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What does it take to go from being a founder to a VC? In this episode of TiE Talks, I sat down with Avik Ashar, who’s been on both sides of the table—building businesses and now investing in them. He started as a founder, scaled companies across multiple markets, ran a family office, and now backs early-stage startups at Artha Venture Fund. We talked about what makes a business truly investible, the challenges founders face, and how venture capital is evolving. Plus, his take on Shark Tank’s impact and what a day in the life of a VC really looks like!
Table of Contents
Discussion Points: Inside the Mind of a Startup Investor w/ Avik Ashar
- The truth about India’s startup boom
- India vs. Southeast Asia: Who’s winning the startup race?
- What’s fueling India’s startup growth? You’ll be surprised!
- The dark side of startups: Governance nightmares
- Not every business deserves VC money—here’s why
- How VCs really decide where to invest
- Smart capital vs. dumb money—does it even matter?
- The real talk: What happens to startups that don’t become unicorns?
- From angel investor to VC—what really changes?
- The brutal truth: What needs to change in venture capital
- Has Shark Tank changed India’s startup game? Let’s discuss
- IPOs: Who actually wins in the short and long run?
- Is government policy helping or hurting startups?
- These sectors are the next big thing—are you paying attention?
- Inside the life of a VC—what it’s really like
- Rapid fire! Unfiltered takes on startups & investing
Our Guest: Avik Ashar
Avik Ashar is a Principal at Artha Venture Fund, focusing on early-stage investments (Seed to Series A) in India. With over 12 years of experience as a founder, operator, and investor, he previously managed a single-family office for the Sutariya family, investing across India and Southeast Asia. His portfolio includes Wellness Forever, Fareye Technologies, and Posist. He played a key role in scaling Zilingo across five geographies, managed a $100M P&L, and helped raise $280M. Additionally, he founded and exited a SaaS startup in the auto insurance space and led sales and account management for Janio, securing major clients like Disney, Swarovski, and Nike.
