Sailesh Ramakrishnan

Passionate about solving Climate Change and anything that goes to Space! Am a Dad, Managing Director @ rocketship.vc and went to school at Univ of Michigan, UPitt, Virginia Tech, IIT Madras.

Sailesh Ramakrishnan is a Managing Partner at Rocketship.vc, a venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley. He has an extensive background in technology, entrepreneurship, and investing.

Career Highlights

Sailesh co-founded Rocketship.vc in February 2014 and has been serving as a Managing Partner since then.1 Prior to this role, he was the CTO and co-founder of LocBox, a startup focused on marketing for local businesses, which was later acquired by Square.2

His professional experience includes:

Director of Engineering at @WalmartLabs
Various leadership roles at Kosmix, including Director of Engineering and Lead for Monetization and Metrics
Computer Scientist at NASA Ames Research Center

Educational Background

Sailesh has a strong academic foundation:

B.Tech from IIT Madras
MS in Construction Management from Virginia Tech
MS in Intelligent Systems from the University of Pittsburgh
PhD candidate in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Michigan (2001-2005)1

Expertise and Approach

At Rocketship.vc, Sailesh is known for his data-driven approach to investing. The firm uses algorithms and data analysis to identify promising startups, particularly in areas like climate tech and sustainability.3 His technical expertise spans various topics, including relevance algorithms and web page monetization.1

Research and Early Career

Before entering the startup world, Sailesh worked on applying AI to computer modeling of cancer at the University of Pittsburgh. At the University of Michigan, he contributed to the development of higher-level reasoning for Nursebot, a robotic assistant for the elderly. His research at NASA focused on contingency planning for Mars Rovers as part of the Mars Exploration Rovers mission.2

Investment Philosophy

As a VC, Sailesh emphasizes the importance of understanding the ecosystem in which a startup operates. He advises founders to consider not just the funding amount or the VC firm's name, but also the expertise and support they can provide in the specific domain of the startup.4

Sailesh Ramakrishnan's unique journey from a software engineer to a VC partner, combined with his technical background and data-driven approach, has positioned him as a notable figure in the venture capital landscape, particularly in the realm of AI and sustainability-focused investments.