, and that foundation changed my entire life. To see her again today—to see that pride in her eyes—reminds me that a great teacher doesn't just fill a brain; they ignite a soul. #Mentorship #Gratitude #LifeChanger #TeacherStudentBond #FindingDirection
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Sekhar Puli reacted on thisSekhar Puli reacted on thisSisu Family has been my Sisu Hiking and running has been my Sisu Good food gives me Sisu Hiking and eating with family gives me Sisu 😋
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Sekhar Puli liked thisSekhar Puli liked thisThis is personal - what a full-circle moment. I am deeply grateful to my former student Michael Psaros and his family for their transformational investment that made the Georgetown Psaros Center for Financial Markets and Policy a reality. I will never forget Mike once saying, “Professor Aggarwal believed in me before I believed in myself.” Those words have stayed with me—and today, seeing all that he has accomplished personally, and professionally at KPS Capital Partners, they mean even more. And the story comes full circle in another way: welcoming another former student, Mike Piwowar, as the Executive Director who will lead the Psaros Center into its next chapter. Moments like these remind me why I find teaching so meaningful. I am incredibly grateful to Georgetown University and Georgetown University McDonough School of Business for giving me the opportunity to work with such exceptional students, who go on to make a lasting impact in the world. And with deep gratitude to the two institutions that shaped me Birla Institute of Technology and Science, Pilani University of Maryland - Robert H. Smith School of Business
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Sekhar Puli liked thisSekhar Puli liked thisAn event called 𝑩𝒆𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒅 𝑳𝑳𝑴𝒔: 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒉𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝑺𝒆𝒍𝒇-𝑳𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑨𝑰 drew a real crowd in Silicon Valley on a Friday evening. The premise was simple: Generation is not intelligence. LLMs generate. Intelligence learns. Intelligence learns, adapts, and improves through experience, continuously and autonomously. No amount of capital, compute, data, or energy can brute-force that. You can keep scaling outputs without ever creating intelligence. It is now dawning on investors that the current path leads to endless capital burn. Operators, investors, and builders who have seen hundreds of AI companies are now starting to ask a different question: 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘥𝘰 𝘸𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘺𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘶𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘱𝘶𝘵𝘴? The hardest part for me at first with AI Pioneer, Peter Voss’s thesis was not learning something new. It was unlearning what I thought I already knew. We all inherit mental models that work, until they don’t. That is why incumbents miss paradigm shifts. They are optimized to win the old game at scale. Blockbuster, Nokia, Siebel, Barnes & Noble....the list goes on. Different names, same story. Paradigm shifts are early in reality and late in consensus. AI is now at that same inflection point. For most of human history, people mistook the limits of their understanding for the limits of reality. We assumed the world was flat, until we learned it wasn't. We assumed flight was impossible, until aerodynamic principles proved otherwise. And today, many still assume real intelligence belongs only to biology. So instead of asking the harder questions, we built systems that statistically remix the outputs of intelligence. Language, images, code, music...and we called that intelligence. Today’s systems are remarkable at generation. But intelligence is not just generation. LLMs are not designed to learn from experience. Architecture determines destiny in AI. In the intelligence era, the winning architecture is a learning architecture. We showed what that looks like. We demonstrated systems that learn - continuously & autonomously. The Q&A ran for over two hours. Silicon Valley runs on consensus. But change rarely starts with consensus. It starts as a contrarian view, moves through pre-consensus, gathers momentum, and only then becomes consensus. We cannot keep pretending GenAI and LLMs that could not learn continuously from day one will somehow learn tomorrow. That requires a different architecture. A different path to real intelligence. We will share demos and white papers with everyone who signed up. Grateful to Bharat Gupte, Raju Reddy garu, and Danil Kislinskiy for bringing real depth to the conversation. Grateful to Aswin Shreemal, JP(JayaPrasad) Vejendla, and Vinod K. for making the event possible. If this resonates, amplify it. Someone out there needs to hear this. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐟𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝.
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Sekhar Puli reacted on thisSekhar Puli reacted on thisI am excited and honored to announce that I have joined Prove as the new Chief Customer Officer. Having worked in the industry for years, I saw firsthand the loyalty embedded in Prove's customer base. We are ready to take it to the next level, by making customer partnerships more efficient, more strategic, and even more valuable. There is no better way to begin this journey than by inviting our community to gather for Improve 2026 - Prove's 3rd annual user conference taking place this June. This is especially exciting because we're are bringing the event to the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, NC, home of the Carolina Panthers. This summit provides a dedicated space for leaders to collaborate on breakthrough trends and next generation verification solutions. You will have the opportunity to hear from industry strategists who are successfully managing identity challenges in a high stakes environment. I look forward to meeting familiar and new faces at Improve 2026, as we work together to build the future of digital trust!
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Aroa Venture Partners
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Asha-Jyothi
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Asha-Jyothi (AJ) is a volunteer based non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the underprivileged by providing access to Education and Healthcare. Our mission is guided by Asha-Jyothi's core values of strength, commitment, collaboration and integrity.
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