Influential VC And Startup Champion Rohan Malhotra Passes Away

The startup community is grieving the untimely loss of Rohan Malhotra, a trailblazing figure in venture capital and co-founder of Good Capital. He established his firm as a key player in seed-stage investing, focusing on transformative businesses that harness software for agent-led distribution and advocate for innovative problem-solving based on first-principles thinking.

 He began his journey as an intern at HSBC before becoming an advisor at AngelList India, where he played a crucial role in fostering the growth of emerging entrepreneurs. Before founding Good Capital, he co-founded Investopad, a startup incubator aimed at supporting entrepreneurial talent.

Under his guidance, Good Capital launched its first fund with a target of $25 million, supporting startups from pre-seed to Series A stages. His vision propelled the firm’s expansion, leading to the recent announcement of a second fund with a target corpus of $50 million and an additional $25 million greenshoe option. This fund is designed to back founders leveraging AI in distribution, personalization, and business operations, with plans to invest up to $1.5 million in about 30-35 startups over the next four years.

Good Capital’s notable investment portfolio includes startups like Meesho, Simsim (acquired by Google), Definitive Intelligence (acquired by Groq), and Autonomic (acquired by Ford).

Tributes have poured in from various members of the startup ecosystem. Zishaan Hayath, co-founder of edtech company Toppr, expressed his sorrow: “It's heartbreaking to imagine a world without you, Rohan. In your short yet impactful life, you brought us warmth, laughter, ambition, and hugs. There will never be another like you.”

Malhotra's legacy as a champion of innovation and entrepreneurship will undoubtedly continue to inspire future generations of founders and investors.