SHAKTI
SHAKTI is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm backing pre-seed to Series A founders reimagining large, frequent use cases with AI across both Digital and Physical AI, deploying $250K-$2M checks with $1-2M follow-ons.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SHAKTI does
SHAKTI (legal entity: Shakti Capital, LLC) is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm founded in 2020 that backs founders reimagining large, frequent use cases—the firm calls these "toothbrushes"—using artificial intelligence. The firm invests from the pre-revenue, pre-product, and sometimes pre-incorporation stages through Series A, deploying initial checks of $250K-$2M with $1-2M in follow-on capital and targeting 10-100x returns. The portfolio spans both Digital AI (software platforms, ML infrastructure, data science communities) and Physical AI (autonomous vehicles, robotics, satellite technology, EV service), and currently exceeds 100 companies across three continents including notable outcomes Canva, The RealReal, and Backblaze (all IPO'd) plus M&A exits Pipedrive, Vungle, and Criya.
The firm's core platform is the Titan Network, a curated community of 50+ world-class operators—current and former Founders, CEOs, and CxOs of public tech companies—who provide portfolio founders with mentorship, customer introductions, hiring support, and follow-on fundraising guidance. Complementing this is the Shakti Day One blog on Medium, which serves as a thought-leadership channel covering AI, wealth transfer, space commercialization, and entrepreneurship. Revenue is generated through traditional VC economics: management fees on committed capital across two funds (SHAKTI I, established 2019; SHAKTI II, active from 2025) and carry on successful exits. Limited partners include family offices and institutional investors, engaged through an annual general meeting and events such as the Family Office Investment Forum 2026.
The 1-10 person team is led by Founder & Partner Keval Desai (former Google AdWords/Access/Google TV leader and ex-Interwest GP) alongside Partners Liz Harrow and Sydney Landau, Venture Partners Jesse Haines (ex-Google marketing), Bryan Power (ex-Yahoo/Square/Google HR), and Natasha Prasad (ex-Atlassian/ClassPass), plus Venture Fellows from NYU, Stanford, and Google DeepMind. Go-to-market relies heavily on founder referrals and Titan Network introductions rather than competitive bidding, and several backed founders reinvest in subsequent Shakti funds, evidencing strong founder trust and LP retention.
SHAKTI firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SHAKTI
- Legal name
- Shakti Capital, LLC
- Website
- https://shaktivc.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SHAKTI is a San Francisco-based early-stage venture capital firm backing pre-seed to Series A founders reimagining large, frequent use cases with AI across both Digital and Physical AI, deploying $250K-$2M checks with $1-2M follow-ons.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SHAKTI industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Venture Capital
- NAICS
- Portfolio Management and Investment Advice (523940), Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999)
- SIC
- Investment Advice (6282)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists) (FSANAAAD)
Keywords
Where SHAKTI is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
SHAKTI business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Venture Capital Returns: Shakti generates returns through equity investments in early-stage startups. They invest $250K–$2M initially with $1–2M follow-ons, targeting 10–100x ROI. Their portfolio includes companies that have reached IPO (Canva, The RealReal, Backblaze) and M&A exits (Criya, Vungle, Pipedrive). Revenue is generated through fund management fees and carry/performance fees from successful exits.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Early-stage investment (Pre-seed to Series A) |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
SHAKTI product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SHAKTI is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests $250K–$2M (with $1–2M follow-ons) in pre-seed to Series A founders building AI-first companies that reimagine large, frequent use cases ("toothbrushes"). Beyond capital, the firm supplements investments with the Titan Network platform, which connects portfolio founders to 50+ world-class operators (CEOs and CxOs of public tech companies) for hiring, customer introductions, and strategic guidance.
Product overview
SHAKTI is an early-stage venture capital firm that specializes in backing founders reimagining large, frequent use cases (referred to as 'toothbrushes') with physical AI and digital AI technologies. The firm's offering consists of venture capital investment services (pre-seed to Series A, $250K–$2M initial with follow-ons), supplemented by the Titan Network Platform which provides portfolio companies access to 50+ world-class operators. SHAKTI does not offer a single unified software product but rather provides investment capital, mentorship, and network access to early-stage founders. The Shakti Day One Blog serves as a thought leadership channel.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Titan Network Platform Network platform connecting SHAKTI portfolio company founders with over 50 world-class operators including former and current Founders/CEOs and CxOs of public tech companies. Provides mentorship, insights, and network access to help founders scale their companies.
- SHAKTI VC Investment Services Early-stage venture capital investment services providing $250K–$2M initial funding with $1–2M follow-ons for pre-seed to Series A companies focused on reimagining large, frequent use cases with Digital AI and Physical AI.
- Shakti Day One Blog SHAKTI's blog on Medium featuring timely perspectives from founders, Titans, LPs, and industry experts covering topics on AI, venture capital, and the imagination era.
Companies that use SHAKTI
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SHAKTI technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability14 records
SHAKTI partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Titan Network (50+ CEOs and CxOs)coreShakti's Titan Network comprises over 50 world-class operators: former and current Founders/CEOs and CxOs of public tech companies. These operators provide insight and network access to portfolio founders, serving as an ongoing resource throughout the startup journey.
- Family Office Investment ForumminorShakti VC participated in the Family Office Investment Forum 2026, where partners Sydney Landau and Brian Delamarter discussed next-generation family office investment strategies and the Titan platform.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
SHAKTI competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- AI Fund: AI-first early-stage venture firm founded by Andrew Ng that invests across AI-focused startups, often at pre-seed and seed stages. Directly comparable to Shakti in AI thematic focus and very early entry points.
- Zetta Venture Partners: Early-stage venture firm focused exclusively on AI-first companies, investing from pre-seed to Series A. Closely comparable thesis, stage, and check-size profile to Shakti.
- Amplify Partners: Early-stage venture fund investing in technical founders building AI, ML, and data infrastructure. Directly comparable on AI-only thesis, founder-led sourcing, and pre-seed/seed entry.
- Lux Capital: Deep-tech and AI-focused venture firm with comparable exposure to Physical AI (robotics, autonomous systems) and Digital AI. Comparable in theme though typically larger check sizes than Shakti.
- AIX Ventures: AI-only venture fund backed by a network of AI practitioners and researchers, investing at seed in AI-first startups. Comparable AI-exclusive thesis and operator-network value-add.
- Bloomberg Beta: Early-stage venture firm focused on the future of work, with significant AI/data investment. Comparable on stage and a thematic, thesis-driven approach, though broader than AI-only.
- BootstrapLabs: AI-focused early-stage venture firm investing in applied AI across enterprise verticals. Comparable on AI thesis and early-stage entry.
Broad incumbents
- Khosla Ventures: Large, established venture firm with deep AI exposure across both consumer and enterprise. Competes with Shakti for AI founders but at materially larger fund sizes and broader sector mandate.
Emerging players
- Olive Tree Capital: Emerging AI-native fund focusing on early-stage AI startups; partially overlaps with Shakti on thesis and stage but at a smaller, earlier scale.
Others
- Interwest Partners: Multi-stage venture firm where Shakti Founder Keval Desai was previously a GP for a decade. Relevant as a thematic predecessor and former platform rather than a direct current competitor.
Market position
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SHAKTI social profiles
Digital presenceSHAKTI financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SHAKTI leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
SHAKTI funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SHAKTI M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments31 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SHAKTI
What does SHAKTI do?
SHAKTI is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests $250K–$2M (with $1–2M follow-ons) in pre-seed to Series A founders building AI-first companies that reimagine large, frequent use cases ("toothbrushes"). Beyond capital, the firm supplements investments with the Titan Network platform, which connects portfolio founders to 50+ world-class operators (CEOs and CxOs of public tech companies) for hiring, customer introductions, and strategic guidance.
Is SHAKTI a public or private company?
SHAKTI is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SHAKTI founded?
SHAKTI was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SHAKTI based?
SHAKTI is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does SHAKTI make money?
One revenue line is on record: venture Capital Returns.
Who are SHAKTI's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are AI Fund, Zetta Venture Partners, Amplify Partners, Lux Capital, AIX Ventures, Bloomberg Beta and BootstrapLabs. Khosla Ventures is listed as a broad incumbent. Olive Tree Capital is listed as an emerging player. Interwest Partners is listed as an others.
Does SHAKTI have an API?
No public API is recorded for SHAKTI.
What industry is SHAKTI in?
SHAKTI's product category is Venture Capital. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAAAD, Sector-Focused Venture Capital (Vertical Specialists). Its NAICS code is 523940 and its SIC code is 6282.