Founders Embrace Second Innings: Pioneering New Ventures in AI and Deeptech

Founders Embrace Second Innings: Venturing Into New Tech Frontiers

Over the past year, a growing number of experienced founders have ventured to launch new startups, leveraging their past success and deep industry networks to explore emerging fields like artificial intelligence and deeptech. This renewed entrepreneurial spirit comes in the wake of a tech and venture capital reset, transforming both the business landscape and the approach to innovation.

A Shift in Entrepreneurial Trajectories

Data from Longhouse Consulting reveals that, in the last 12–15 months, more than a dozen founders have stepped down from their established roles to pioneer new ventures. These entrepreneurs generally fall into two categories:

• Scaled Success: Founders from companies that have achieved significant scale, who now seek to build within different sectors.
• Challenged Startups: Entrepreneurs from startups experiencing restructuring or downturns, who use this opportunity to reboot their careers.

For instance, Mayank Kumar, the former executive at a leading edtech firm, turned his proven track record into a launchpad for Borderplus—a startup focused on upskilling for the cross-border workforce. In a similar vein, former cofounders Priyanka Gill and Naiyya Saggi, after departing from the house of brands firm Good Glamm Group, have embarked on separate journeys. Gill founded Coluxe, a lab-grown diamond brand, while Saggi initiated Edition, a consumer electronics startup.

Catalysts for Change

Veterans like Karan Mehta and Sonali Jindal, once of the digital lending platform Kissht, recently introduced Rezolv—a debt resolution platform that attracted $3.5 million in seed funding. Madhur Nevatia of Longhouse Consulting explained that successful past ventures equip founders with the ability to raise seed capital and attract the right talent, even as expectations rise with every new project.

"A startup’s prior accomplishments can significantly smooth the path to building a new team and business model," Kumar noted, emphasizing that credibility remains a double-edged sword—it eases many operational tasks yet amplifies expectations for structure and efficiency.

Learning from Past Successes

Vijay Arisetty’s transition from CEO at Mygate to cofounder of Aurm, a secure locker services company, provides another compelling example. Drawing on his Mygate experience, Arisetty has marshaled a team that includes seasoned professionals like Ganesh Balakrishnan, previously with a well-known direct-to-commerce footwear venture.

Reflecting on his new role, Arisetty observed that decisions, especially those involving risk, are better informed through cumulative experience. His insights underscore a broader trend: founders who have weathered the storms of their earlier ventures now possess the wisdom to drive new initiatives more optimally.

Embracing Emerging Technologies

The allure of emerging technologies is another key motivator. With sectors such as artificial intelligence and robotics gaining traction, several entrepreneurs are exploring these innovative avenues:

• Fenado AI: Azhar Iqubal, who stepped down as CEO at Inshorts, now leads this platform that empowers users to create apps or websites without needing to code.
• General Autonomy: Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan have redirected their efforts towards industrial robotics in Bengaluru after their tenure at ShareChat.
• Linkrunner: Shreyans Sancheti, after the closure of the edtech startup Bluelearn, has embarked on a new venture focusing on AI-driven marketing research.

These moves underscore a broader shift where founders are exploring uncharted territories and seeking to integrate cutting-edge technology into their new business models.

Conclusion: A New Chapter in Innovation

The journey of these founders, marked by past successes and future aspirations, paints a vivid picture of the evolving entrepreneurial landscape. With their past experiences serving as both a foundation and a springboard, these trailblazers are reshaping traditional business narratives while embracing the uncertainty and potential of new markets. Their stories highlight not only the rewards of innovation but also the challenges inherent in recalibrating expectations and strategies for future ventures.