Medha Agarwal
General Partner at Defy.vc, former founder, and early-stage investor
medha-agarwal-1289
San Francisco, California
Joined May 2026
Summary
Medha Agarwal is a seasoned venture capitalist and general partner at defy.vc, specializing in early-stage investments in AI-first, vertical SaaS, marketplaces, fintech, and healthcare companies. Her investment philosophy emphasizes partnering with exceptional founders from day zero, offering support through all stages of company building, and she actively seeks founders with vision, grit, and a strong market fit. defy+3
Prior to her venture capital career, Medha was a two-time founder, co-founding Roomidex (a social roommate-finding website) and skedge.me, providing her with firsthand experience of the entrepreneurial journey from inception to hyper-growth. This background gives her a unique perspective on the challenges and triumphs of company building, enabling her to be a more empathetic and effective partner to founders. defy+3
Medha is an alumna of Harvard University, where she earned an A.B. in Social Studies, reflecting her fascination with human interaction and social psychology. Her formative experience as a varsity lightweight crew team member instilled in her the importance of perseverance, teamwork, and pushing beyond perceived limits, principles she applies to her professional life. defy+3
She is an active thought leader in the venture capital and tech space, frequently contributing articles and insights on topics such as embedded fintech and pricing strategies for AI-first products. Her writings often appear on platforms like Medium and Substack, demonstrating her commitment to sharing knowledge and shaping industry discourse. medium+2
Work
Education
Writing
How Payments Were Won: An Inside Look At Fintech’s Original Embedded Service (Part I)
June 1, 2024Examines early innovators in embedded fintech, including Starbucks, ServiceTitan, Etsy, and Uber, highlighting their strategies for integrating financial services.
How to Price Your AI-First Product
June 1, 2024Analyzes pricing strategies for AI-first products, discussing the shift from traditional SaaS models to output and input-based pricing, co-authored with Ximei Li.
What's Old is New: The Great Rebundling
October 1, 2021Discusses the trend of 'rebundling' in fintech and related industries, exploring how services are being integrated.
Embedded Fintech: Who should consider an embedded finance offering and how to get from decision to launch (Part III)
October 1, 2021Provides guidance on who can benefit from embedded finance solutions and practical steps for their implementation, co-authored with Emily Man.