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Hemant Mohapatra

Hemant Mohapatra

Partner at Lightspeed India, formerly at a16z, Google, and AMD

Bangalore, India
Joined December 2024

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53.7K connections
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Ex-Google AI Product
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AI/ML Founders
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Summary

Hemant Mohapatra is a seasoned venture capitalist with extensive experience in the tech industry, having held significant roles at Lightspeed India Partners, Andreessen Horowitz, Google, and AMD. He focuses on global SaaS, Enterprise Infrastructure, and frontier/deep tech sectors, bringing a unique blend of operational and investment expertise to his portfolio companies. lsvp+1
As an investor, Mohapatra is known for his deep empathy for entrepreneurs, recognizing the challenges and risks involved in building startups. He values 'scrappy, unpolished, mad-crazy founders with a grand vision, relentless optimism, insane amounts of energy, and a passion for building products and delighting their audience,' offering experiential learnings rather than just theoretical insights. lsvp
Mohapatra has a strong technical foundation with degrees in engineering and computer science from IIT Bombay and the University of Cincinnati, complemented by an MBA in Corporate Strategy and Arts Management from IIT Bombay & University of Cambridge. This diverse educational background allows him to bridge the gap between deep technical understanding and strategic business development. hmohapatra
He is a prolific writer and thought leader, regularly contributing articles on Medium and his personal website covering topics like entrepreneurship, investing, AI, robotics, and market trends. His writings demonstrate a keen analytical mind and a desire to share insights with the broader tech and startup community. medium+1

Work

Education

Writing

Lightspeed is doubling-down on Airbound: Breaking the zero-dollar last-mile frontier

October 1, 2025

An article detailing Lightspeed's investment in Airbound and the strategic rationale behind it.

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The Return of the Builder: Why We’re Backing Emergent

September 1, 2025

An article discussing the investment in Emergent and the philosophy behind backing 'builder' founders.

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Welcome Yvonne Wassenar to Lightspeed

May 1, 2025

An announcement welcoming Yvonne Wassenaar to Lightspeed’s Venture Partner team as a senior advisor.

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Robotics x AI — a state of the union: Will LLMs get us to the final frontier of Robotics?

March 1, 2025

An article exploring the intersection of robotics and AI, and the potential role of large language models in advancing robotics.

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Endless Agents, Infinite Homers

November 1, 2024

A collaborative article discussing agents and their potential impact.

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AI —The Last Employee?: How bigtech AI CAPEX spending will reshape future corporate cost structures

November 1, 2024

An analysis of how large technology companies' AI capital expenditures could transform future corporate cost structures.

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Lightspeed’s investment in Airbound: Breaking the zero-dollar last mile frontier

November 1, 2024

An article detailing Lightspeed's investment in Airbound, focusing on the last-mile delivery sector.

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Capex & Opex supercycles — Part-II: frameworks for where we are in the AI cycle

November 1, 2024

Part two of a series on capital and operational expenditure supercycles, providing frameworks for understanding the current AI cycle.

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Lightspeed’s investment in Mitti Labs: Revolutionizing Rice Decarbonization

July 1, 2024

An article about Lightspeed's investment in Mitti Labs and its focus on decarbonization in rice production.

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Lightspeed India & SEA Frontier Tech Market Map

June 1, 2024

An overview of the frontier technology market in India and Southeast Asia.

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Practical career lessons from my 5 years at Google

August 1, 2017

A reflection on career development and key lessons learned during his time at Google, including building a strong professional reputation and focusing on strengths.

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Hobbies

Described as a poet who excels at math, he has a love for both creative writing and quantitative fields. lsvp

His personal website and Medium profile indicate a passion for writing about entrepreneurship, investing, and technology. hmohapatra+1

Notes

JAJawad Ahmedsaid that if they were launching a new startup,
HMHemant Mohapatra
would be among their top choices as an investor to approach.

Feb 21, 2026

VJVinayak Jhunjhunwalasaid they would recommend
HMHemant Mohapatra
as a go-to investor for founders building deeptech companies at the seed stage.

Nov 24, 2025

YSYash Sonarsaid they've seen
HMHemant Mohapatra
add significant value to early-stage AI companies in India through their investments.

Nov 23, 2025

PSPrateek Sharmasaid
HMHemant Mohapatra
is one of the most insightful VCs they've interacted with.

Nov 4, 2025

DMDarshan Mujumdarsaid
HMHemant Mohapatra
is one of the most thoughtful angel or VC investors they've worked with.

Oct 2, 2025

PSPrateek Sharmasaid
HMHemant Mohapatra
has played a key role in supporting startups as an angel or VC investor.

Sep 26, 2025

PSPrateek Sharmasaid that if they were building a healthcare startup in India,
HMHemant Mohapatra
would be high on their list of investors to approach.

Aug 14, 2025

AMAnmol Mainisaid they've seen
HMHemant Mohapatra
successfully connect strategic investors, like large corporations or family offices, with innovative startups.

Jul 13, 2025