Prashanth Prakash

Prashanth Prakash has helped shape India’s start-up boom since the mid-1990s, as an entrepreneur, an early investor and an adviser to governments. In 2025 he was named for the Padma Shri in the field of trade and industry, from Karnataka ^[1].

Entrepreneur and investor

Prakash was born on 29 May 1965 in Bengaluru and studied computer science at Bangalore University and the University of Delaware ^[2]. In 1996 he started Visual Reality, among the country’s earliest animation studios, and a year later co-founded NetKraft ^[2]. In 2004 he co-founded Erasmic Ventures, one of India’s first seed funds, which later merged with Accel ^[2].

As founding partner of Accel India, he made early bets on companies including Flipkart, Swiggy and BookMyShow, and has invested in more than 50 others ^[2].

Policy and philanthropy

He sits on the National Startup Advisory Council and chaired Karnataka’s Vision Group for Startups ^[2]. In 2020 he co-founded ACT Grants, which raised ₹100 crore for health care needs during the Covid-19 pandemic ^[2]. He supports research on ageing, including a geriatrics wing at IISc’s planned hospital, and leads foundations working on education, farming and Karnataka’s heritage ^[2].