Garuda Ventures

Garuda Ventures is a B2B-focused, first-check venture capital firm that specializes in supporting ambitious founders at the earliest stages of their company's development. The firm typically invests between $500K and $1.5M in pre-seed and seed-stage companies, aiming to transform a 'deck and a dream' into a category-defining enterprise. Their investment thesis centers around four core themes: Intelligent Applications, Commerce Infrastructure, The New Perimeter (Security + Infrastructure), and Climate 2.0, areas where the partners possess deep operational and domain expertise.

Founded in 2018 by Rishi Taparia, Arpan Punyani, and James Richards, Garuda Ventures began as a passion project dedicated to providing exceptional founders with crucial advice, introductions, and capital. This initial proof-of-concept fund successfully partnered with 32 founding teams. In October 2023, the firm formally announced its $31 million debut institutional fund, marking a significant expansion of its commitment to supporting early-stage innovation.

Garuda Ventures boasts a diverse portfolio of innovative companies. Notable investments include Canva, which Rishi Taparia sourced as a seed investment prior to founding Garuda, and more recent ventures such as Foundry Robotics, Mirai, Adora, and Arkero. Other portfolio companies span various sectors, including Airbase, Noyo, AllStripes, Leap, Crusoe, NexGenT, ComplianceCow, FlexPoint, and Monark Markets, reflecting the firm's broad interest in B2B technology.

The firm's strength lies in its team of experienced operator-investors. Rishi Taparia, Co-founder and General Partner, brings over 15 years of experience from roles at Legion (an AI/ML HR tech company), Poynt (a commerce and payments platform), Matrix Partners, and Scale Venture Partners. Arpan Punyani, also a Co-founder and General Partner, was an early employee at Okta, where he helped build M&A, Okta Ventures, and strategic partnerships, and previously worked as a corporate lawyer and equity research associate. James Richards, Co-founder and Venture Partner, is a seasoned entrepreneur who founded Evergrow and Teleborder, and served as Executive Director of Corporate Development at TriNet. This collective operational background enables Garuda Ventures to provide hands-on support beyond just capital, assisting founders with operations, sales acceleration, and fundraising.