E115: Karan Desai (Managing Partner, Interface Ventures)

The Desi VC with Akash Bhat

Karan Desai is the Founder and Managing Partner at Interface Ventures, an early-stage venture fund based out of Mumbai, India. He’s an operator turned investor who brings a diverse skill set that encompasses extensive experience in operations, investment banking, and financial consulting.

Prior to Interface, he was the Joint Managing Director at Trucap Finance Ltd., a rapidly expanding NBFC listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange which specializes in providing finance to MSME businesses in India.

In addition to this, Karan founded exerFIT, a globally recognized lifestyle nutrition and supplementation brand endorsed by top athletes and Bollywood stars.

Throughout his career, Karan has held key roles at distinguished brands such as Bank of America, PwC, Centrum Capital, and the HEAL Institute. His academic credentials include a Masters from the University of Westminster, London, and a Bachelors from Narsee Monjee College, Mumbai, where he graduated with distinction.

Episode Notes:

1. Intro (2:28)
2. Journey into venture capital (3:53)
3. How is Interface Ventures structured? (11:20)
4. Looking back at Karan's founder stint: ExerFit (17:55)
5. How to keep things lean and bootstrap (25:06)
6. How does Karan invest, knowing what he knows today as a former founder? (29:25)
7. How has venture impacted Karan as a person? (36:11)
8. Learning from founders that Karan has invested in and worked with (40:56)
9. Advice to a younger self (45:49)

. . .

Social links:

Interface Ventures on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/interfaceven/

Podcast on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedesi_vc

Akash Bhat on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bhatvakash

Podcast on Instagram: https://instagram.com/thedesivc

Akash Bhat on Instagram: https://instagram.com/bhatvakash