MONTH : AUGUST 2025

Late bloomers can do it too

Most startup stories begin with a twenty-something founder leaving college with nothing but a big idea and a small bank account. This one doesn’t.

This founder was at the top of his corporate game. Decades of experience, a secure paycheck, an enviable title.

And then… he walked away.

No VC money. No safety net beyond his own savings. The stakes? Everything he had spent a lifetime building.

That leap became BriskPe - a fintech rocket helping India’s MSME exporters move money across borders faster, cheaper, and with more transparency than ever before.

BRISKPE was founded in early 2023 by industry veterans—Sanjay Tripathy (30+ years with HDFC Life, Pepsi, Reliance), Nilesh Pathak (25+ years in global payments tech), and Indunath Chaudhary (15+ years in banking, payments, supply chain) .

Notably, they funded the venture themselves initially, aiming for profitability from day one rather than chasing growth via unchecked burns

Rapid Execution, Lean by Design

The idea was conceived around September 2022, the company came together in October, and by February–March 2023 they were incorporated and in beta launch. That’s a tight launch timeline - built lean, launched fast.

BriskPe addresses pain points common to MSMEs - costly cross-border fees, FX volatility, delayed payments, and lack of clarity

Their value props:

• -          Flat fee structure (~1% all-inclusive, GST in)
• -          Payments credited within 24 hours
• -          Full regulatory compliance: RBI’s in-principle nod as payment aggregator (PA-CB) and Money Service Business licence in Canada
• -          Integrated offerings: A2A transfers, card/paypal collections, SWIFT in 30+ currencies, APIs, invoicing, analytics, GST reporting
• -          Full-stack tools — invoicing, analytics, GST-ready reports

Milestones That Matter

• 100 customers in 8 months
• 1,000 customers in just over a year
• $5M seed from PayU to fuel expansion
• Target: 10,000 exporters in Rajasthan, $100M+ transactions via local accounts

The Bold Play

• Timing: He didn’t jump early. He jumped late when failure would be costlier than ever.
• Capital: No outside cheques. Just personal savings and a clear plan to turn profitable from Day One.
• Pace: From idea (Sep 2022) to beta launch (Mar 2023) in under six months with regulatory groundwork in place before scaling.

Insights for VC-Worthy Founder Stories

As an investment firm, here’s we look to spotlight in founders:

1. Frugality with Purpose, Not Fear
   Founders who saved and self-funded early, aiming for early sustainability - not growth at any cost. It signals discipline and real ROI focus.
2. Speed with Intention
   BriskPe’s all-in-six-month clear roadmap from ideation to incorporation to beta launch is a powerful example of fast, focused execution.
3. Problem-First Product Design
   They zeroed in on MSME pain points, and built features—flat pricing, fast payouts, multi-currency, regulatory alignment directly addressing those needs. Product-market fit by design.
4. Compliance as Competitive Advantage
   Navigating RBI frameworks and international licensing early made them credible—essential for cross-border fintech. It’s a moat, not a checkbox.
5. Traction + Strategic Partnerships
   Reaching 1,000 customers within a year, and gaining the backing and credibility of PayU and YES Bank, shows trust and scalability.
6. Targeted Expansion Strategy
   Their export-heavy Rajasthan initiative shows they’re not just aiming broad - they’re going vertical, focusing on key export clusters where impact and adoption go hand in hand.

 Conclusion:

If you’re a founder reading this, ask yourself - would you risk everything you’ve built at the very height of your career for one idea?
Because that’s the kind of conviction that gets our attention as an early stage capital firm.

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Building Quietly, Scaling Patiently: Lessons from IKS Health

At MV Day 2025, we hosted a fireside chat between Sachin Gupta (Founder & CEO, IKS Health) and Dr. Aniruddha Malpani, founder of Malpani Ventures, an early-stage investment firm known for backing founders with patient, long-term capital.

It was an honest conversation about what it really takes to build a company that lasts — especially in a complex, regulated market like U.S. healthcare.

We’re sharing the full video below, but here are some takeaways that stood out.

Aligning with What Customers Actually Want

IKS didn’t just offer a service — they built their model around what their customers needed: better outcomes, not just more manpower. This meant tying their success to things like revenue cycle efficiency and physician productivity, not just time spent.

That simple shift made IKS harder to replace and more valuable over time.

The Right Advisors Make a Big Difference

To build trust in the U.S., IKS relied on a strong advisory board. Having experts who understood the market gave them credibility early on — and helped avoid missteps that many Indian startups make when expanding globally.

Mentors Matter

Sachin spoke about mentors who helped him stay grounded, make tough decisions, and think long-term. Founders often underestimate how useful it is to have someone to learn from, especially when things get hard.

Doing the Right Thing Comes at a Cost

Choosing to be ethical — especially in messy systems — slows you down. But IKS chose that path. It may have cost them in the short run, but it built trust that paid off in the long run.

Why We’re Sharing This

This Fireside session isn’t just about IKS. It’s about how companies can grow slowly, honestly, and still win. If you’re a founder building for the long term, this is worth watching.

Watch the full conversation here.