Suggestions
Nagaraja Prakasam
Farmer - Growing Startups
Nagaraja (Naga) Prakasam is a prominent figure in the Indian impact investing and startup ecosystem. Here's an overview of his background and accomplishments:
Professional Experience
Nagaraja Prakasam is a Partner at Acumen, a New York-based impact venture fund with $100-150 million in assets under management.134 He has over 26 years of global experience, including a decade in the USA and more than a decade in India.1
Entrepreneurial and Investment Activities
Angel Investor:: As a full-time angel investor, Prakasam has invested in 21 startups and serves on 12 boards.1 He has seen 5 successful exits and 1 write-off.1
Impact Investing:: He spearheaded impact thinking in the Indian Angel Network and co-founded IAN Impact.1
Board Memberships:: Prakasam serves on 15 boards, including companies like Carbon Masters, Neurosynaptic, GoCoOp, Uniphore, Freshworld, and Saahas.1
Entrepreneurship Promotion
Prakasam is deeply involved in promoting entrepreneurship, especially in non-metro areas:
- Founder Chairman of Native Angels Network (NAN) by Nativelead Foundation1
- Advisor and Mentor-in-Residence at NSRCEL, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore1
- Investment Committee member at IIT Madras Incubator1
- Mentor at CIIE, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad1
Recognition and Thought Leadership
- Featured by Forbes magazine as a "Social investor engineering social change"1
- Delivered the C.K. Prahalad memorial lecture at WorldCoCreationDay1
- Chaired "Green Revolution 2.0" at the 10th CII Innovation Summit1
- Awarded "Successful Person 2015/Vetri Tamilar" by Sangam4, Chennai1
Personal Philosophy
Prakasam's personal mantra is "Start-ups should focus on India's strength – people, problems, tech".1 He believes in a hands-on approach and travels extensively in rural areas to understand needs firsthand.1
LinkedIn Profile
His LinkedIn username is nagapr, and his profile indicates that he is currently associated with Penguin Random House India and has studied at the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore.2
Nagaraja Prakasam's diverse experience and commitment to impact investing have made him a significant figure in India's startup and social venture ecosystem.
