Vasu Kulkarni

Vasu Kulkarni, Partner at Courtside Ventures

Vasu Kulkarni is a Partner at Courtside Ventures, an early stage venture fund investing in tech and media companies at the intersection of sports, wellness, collectibles and gaming.2 He is a self-proclaimed "biggest basketball fan in the world" and has made it his mission to follow his love for the game.2

Background

• Completed a Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSc) in Computer and Telecommunications Engineering and Entrepreneurship at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also played on the JV Basketball Squad12
• Founded Krossover, a sports analytics company that sold video and data tools to sports teams around the world, which he eventually sold to Stack Sports in 20172
• Launched Courtside Ventures in 2016 after being backed by an investor while running Krossover3

Investing Approach

• Has a data-driven approach, grading every deal brought in on 20 different criteria2
• Believes it's hard to be a VC without having been an entrepreneur, as it's important to empathize with what entrepreneurs are going through3
• Focuses on understanding the team and operations of a company, drawing on his experiences at Krossover3

Personal Interests

• Avid collector of sports memorabilia and independent watches2
• Loves playing pickup basketball on the Upper West Side of Manhattan where he lives with his three cats2
• Enjoys reading authors like Archer, Gladwell, and Grisham, watching HBO, Showtime, and ESPN 30 for 30, and traveling towards his goal of visiting 100 countries (currently at 21)4