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Founders Unfiltered

A Junior VC

Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Mazin and Aviral.

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March 1 · 41 min
Ep 148: Founders Unfitered For The Last Time ft. Mazin Biviji
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Mazin about his journey and the experiences that shaped his path.He shared how A Junior VC evolved from a simple newsletter into a thriving community and eventually a fund, along with the lessons he learned along the way.We also dived into his journey of hosting the AJVC Unfiltered podcast alongside Aviral, and the conversations and insights that came from it.Mazin completed his BSE and MSE from University of Michigan and later pursued his MBA from INSEAD.Over the years, he worked across global organizations including Deloitte, Emirates NBD, and Pfizer.He is currently a Senior Product Manager at Agoda.🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
February 1 · 44 min
Ep 146: The Platform Play for India’s Financial Advisors ft. Wealthy.in
🎙️Founders Unfiltered Ep-146:Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Prashant Gupta, the co-founder of Wealthy about their story.Prashant earned his B.Tech from IIT Madras and later completed his master’s at IIM Ahmedabad.He began his career as an analyst at Evalueserve and Société Générale, and later served as Vice President at Morgan Stanley.In 2015, he co-founded Wealthy.🏢 About Wealthy:Wealthy.in is an award-winning fintech platform for Mutual Fund Distributors (MFDs).It empowers them with advanced technology, dedicated support, and in-depth product research to grow their businesses and serve investors better.
February 1 · 31 min
Ep 145: Volkswagen's Secret Weapon ft. Embitel Technologies
🎙️Founders Unfiltered Ep-145:Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Sharad Bairathi, the Founder & MD of Embitel Technologies about their story.Sharad completed his B.Tech in Electronics & Telecommunications from VNIT, followed by a Postgraduate Diploma in Industrial Management (PGDIM) from SPJIMR (SP Jain) and an Executive MBA from London Business School.He began his career as an IT Engineer at CMC, progressed to Regional Manager for Europe and the USA at Tata Elxsi, and eventually founded Embitel in 2006.🏢 About Embitel:Founded in 2006, Embitel Technologies specializes in driving digital transformation across Automotive, IoT, and Connected Car solutions.As a Volkswagen Group Company, Embitel partners with global OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to deliver advanced automotive and full-stack IoT innovations.Headquartered in Bengaluru, India, the company also operates development centres across India and maintains an international presence in Germany and the UAE.
January 4 · 25 min
Ep 145: Mimetically Predicting 2026 ft AJVC
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk with Aviral Bhatnagar, the Founder and Managing Partner of A Junior VC, as he shares his predictions for the startup ecosystem in 2026.
Dec 21, 2025 · 38 min
Ep 144: Lending is About Collections Not Disbursement ft. Prodigal
Join us as we talk to Shantanu Gangal, the CEO of Prodigal about their story.Shantanu earned his B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Bombay in 2009 and an MBA from The Wharton School in 2013. He then worked at BCG, Blackstone, and Fundbox before founding Prodigal in 2018.🏢 About Prodigal:Prodigal is a YC-backed AI company that helps lenders and debt collectors maximize recoveries using personalized, data-driven consumer engagement, trained on 400M+ finance conversations.
Dec 7, 2025 · 48 min
Ep 143: Could It Be India’s Next $10B Company ft. BorderPlus
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Mayank Kumar, the co-founder of BorderPlus about their story.Mayank completed his B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Delhi and went on to pursue an MBA from ISB Hyderabad. He began his career as an analyst with the Tata Group, later served as a Senior Principal at EY-Parthenon, and then as Vice President at Bertelsmann India.In 2015, he co-founded upGrad, and in 2024, he went on to co-found BorderPlus.🏢 About BorderPlus:BorderPlus is a global workforce mobility platform helping blue-collar professionals—especially nurses—access international opportunities. It provides AI-driven language training, visa and licensing support, job placement, and relocation services, anchored by a Finishing School that builds real-world readiness and cultural fluency.
Nov 23, 2025 · 41 min
Ep. 142 : ₹2700 Crore Agri-business ft. Arya.ag
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Prasanna Rao, the Co-founder and CEO of Arya.ag about their story.Prasanna holds a PGDRM in Rural Management from the Institute of Rural Management Anand and is a Chevening Financial Services Fellow from King’s College London. He led commodity-based financing at ICICI Bank for nearly eight years and has served as a Strategic Advisor at SecurEyes for over 14 years. He later co-founded Arya Collateral Warehousing Services Pvt. Ltd., where he has spent almost 13 years scaling an agri-supply chain enterprise in India.🏢 About Arya.ag:Arya is a leading agritech platform operating at the farmgate with 5 million tonnes of storage across 21 states. Through Arya.ag, it connects farmers and agri businesses with buyers, offers post-harvest credit, and reduces losses. The company has facilitated ₹4,400+ crore in loans while running a profitable, tech-enabled model.
Nov 2, 2025 · 49 min
Ep 141: India’s Only Listed Dental Company ft. Laxmi Dental
Join us as we talk to Sameer Merchant, the MD & CEO of Laxmi Dental Limited about their story.Sameer Merchant is a Certified Dental Technician (CDT) who began his entrepreneurial journey in 2001 by co-founding Laxmi Dental Limited with Rajesh. Over the years, he has travelled extensively to countries including Japan, Italy, Germany, the USA, the UK, and Liechtenstein to gain expertise in advanced dental techniques and technologies.🏢 About Laxmi Dental:Laxmi Dental is India’s first publicly listed dental company, offering certified, high-quality dental products and equipment worldwide. With a focus on innovation, precision, and global standards, it provides reliable solutions trusted by dental professionals across the globe.
Oct 19, 2025 · 37 min
Ep 140: Powering India’s eSports Revolution ft JetSynthesys
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Rajan Navani, the Founder of JetSynthesys about their story.Rajan Navani is the Vice Chairman & Managing Director of the JetLine Group of Companies and the Founder & CEO of JetSynthesys. A visionary entrepreneur, he has transformed a 90-year-old family business into a digital powerhouse spanning gaming, esports, music, wellness, and Web3. Rajan is also the founder of the India@75 movement and has served as National Chairman of CII’s Young Indians, shaping conversations around India’s digital and demographic future.🏢 About JetSynthesys:JetSynthesys is one of India’s leading digital entertainment companies, reaching over 100 million users through hit games, celebrity partnerships, and global acquisitions. From collaborating with Sachin Tendulkar and Google to building India’s esports and music ecosystem, JetSynthesys is redefining how India creates, consumes, and competes in the digital world.🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
Oct 5, 2025 · 35 min
Ep 139: Mastering Procurement ft. ProcMart
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin. Join us as we talk to Anish Popli, the founder of ProcMart about their story. Anish completed his MBA from the Indian Institute of Foreign Trade (IIFT) after earning his engineering degree from GGSIP University. Before starting ProcMart, he worked with leading companies like Hindustan Unilever and Lava International, gaining firsthand experience in supply chain and operations the very inefficiencies he would later set out to solve.He founded Procmart in 2015 with a simple idea: to bring reliability and transparency to enterprise procurement in India. 🏢 About ProcMart ProcMart is a tech-enabled B2B procurement platform helping enterprises manage indirect purchases efficiently. From safety gear to office supplies, it provides a one-stop solution backed by a trusted vendor network and real-time delivery tracking. Today, ProcMart partners with hundreds of leading corporates across India, optimizing their procurement processes and supply chains.By combining technology with deep operational expertise, it’s quietly transforming one of the most complex and overlooked segments of Indian enterprise.
Sep 21, 2025 · 44 min
Ep 138: First Indian Company to crack Y Combinator ft. Clear
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Archit Gupta, the Founder & CEO of Clear about their story.Archit completed his B.Tech in Computer Science from IIT Guwahati, followed by a Master’s in Computer Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He gained research experience as an intern at Microsoft and CINI and as a research assistant at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After working in the engineering domain for about two years, he went on to co-found Clear in 2011.🏢 About Clear:Clear is on a mission to simplify finances for Indians, offering software for invoices, taxes, payments, and credit.Handling 10% of India’s B2B invoices and e-invoices, it helps 400K+ businesses save ₹1,000 Cr annually and serves millions of individuals and enterprises. Backed by Y Combinator, Sequoia, and other top investors, Clear is rapidly scaling fintech solutions across India.
Sep 7, 2025 · 37 min
Ep 137: AI Will Replace Managers ft. Fireflies.ai
Join us as we talk to Krish Ramineni, the Co-founder and CEO of Fireflies about their story.Krish Ramineni is the co-founder & CEO of Fireflies.ai and one of the youngest product managers in Microsoft’s history.Before Fireflies, Krish built his career in product at Microsoft, then left to pursue the idea of turning conversations into knowledge. He’s a founder who embodies “doing things that don’t scale” even manually taking notes before building an AI to do it better.🏢 About Fireflies:Fireflies.ai is an AI meeting assistant used by 20M+ people across 500,000 organizations, including 75% of the Fortune 500. The platform has processed more than 2B minutes of meetings, automatically transcribing, summarizing, and generating action items.Profitable since 2023, Fireflies recently reached a $1B valuation without raising a new primary round in years. Its mission is simple but powerful: eliminate busywork in meetings and free teams to focus on impact.
Aug 24, 2025 · 50 min
Ep 136: Disbursing Loans in 30 Seconds ft. Fine
Join us as we talk to Akshay Mehrotra, the Co-Founder & CEO of Fibe.India (Formerly EarlySalary) about their story.Akshay holds an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Symbiosis Institute of Management Studies. He has led marketing and corporate communications at Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance, served as Chief Marketing Officer at Policybazaar and Big Bazaar, and co-founded the Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment. In 2016, he co-founded Fibe (formerly EarlySalary), a leading fintech company in India.🏢 About Fibe.India:Fibe (formerly EarlySalary) is a Pune-based fintech startup revolutionizing lending in India with a mobile-first platform, smart risk scoring, and instant credit solutions.
Aug 14, 2025 · 51 min
Ep 135: Cross border payments for MSMEs ft. BRISKPE
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Sanjay Tripathy, the CEO and founder of BRISKPE about their story.Sanjay completed his bachelor's degree from Orissa University and an MBA from IRMA. He went on to hold managerial positions at Amul, PepsiCo, Mattel, and Reliance Infocomm, and later served as VP & CMO at HDFC Life.He founded Agilio, co-founded and led Agilio Labs as CEO, and has also been a mentor and angel investor for several companies. In addition, he was Chairman of the Board at Invesco Asset Management.In 2023, he co-founded BRISKPE and currently serves as its CEO.🏢 About Briskpe:BRISKPE is a cross-border payments platform that helps Indian MSMEs and freelancers make fast, secure, and compliant international transactions. The company simplifies regulations, ensures transparency, and provides tools to help its users compete globally.
Jul 27, 2025 · 38 min
Ep 134: Reskilling India's workforce ft Imarticus learning
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin. Join us as we talk to Nikhil Barshikar, the Founder and CEO of Imarticus Learning about their story. Nikhil holds a Bachelor's degree in Finance and Economics from Rutgers University and an MBA from London Business School. He has held leadership roles including Vice President at Lehman Brothers and Nomura India, Executive Director at Nomura Securities, and Investment Committee Member at BLinC Invest. In 2012, he went on to found Imarticus Learning. 🏢 About Imarticus Learning: Imarticus Learning is a leading professional education firm offering job-assured and industry-aligned programs in Finance, Data Analytics, Tech, and Management. With 1M+ learners, 3500+ hiring partners, and top-tier institute collaborations, it combines expert-led training with strong career outcomes. 🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
Jul 13, 2025 · 33 min
Ep 133: Journey to a $200M exit ft Axio
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Gaurav Hinduja, the co-founder of axio, about their story.Gaurav studied Commerce at Christ University and went on to pursue his MBA from Stanford. He later served as COO of Gokaldas Exports and, in 2013, co-founded axio, previously known as Capital Float.🏢 About axio:axio, formerly Capital Float, is a leading Indian consumer finance company offering credit, pay-later options, and personal finance management. It uses technology to extend innovative financial products to millions, including underserved consumers. 🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
Jun 29, 2025 · 32 min
Deploying 100 Cr in Indian Startups ft. AJVC
On this week’s episde we have a mid-year update on the fund that is on track to invest about 40 Cr in 25 companies this year. We talk about the 8,000+ companis that have applied from all over India, the problems founders are tackling and about AI and the future of work.Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.
Jun 15, 2025 · 55 min
Ep 132: India's Largest Fitness Network ft. FITPASS
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.Join us as we talk to Akshay Verma, the Co-founder of FITPASS about their story.Akshay completed his bachelor's in Mathematics from St. Stephen's College, Delhi, followed by a master's in Financial Economics from the University of Oxford and another master's in Public Administration from Columbia University.He went on to work at UBS Investment Bank in London, Echoing Green, founded Shillhippo, served as Director at Agratam India, and eventually co-founded FITPASS in 2015.🏢 About FITPASS:FITPASS is India’s leading corporate wellness platform offering a single membership for fitness and health services. With access to 8,100+ gyms across 75+ cities, it helps companies boost employee wellbeing and productivity.Its tech-led services include AI health checks, custom wellness plans, doctor consults, mental health support, and on-site programs to cut costs and boost performance.
Jun 1, 2025 · 57 min
Ep 131: India's Quiet CRM Giant ft. LeadSquared
Join us as we talk to Nilesh Patel, Founder & CEO, and Prashant Singh, Co-founder & COO of LeadSquared, about their story.Nilesh Patel graduated from Delhi University in 1999 and held leadership roles at IBM, Proteans, Symphony Services, and MarketXpander before founding LeadSquared, where he is the Founder and CEO.Prashant Singh completed his MS from IIT Delhi in 1999 and worked at TeleSoft, i2 Technologies, and Oracle. He later co-founded Proteans and served as VP at Symphony Teleca before co-founding LeadSquared, where he is the Co-founder and COO.🏢 About Leadsquared:LeadSquared is a modern SaaS CRM platform offering end-to-end automation for sales, marketing, and onboarding. Designed for high-velocity, high lead-volume businesses, it powers 2000+ enterprises across 40 countries. With tailored solutions for sectors like EdTech, Healthcare, BFSI, and more, LeadSquared is headquartered in Bengaluru with a global footprint in the US, Philippines, South Africa, Australia, and Indonesia.
May 18, 2025 · 39 min
Ep. 130: One Platform 120 Currencies ft. PayGlocal Technologies
Join us as we talk to Prachi Dharani, the Co-Founder and CEO of PayGlocal Technologies about their story.Prachi is a Chartered Accountant by profession. She has held leadership roles across the financial services and payments industry — having served as Chief Manager at ICICI Bank, Head of E-Commerce Projects at First Data India, and Senior Director at Visa. In 2021, she co-founded PayGlocal.🏢 About PayGlocal Technologies:PayGlocal is a global payments company enabling seamless cross-border commerce for Indian businesses. Built by seasoned finance professionals, it addresses international payment challenges through a sharp focus on business needs, user experience, and risk management.

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