Pankaj Jain

Managing Partner at Saka Ventures and seasoned startup ecosystem builder

pjain

New York, NY

Joined April 2025

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Summary

Pankaj Jain is a highly experienced venture capitalist and angel investor with a strong focus on early-stage startups, particularly those in India targeting global markets. He currently leads Saka Ventures and previously led investments for 500 Startups (500 Global) in India, overseeing investments in over sixty-five companies. His investment areas include fintech, data/analytics, SaaS, blockchain, and other cutting-edge technologies. saka+3

Beyond investing, Pankaj is a dedicated startup ecosystem builder, having co-founded the HeadStart Network Foundation in India and established Startup Weekend in India, which he led for several years. He actively works with government bodies and organizations to restructure policies and increase efficiencies, demonstrating a deep commitment to fostering entrepreneurial growth. saka+3

With a background spanning technology, finance, and entrepreneurship, including over 12 years in the financial industry at firms like JP Morgan, Long-Term Capital Management, and GlobeOp Financial Services, Pankaj brings a unique cross-cultural lens and a keen understanding of global markets to his roles. His early career involved significant responsibilities in risk management, application development, and building global customer service teams. saka+3

Pankaj is also a prolific writer and content creator, founding and hosting 'InvestStream,' a show and podcast discussing tech, venture capital, and economic trends in the US and India. His personal blog features articles on due diligence, crypto, Indian venture capital, and advice for angel investors and startups. wellfound+3

Work

Education

Writing

Doing due diligence on startups

August 22, 2023

Discusses the process of researching and analyzing a potential investment before making a decision.

pjain.me

What's Happening in the Cryptoverse #4

October 30, 2021

Covers Bitcoin and Ethereum's significant drop and recovery, with simple BTCUSD and ETHUSD charts.

pjain.me

Time to "Workomo"

October 5, 2020

Reflects on his transition to COO at Workomo after a decade as a startup investor and community builder.

pjain.me

The Rise of Indian Venture Capital

July 2, 2020

Explores the tremendous economic activity in the tech arena and the growth of the startup and venture capital ecosystems in India over the last two decades.

pjain.me