Where does Nakul Mandan work?

Nakul Mandan is Partner at Audacious.

What check size does Nakul Mandan write?

Nakul Mandan typically writes checks of $1M – $5M.

What boards does Nakul Mandan sit on?

Nakul Mandan holds tracked board seats at FortressIQ, Multiverse Group.

Where did Nakul Mandan go to school?

Nakul Mandan studied at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (B.Tech.); Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (MBA).

What has Nakul Mandan written?

Nakul Mandan has 1 tracked post on nakulmandan.com, including "Unlearn Everything Now!".

Nakul Mandan

Investor

Partner at Audacious · Venture Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners

Writes $1M – $5M checks

About

Nakul Mandan is the founder of Audacious Ventures, an early stage venture firm focused on backing ambitious product founders going after very large markets. Before starting Audacious, he was a Partner at Lightspeed and earlier spent time at Battery Ventures, where over the past decade he led or was involved in investments across AI, enterprise software, marketplaces, and fintech. He centers his approach on two ingredients he sees as decisive — large markets and A+ teams — and works closely with portfolio founders on recruiting top talent. He also hosts a podcast, Knuckle Up with Nakul, where he interviews founders about how they build outlier companies. In 2024 he announced Audacious 2.0, a $150M second fund for seed stage founders.

Contact· published on Nakul's own website

n•••@audacious.coreveal

Invests in

AI & Machine LearningClimate TechCloud ComputingCrypto & Web3Developer ToolsEdTechEnterprise SoftwareFintechFuture of WorkMarketplacesSaaS

Beyond investing

Founded: Founded Audacious Ventures, an early stage VC firm.
More: Hosts a podcast called Knuckle Up with Nakul, interviewing founders about how they build outlier companies.

From Nakul's own website — common ground for a warm intro.

Experience

Audacious VenturesFounder and Partnercurrent2020 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
Lightspeed Venture PartnersVenture Partnercurrent2020 — present
Lightspeed Venture PartnersPartner2014 — 2020San Francisco Bay Area
People.aiBoard Member and Lead investorcurrent2016 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
MultiverseBoard Member and Lead Investorcurrent2018 — present
GainsightBoard Observer and Investor2014 — 2020
GainsightBoard Member2013 — 2014San Francisco Bay Area
BuildingConnectedBoard Member and Investor2017 — 2018
Battery VenturesInvestor2009 — 2014San Francisco Bay Area
Blue River CapitalAssociate2006 — 2009Mumbai Metropolitan Region
Deutsche BankAnalyst2005 — 2006Mumbai Metropolitan Region

Skills & more

Venture Capital27Start-ups5Investments18Private Equity11Business Development7Corporate Finance4Emerging Markets3Corporate Development3Product Management3Mutual Funds3Hedge Funds2Entrepreneurship2

+11 more

Digital MediaAlternative InvestmentsBusiness StrategyStrategic PartnershipsIPOGrowth CapitalDeal SourcingCapital RaisingSaaSStrategyEnterprise Software

From Nakul's professional profile.

Deals · 2

Multiverse GroupBoard seat

via Audacious · filed Jun 2024 · $5M raise

FortressIQBoard seat

via Audacious · filed Oct 2020 · $30M raise

Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.

Other disclosed investments

Investor

6SenseAvocaBuildingConnectedCurious Cardinals Decagon Flint GainsightImpliedIntacctLightfieldMarketoMaxima MultiversePeople.aiQuadrant Health Quadrillion Reflection AISaris AISuppliTezi WorkOS

Sources: SEC Form D filings · curated public sources · the investor's own website.

Podcasts & interviews

featuring Nakul Mandan

How a first-time CEO is taking on Google: No process, no NPC hires, and extreme shipping velocity

Knuckle Up with Nakul

Writing

All posts ↗

Unlearn Everything Now!2026-02-16

The author argues that AI has invalidated established VC and startup benchmarks, urging investors, founders, and engineers to discard accumulated assumptions and reassess what still holds true..)

Colleagues at Audacious

Investor at Audacious

Investor at Audacious

Muzzammil (MZ) Zaveri

Partner at Audacious Ventures backing ambitious early-stage founders

Frequently asked questions

Who is Nakul Mandan?: Nakul Mandan is the founder of Audacious Ventures, an early stage venture firm focused on backing ambitious product founders going after very large markets. Before starting Audacious, he was a Partner at Lightspeed and earlier spent time at Battery Ventures, where over the past decade he led or was involved in investments across AI, enterprise software, marketplaces, and fintech. He centers his approach on two ingredients he sees as decisive — large markets and A+ teams — and works closely with portfolio founders on recruiting top talent. He also hosts a podcast, Knuckle Up with Nakul, where he interviews founders about how they build outlier companies. In 2024 he announced Audacious 2.0, a $150M second fund for seed stage founders.
Where does Nakul Mandan work?: Nakul Mandan is Partner at Audacious.
What does Nakul Mandan invest in?: Nakul Mandan invests in AI & Machine Learning, Climate Tech, Cloud Computing, Crypto & Web3, Developer Tools, EdTech, Enterprise Software, Fintech, Future of Work, Marketplaces, SaaS.
What check size does Nakul Mandan write?: Nakul Mandan typically writes checks of $1M – $5M.
What boards does Nakul Mandan sit on?: Nakul Mandan holds tracked board seats at FortressIQ, Multiverse Group.
What companies has Nakul Mandan invested in?: Investments tracked here include 6Sense, Avoca, BuildingConnected, Curious Cardinals, Decagon, Flint, Gainsight, Implied, Intacct, Lightfield, Marketo, Maxima, and 9 more.
Where did Nakul Mandan go to school?: Nakul Mandan studied at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (B.Tech.); Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (MBA).
What has Nakul Mandan written?: Nakul Mandan has 1 tracked post on nakulmandan.com, including "Unlearn Everything Now!".
What podcasts and interviews feature Nakul Mandan?: Tracked appearances include "How a first-time CEO is taking on Google: No process, no NPC hires, and extreme shipping velocity".