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Prateek Sharma: Detailed Profile

Published 7/26/2025, 1:49:20 PM

Prateek Sharma is an independent venture capitalist with a strong background in early-stage investments, particularly in consumer internet and Ed-tech sectors. He has a keen interest in cross-border companies.

Career Overview:

  • Early Career & Education: Prateek's journey into the startup ecosystem was inspired by figures like Elon Musk and Tesla. He developed an obsession with entrepreneurship and world-changing innovations during his engineering undergraduate studies. He previously consulted Fortune 500 technology companies on strategy at Bain and Company.

  • Sequoia Capital India (now Peak XV Partners): Prateek joined Sequoia India as an investment analyst in 2014. He was focused on early-stage (seed and Series A) startups. During his tenure, he was involved in significant funding rounds, notably commenting on InVideo's $15 million Series A funding, stating his belief that "the global SaaS companies of tomorrow are going to be built from India."

  • Entrepreneurial Endeavor: After a few years at Sequoia India, Prateek left to start his own Ed-tech company, gaining firsthand experience as a founder in a "zero to one journey."

  • Independent Venture Capitalist: Currently, Prateek operates as an independent venture capitalist. His focus remains on early-stage investments, applying his experience from both the VC and founder perspectives.

Investment Philosophy & Interests:

Prateek is known for his interest in:

  • Consumer internet startups.
  • Ed-tech companies.
  • Cross-border companies.

His approach to investing is highlighted in an interview where he discussed "5 Things I Need To See Before Making A VC Investment," emphasizing increasing access to education and mentorship for underrepresented groups in the startup ecosystem.

Key Milestones & Associations:

  • InVideo Funding: As Vice-President at Sequoia Capital India, Prateek Sharma commented on the $15 million Series A funding round for InVideo, a video creation platform, in October 2020. This indicates his involvement in significant investment decisions during his time at Sequoia.
  • Startup Grind Beijing: In August 2018, Prateek Sharma was featured as an "Entrepreneur and Investor at Sequoia Capital" at a Startup Grind event in Beijing, discussing opportunities for Chinese investors and startups in India and building cross-border companies.

This profile is compiled from publicly available information and highlights Prateek Sharma's professional journey and investment focus.