Latest news with #KhoslaVentures
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Why Your Company's Future Depends On Thinking Like A Disruptor Today
What's your Project 2030? And what's the first bold move you're making next week to build it? Too many leaders are still looking at 2026 through the lens of 2025. That's incrementalism. Safe. Predictable. And it's the fast lane to irrelevance. Let me challenge you to flip your perspective. Start with 2030. Project what the world could look like if your industry was radically transformed. Now ask: what would you have to do in 2028, 2027, 2026 to get there? Vinod Khosla, legendary venture capitalist and founder of Khosla Ventures, puts it bluntly: by 2030, AI will have reshaped industries across the board. From healthcare to automotive, entertainment to national defense, the cost structures, workforce dynamics, and business models we know today will be unrecognizable. That vision is a wake-up call. Khosla's challenge? Stop working forward. Start architecting backward from the world you want to lead. Because here's the truth: disruption is already happening. Healthcare is on the verge of becoming an AI-driven service economy. Entertainment will be dominated by AI-native creators. Nations are already building sovereign AI infrastructure to protect their autonomy. This is what happens when you stop incrementing and start thinking like a disruptor. This isn't just about tech. It's about leadership. You can wait for transformation to come to you. Or you can create it. In every industry, someone will step up and drive costs down, quality up, and rewire the value chain. That person needs to be you. Don't just assign this to an innovation team with a mandate to impress the board. Build a portfolio of high-impact, high-upside experiments. 10 projects. Half a percent of market cap each. If nine fail and one hits, you redefine your category. Here's how to build your Project 2030 plan: Remember: Most companies fall out of the Fortune 500 not because the tech wasn't there, but because they couldn't let go of old assumptions. The rate of churn is accelerating. Khosla predicts up to 50% of today's Fortune 500 could be gone by 2035. You want to stay in the game? Build a Project 2030 vision. Align your org around it. Start from where the world is going. Not from where you are. This is your call to co-elevate, to lead without authority, to disrupt yourself before someone else does. So ask yourself: what's your Project 2030? And what's the first bold move you're making next week to build it?
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Business Standard
7 days ago
- Business
- Business Standard
AI-first startups challenge India's $300 billion IT services giants
When Atomicwork raised $25 million in January, the startup wasn't just another software company seeking venture capital. The Bengaluru-and San Francisco-based firm uses artificial intelligence agents that can autonomously handle everyday IT services. The funding round, led by Khosla Ventures and backed by more than 40 global chief information officers, reflects a broader shift that is quietly reshaping the IT services industry. A new wave of AI-native startups — companies built from the ground up with artificial intelligence at their core — are challenging traditional players in the $300-billion IT-BPM industry. AI-native startups are fundamentally different — they don't just use AI as a helping tool; instead, it is at the core of their product, business model, and customer offering. Their solutions are deeply rooted in technologies like machine learning, natural language processing, computer vision, and generative AI, making them truly 'AI-first' in their approach. 'This is the AI innovation that large organisations need to radically transform how they work,' Kanu Gulati of Khosla Ventures said after investing in Atomicwork. For example, global businesses like Zuora and Pepper Money use Atomicwork to empower their teams with seamless service, intelligent automation, and actionable insights. This is driving productivity and transforming their digital workplace experience. Venture capital firm Accel is backing 'Enterprise AI'-platforms that enable enterprise AI use cases using agentic technologies, large language models (LLMs), and small language models (SLMs). Another focus is 'services-as-software' - the other end of software-as-a-service - where AI startups leverage India's large IT services capabilities to provide better automation offerings. Additionally, 'vertical AI' focuses on startups tapping into India's AI talent pool to integrate AI into vertical-specific use cases. Creating new business models 'AI is making software development and service delivery asymmetric—speeding up innovation cycles and allowing lean teams to deliver enterprise-grade outcomes,' said Prayank Swaroop, partner at Accel. He said that India's edge lies not just in its engineering depth or cost advantage, but in its access to domain-specific datasets and its ability to reimagine workflows in sectors like healthcare, financial services, and legal operations. Accel has backed a pair of AI startups aiming to reshape enterprise workflows. Nanonets, which uses AI to automate back-office tasks involving unstructured data, raised $29 million last year to improve accuracy and scale. Ema, which emerged from stealth last year, launched a Universal AI Employee designed to handle complex cross-domain tasks with high reliability. The company raised $25 million from investors including Accel, Section 32, and Prosus Ventures. Nurix AI, a startup founded in 2024 by serial entrepreneur Mukesh Bansal, is developing enterprise-focused AI agents with human-like voice and reasoning capabilities. Backed by $27.5 million in seed and Series A funding from Accel and General Catalyst, the company aims to automate a wide range of business tasks, boosting productivity and transforming customer engagement. 'AI-native startups are not merely integrating AI into existing workflows, they are fundamentally reimagining how services are delivered, creating an entirely new operating model,' said Rishit Desai, partner, WestBridge Capital. Shedding old habits He noted that these startups are more agile and aren't burdened with legacy processes and tools compared to some of the larger and more established organizations. Also, this fresh, ground-up approach allows them to innovate rapidly and deliver superior customer experiences with speed at scale. 'We're an outcomes-first company. At Mintoak, AI is a tool to drive faster decisions, leaner operations and smarter execution,' said Raman Khanduja, chief executive and co-founder, Mintoak, which provides digital payments solutions to small businesses. For structuring deals, venture capital investors are placing greater emphasis on early margins for AI-first businesses due to their service-oriented nature. They are also focused on profitability and operational efficiency as companies scale. 'We're seeing a growing wave of entrepreneurs emerging from the senior ranks of legacy IT players, and we're excited to partner with the most promising among them at the seed stage,' said Nithin Kaimal, chief operating officer, Bessemer Venture Partners in India. He believes that incumbents in IT services — particularly BPOs — are poised for significant disruption by AI-first challengers. He said these AI-native companies are typically more responsive to customer needs, offer superior outcomes, and operate with outcome- or transaction-based pricing models, in contrast to the FTE (full time equivalent) based structures used by traditional players. Gopal Jain, chief executive and managing director, Gaja Capital, said AI-first IT services are built on automation, not scale: lean teams powered by software accelerators and reusable models deliver faster, cheaper, and smarter outcomes. 'We see significant opportunity for AI-first IT services companies who will integrate AI models and products into their core offering and build on their deep domain expertise and customer relationships to deliver value,' said Jain. He said talent arbitrage still matters, but the focus is shifting to high-value, globally deployable software talent. One of Gaja Capital's portfolio companies is Amber, a marketplace for students to book accommodation. They have adopted AI to significantly increase productivity of their customer success teams and increased the share of STP (straight through processing) from 30 per cent to 70 per cent within 2 years. They are also prototyping a ChatGPT like interface to help students select and book accommodation. Such firms are now competing globally on product strength. Several Gaja Capital portfolio companies are pursuing international expansion, with the US remaining a key market for firms such as LeadSquared, Signzy, and Amber. Others, like Fractal, already have a strong US presence. The Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is also gaining traction. Incumbents rethink models This surge in AI-first competition is now forcing established IT giants to reconsider their traditional business models. This was summarised by Abhishek Singh, additional secretary at the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY), recently at an event where he said that the country's legacy IT giants are unlikely to remain on the sidelines for long. 'Given the capability that our IT industry has and what we are hearing about Infosys and TCS, all of them are working on AI-based applications,' Singh said at the Accel AI Summit, 2025 in Bengaluru. 'There will be a need for doing this and enhancing their capabilities.' Infosys and TCS have both begun ramping up investments in high-performance computing infrastructure, including Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), while simultaneously retraining thousands of employees in AI-related skills. Singh noted that these companies are already supporting global clients with AI-driven applications, and it's only a matter of time before they begin to roll out proprietary AI products and platforms. 'Otherwise for them to survive without AI, it will be very difficult,' cautioned Singh.
Time of India
15-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Forbes America's Richest Immigrants 2025 list: From Jay Chaudhry to Vinod Khosla - Top 5 richest Indians in US
America's Richest Immigrants 2025 list: According to Forbes, there are nearly 3,000 billionaires across 78 countries with a combined wealth of $16.1 trillion in 2025. A significant portion, about one-third, live in the United States, and 14% of them are immigrants. These foreign-born billionaires alone control $1.3 trillion in assets, proving the global appeal and opportunity offered by the American economy. Among them, 93% are self-made, many building fortunes in technology and finance. Notably, three of the world's top ten billionaires are immigrants: Elon Musk (South Africa), Sergey Brin (Russia), and Jensen Huang (Taiwan). India Surpasses Israel as the Top Source of Immigrant Billionaires in the US In a remarkable shift, India has overtaken Israel as the leading country of origin for foreign-born billionaires in America. The number of Indian-origin billionaires in the US has increased from five in 2022 to twelve in 2025, reflecting their growing economic impact. Top 5 Richest Indians in the US – America's Richest Immigrants 2025 1. Jay Chaudhry Net worth: $17.9 billion Global Rank: 8 Company: Zscaler Jay Chaudhry tops the list of the richest Indians in the US with an estimated net worth of $17.9 billion. Born in a remote Himalayan village without electricity or running water, Chaudhry's story is one of perseverance and grit. A graduate of IIT BHU, he further enhanced his leadership and business skills at Harvard Business School. In 2008, he founded Zscaler, a cloud-based cybersecurity firm that revolutionised how companies secure their networks. Zscaler went public in 2018 and has since become a global leader in digital security. Chaudhry and his family still hold a 40% stake in the company. 2. Vinod Khosla Net worth: $9.2 billion Global Rank: 17 Company: Sun Microsystems, Khosla Ventures Next on the America's Richest Immigrants 2025 list is Vinod Khosla, a pioneer in Silicon Valley. Born in Pune, Khosla studied at IIT Delhi, where he co-founded the institute's first computer club. After completing his master's in biomedical engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, he earned his MBA from Stanford. Khosla co-founded Sun Microsystems, then launched Khosla Ventures, a leading venture capital firm funding green tech and disruptive startups. 3. Rakesh Gangwal Net worth: $6.6 billion Global Rank: 29 Co-founder: IndiGo Airlines Rakesh Gangwal, born in Kolkata, is best known for co-founding IndiGo Airlines, India's largest airline. An alumnus of IIT Kanpur and Wharton Business School, Gangwal has also served as CEO of US Airways and chairman of Worldspan Technologies. In 2024, he was appointed chairman of the Southwest Airlines board, further solidifying his reputation in the global aviation industry. 4. Romesh T. Wadhwani Net worth: $5 billion Global Rank: 38 Founder: SymphonyAI Birthplace: Karachi (moved to India) Romesh Wadhwani was born in Karachi shortly after India's independence and moved to India soon after. Despite suffering from polio at the age of two, he pursued education and later earned degrees from IIT Bombay and Carnegie Mellon University. He is the founder of SymphonyAI, a firm focused on artificial intelligence and enterprise software. Wadhwani's journey is a remarkable story of overcoming personal and physical challenges to achieve global success. 5. Rajiv Jain Net worth: $4.8 billion Global Rank: 40 Founder: GQG Partners Rajiv Jain, the founder and CIO of GQG Partners, rounds out the top five. Born in India, he moved to the US in the 1990s to pursue an MBA from the University of Miami. He later joined Vontobel Asset Management, eventually becoming co-CEO. In 2016, he co-founded GQG Partners, which went public in 2021 and now manages multi-billion-dollar portfolios in partnership with firms like Goldman Sachs. Other Prominent Indian-Origin Billionaires in the US The complete Forbes list of the richest Indian-Americans in 2025 also includes: Global Perspective: Where Do These Billionaires Stand? According to Forbes' America's Richest Immigrants 2025, these Indian-origin billionaires are ranked alongside global names like: Elon Musk – $393.1 billion (Tesla, SpaceX) Sergey Brin – $139.7 billion (Google) Jensen Huang – $137.9 billion (NVIDIA) Their inclusion highlights the ever-growing presence of Indian entrepreneurs in America, especially in high-growth sectors like tech, AI, and cybersecurity. Here's the complete list of the richest immigrants in US 2025 Indian Immigrants Redefining Success in the US Forbes' list of the richest Indians in the US today symbolises more than just financial success—they represent a story of migration, ambition, innovation, and resilience. The rise of Indian-origin billionaires on the America's Richest Immigrants 2025 list showcases how immigrants are shaping the economic future of the United States. Whether it's cybersecurity, venture capital, software, or aviation, these richest Indians in America are not just contributing—they're leading. For the latest and more interesting financial news, keep reading Indiatimes Worth. Click here.
Time of India
11-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Top 10 richest Indians in the US 2025 including Jay Chaudhry, Vinod Khosla, Sundar Pichai and more
Indian-American entrepreneurs are among the most influential figures in the US business ecosystem, leading innovations in tech, cybersecurity, healthcare, and finance. In 2025, these ten Indian-origin billionaires have built empires that stretch across industries and continents. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now From founding cybersecurity firms to steering the world's largest tech companies, they represent the fusion of Indian intellect and American opportunity. Their success stories not only highlight personal triumphs but also serve as inspiration for the global Indian diaspora. Check below the list of top 10 Indian-origin billionaires in the US, their net worth and company. Richest Indians in the US 2025 Rank Name Net worth (2025) Known For 1 Jay Chaudhry $17.9 Billion Founder, Zscaler (Cybersecurity) 2 Vinod Khosla $9.2 Billion Co-founder, Sun Microsystems; Khosla Ventures 3 Rakesh Gangwal $6.6 Billion Co-founder, IndiGo Airlines 4 Romesh T. Wadhwani $5.0 Billion SymphonyAI; Philanthropy 5 Rajiv Jain $4.8 Billion Founder, GQG Partners (Investment Management) 6 Kavitark Ram Shriram $3.0 Billion Early Google Investor, Sherpalo Ventures 7 Raj Sardana $2.0 Billion CEO, Innova Solutions 8 David Paul $1.5 Billion Founder, Globus Medical (Medtech) 9 Nikesh Arora $1.4 Billion CEO, Palo Alto Networks 10 Sundar Pichai $1.1 Billion CEO, Alphabet Inc. (Google) Source: Forbes Wealthiest Indians in the US Jay Chaudhry – Cybersecurity Pioneer and Founder of Zscaler | Net worth (2025): $17.9 Billion Jay Chaudhry, the founder and CEO of Zscaler, tops the list of Indian-origin billionaires in the US His company revolutionized cloud-based cybersecurity, providing protection to enterprises in a digital-first world. Born in a small village in Himachal Pradesh, India, Chaudhry immigrated to the US for higher studies and built his empire through sharp insight into internet security. As organizations globally prioritize digital safety, Zscaler's growth has soared, making Chaudhry one of the most influential figures in cybersecurity. Vinod Khosla – Venture Capitalist and Tech Industry Veteran | Net worth (2025): $9.2 Billion Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems, is a legendary figure in Silicon Valley. After pioneering enterprise computing, he launched Khosla Ventures, a firm known for funding high-impact startups in clean energy, biotech, AI, and health tech and known to be the richest Indian in the US. Khosla's deep belief in bold experimentation has led to transformative investments across industries. His foresight in identifying disruptive technologies continues to make him one of the most respected and successful venture capitalists in the US Rakesh Gangwal – Aviation Leader and IndiGo Co-founder | Net worth (2025): $6.6 Billion Rakesh Gangwal made his fortune by co-founding IndiGo, India's largest and most successful airline. A Tired of too many ads? go ad free now former executive at United Airlines and US Airways, Gangwal applied his experience in aviation to build a low-cost carrier that disrupted India's air travel market. His strategic and operational leadership helped IndiGo become a market leader, with profitability and scale. Though based in the US, Gangwal's influence has reshaped commercial aviation in Asia and fell in the list of top richest Indians in the US. Romesh T. Wadhwani – AI Innovator and Philanthropist | Net worth (2025): $5.0 Billion Romesh Wadhwani is the founder of SymphonyAI, a collective of AI-driven enterprise companies spanning healthcare, retail, and financial services. His deep investment in AI's potential has placed him at the forefront of digital transformation. Beyond business, Wadhwani is also a prominent philanthropist through the Wadhwani Foundation, focusing on skill development, entrepreneurship, and education in emerging economies, particularly in India. Rajiv Jain – Global Markets Investment Strategist | Net worth (2025): $4.8 Billion Rajiv Jain is the founder of GQG Partners, a high-performing global investment firm known for smart bets in energy, emerging markets, and value-driven equities. Jain rose to prominence for his counter-consensus investing approach, often outperforming institutional giants. Based in Florida, his wealth reflects not only market acumen but a bold willingness to challenge Wall Street norms, especially during volatile global market cycles. Kavitark Ram Shriram – Google's Early Backer and Startup Mentor | Net worth (2025): $3.0 Billion Ram Shriram, an early investor in Google, played a critical role in shaping the search giant's early trajectory. He now runs Sherpalo Ventures, where he invests in disruptive startups and mentors tech founders. With roots in Chennai, India, and a deep understanding of tech ecosystems, Shriram's influence extends across multiple generations of Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and became the wealthiest Indian in the US as reported. Raj Sardana – Enterprise Tech Leader at Innova Solutions | Net worth (2025): $2.0 Billion Raj Sardana is the CEO of Innova Solutions, a global provider of IT consulting and digital transformation services. Known for his quiet but strategic leadership, Sardana has built a company serving Fortune 1000 clients with cutting-edge enterprise solutions. His wealth has grown steadily as Innova Solutions scales across healthcare, telecom, and banking sectors worldwide. David Paul – Medtech Disruptor at Globus Medical | Net worth (2025): $1.5 Billion David Paul founded Globus Medical, a leader in spinal and orthopedic medical devices. With innovation at its core, the company developed cutting-edge implants and surgical technologies, improving patient care and expanding globally. Paul's engineering background and focus on improving healthcare outcomes have made him one of the most successful Indian-origin figures in the US medical device industry. Nikesh Arora – CEO of Palo Alto Networks and Cyber Defense Expert | Net worth (2025): $1.4 Billion Nikesh Arora, formerly a top executive at Google and SoftBank, now leads Palo Alto Networks, a cybersecurity powerhouse. Under his leadership, the company has rapidly expanded into AI-driven threat detection and cloud security. Arora's financial discipline and aggressive innovation strategies have positioned Palo Alto as a leader in next-generation enterprise security, boosting his personal fortune. Sundar Pichai – CEO of Alphabet and AI Evangelist | Net worth (2025): $1.1 Billion Sundar Pichai is the CEO of Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google. Since taking the helm, he has driven the company through its biggest transitions—from AI expansion and sustainability to regulatory challenges. Originally from Chennai, Pichai's calm leadership and long-term vision have made him a global tech icon. His billion-dollar net worth reflects years of consistent performance at the very top of the tech world. Also Read |
Reuters
10-07-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Varda Space raises $187 million to accelerate development of drugs in space
July 10 (Reuters) - Varda Space Industries said on Thursday it has raised $187 million in a funding round led by venture capital firms Natural Capital and Shrug Capital, to boost the technology for robotic drug manufacturing in space. The latest round, which included participation from Lux Capital, billionaire Peter Thiel, Founders Fund and Vinod Khosla's eponymous investment fund Khosla Ventures, brings the total capital raised by Varda to $329 million. "With this capital, Varda will continue to increase our flight cadence and build out the pharmaceutical lab that will deliver the world's first microgravity-enabled drug formulation," said Varda CEO Will Bruey. Materials such as the active pharmaceutical ingredients in medicines crystallize differently in space due to the lack of gravity, creating drug formulations that would otherwise be impossible, the company said. In 2023, Varda successfully completed its first, 27-hour drug manufacturing experiment in space and brought the drug back to Earth. Since launching its first space capsule, W-1, in 2023, Varda has completed three successful launch and return missions, with a fourth currently in orbit and a fifth expected to launch before the end of the year. During its first W-1 mission, Varda grew crystals of anti-HIV drug ritonavir while flying in Low Earth Orbit, and succesfully recovered the original form of the drug after re-entering Earth, with no signs of conversion. The company said it has also expanded its terrestrial footprint with an office in Huntsville, Alaska and a laboratory in El Segundo, California. It plans to use the lab space to crystallize more biologic drugs, to turn them into structured solids for research and to improve their formulation.
