Dream Big, Start Young: A Blueprint for Success

What drives two young entrepreneurs to take bold risks? In this episode of TiE Talks, I sit down with Krish and Samyak, two young entrepreneurs who took the bold steps of leaving school to pursue their dreams. Krish shares his journey from gaming to building his own VC firm, while Samyak reveals how his passion for biotech and pet nutrition led him to make big moves in the industry. We talk about their unique paths, the challenges they’ve overcome, and the mentors who’ve guided them along the way. This conversation is packed with inspiration for anyone ready to chase big dreams early in life!

Discussion Points: Dream Big, Start Young

• Could You Drop Everything to Follow a Dream?
• How a Teen’s Gaming Passion Turned into a VC Firm
• Leaving School, Starting a Company… What Drives Them?
• Facing Skepticism: Proving Yourself in an Adult World
• Mentors, Mishaps, and Moments That Mattered Most
• From ‘Cute Idea’ to Serious Contender—Their Startup Journey
• Agility with People: The Key to Startup Success?
• Pivoting Under Pressure: When to Let Go and Move On
• Integrity and Honesty—The Core Traits of True Founders
• One Piece of Advice Every Young Entrepreneur Needs

Our Guests: SAMYAK BAID

I am Samyak Baid, the co-founder of Pawsible Foods, an innovative start-up dedicated to transforming the future of food through the development of mycelium-based single-cell protein. Our proprietary fermentation processes create protein that is not only cleaner and more secure but also more sustainable than traditional animal and plant-based options, addressing critical food security challenges.

Currently, I am pursuing a dual degree in Economics and Innovation & Design at the National University of Singapore (NUS), where I have been honored with the prestigious NUSC International Merit Scholarship, valued at over S$200,000. My academic journey has equipped me with a robust foundation in economic theory, innovation, and design thinking, enabling me to approach complex problems with a multidisciplinary perspective.

At Pawsible Foods, we are incubated at the Institute of Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Singapore Management University and NUS Enterprise. Our start-up has successfully secured non-dilutive grants totaling S$75,000 from renowned institutions and organizations, including the governments of Singapore and India, DBS Bank, The National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Princeton University, and Grad Capital. These grants have been instrumental in advancing our research and development efforts, bringing us closer to our vision of a sustainable food system.

My passion for sustainable food systems stems from a deep commitment to exploring the economic potential of alternative proteins. I believe that innovative solutions in this field can significantly contribute to global food security, reducing our reliance on traditional agricultural practices that are often resource-intensive and environmentally detrimental.

Through my work at Pawsible Foods, I am dedicated to pioneering smarter, more efficient solutions for the future of food and agriculture. By harnessing the power of single-cell protein, we aim to provide a reliable and sustainable protein source that can meet the growing demands of a rapidly expanding global population.

My mission is to drive forward-thinking initiatives that not only enhance food security but also promote environmental sustainability. I am excited about the future of alternative proteins and am committed to making a positive impact on the food industry, ensuring a healthier, more secure world.

KRISH ANURAG
Managing Partner, Chimera VC

My story started when I was 14 years old investing in public markets, Crypto, and early-stage tech startup investing where I made 7 concentrated investments.  I then started my first company on a full-time basis at the age of 15 building a launchpad focused on unifying and simplifying web 3 gaming to optimize the onboarding of web2 users into web3 gaming. I also spent 6 months working at a disruptive gaming startup based in India learning about the gaming industry in India and shadowing the CEO directly.

This combination of investing, building, and scaling gaming start-ups, as well as understanding the tremendous opportunity of the Indian gaming industry, gave birth to Chimera.

Chimera is a 10M USD ( 84 Cr INR ) fund focused on making concentrated investments in early-stage games/game-adjacent startups in India. We believe that providing support through an ecosystem focused on being a thought leader and leveraging industry and geographical connections will be invaluable to our investment positions and can drive a high return.

Over the last 3 months, the fund has been fully set up and we have commitments of USD 6 million (50Cr) from marquee investors, we have already closed and warehoused 4 investments in great start-ups having led our first deal.

Your Host: CHANDAN DEEP

Chandan is an operator and advisor with a keen interest in scaling up high-growth tech businesses in Asia. Chandan is currently a VP at B Capital, a global venture capital firm with $6.5 Bn AUM. In her role, she leads strategy and operations, partnering with founders and leadership teams of their portfolio companies to drive growth and GTM. Previously, she was one of the early employees for Twitter in the region post IPO, scaling out their commercial operations across 6 markets to $100 Mn+ revenue run rate.  Prior to her venture into tech, she spent several formative years in management consulting across BCG and Accenture specialising in tech, media and telecom sectors. She can be reached on her email at chandan108@gmail.com and LinkedIn.

She is keen to contribute to diversity efforts and building out the community of women in tech. She co-chairs the global culture committee at B Capital, previously ran Twitter’s women chapter in Asia, and co-founded Connected Women, a tech leadership forum in Singapore across Meta, Twitter, MasterCard, LinkedIn & Google.