How Urvashi Barooah broke into venture after everyone told her she couldn’t

When Urvashi Barooah utilized to MBA applications in 2015, she targeted her functions round her dream of turning into a enterprise capitalist. She obtained rejected from each college, and was advised she was being unrealistic about her prospects within the enterprise business — however she didn’t let that deter her.

Now, 9 years later, Barooah, 33, is getting promoted to associate at Redpoint. She joined the agency as an affiliate 4 years in the past, and has served as a principal since late 2021. Silicon Valley-based Redpoint is at present investing out of its $650 million ninth fund. Barooah is now one of many agency’s three companions targeted on early stage.

Barooah advised TechCrunch that in some methods these enterprise faculties have been proper to inform her she was being unrealistic about her targets. She knew it might be laborious to interrupt into the comparatively small business with no community or contacts in Silicon Valley, however she’s glad she didn’t hearken to them.

“I wasn’t deterred, however it did really feel form of inconceivable at one level,” Barooah stated. “I used to be so faraway from it. I didn’t know the fact on the bottom. I simply knew what individuals wrote about within the papers.”

Barooah grew up distant from Silicon Valley in Guwahati, a small metropolis, by India’s requirements, sandwiched between Bhutan and Bangladesh. Each her mother and father ran their very own companies. Her dad ran a chemical enterprise, whereas her mother designed and offered furnishings.

“My mother and father, rising up, requested me, ‘what sort of enterprise do you wish to begin?’ That’s what probably the most profitable individuals in India did,” she stated. “They at all times inspired me to forge my very own path and begin my very own firm. I thought of that for a very long time however there was nothing that excited me. If there was no concept that I used to be keen about, the subsequent smartest thing I might do was work with founders.”

In 2017, Barooah utilized to U.S. enterprise faculties once more after working as a guide, and had higher luck. She landed a spot at Wharton and stated she catered all of her courses and further curriculars round studying every part she might concerning the enterprise business. She began speaking to entrepreneurs, creating an funding thesis and cold-calling VCs to pitch it.

After an estimated 50 chilly calls, she landed an internship at New York-based Major Enterprise Companions in 2019. She obtained one other at Redpoint shortly after and was capable of convert that right into a full-time position and has been there ever since.

Whereas rising up with entrepreneur mother and father didn’t introduce Barooah to enterprise capital, she thinks her upbringing makes her a greater VC. She stated seeing their day-to-day triumphs and failures helped present her simply how laborious it’s to run a enterprise and how you can roll with the punches when issues do go mistaken.

“They at all times fought towards the chances and did what was essential to hold their enterprise going,” Barooah stated. “[They taught me] this concept that you need to hold shifting ahead regardless of all odds and that it was purported to be laborious. If one in every of my corporations has a setback, I do know that it’s simply par for the course and one thing that may be overcome.”

Barooah’s portfolio contains Dune Analytics, an Ethereum-focused platform for making on-chain information accessible; Offchain Labs, a startup that helps corporations scale with Ethereum; and The Rounds, a supply service targeted on sustainability, amongst others. She has two new investments which have but to be introduced the place she’ll be taking board seats too.

The primary few years as an investor taught her that the very best VCs are versatile and keen to observe the place the market is telling them to go. She spent her first few years backing blockchain and crypto corporations, however now she’s spending most of her time on vertical SaaS startups using AI.

Barooah stated she’s excited to maintain increasing her portfolio and appears ahead to this new position as associate and being there for the founders once they need assistance.

“I began my journey in enterprise 4 years in the past and knew nothing,” Barooah stated. “Over these 4 years, I’ve formed my judgment on what a very good firm is. It’s not one thing I’ve perfected by any means, however I’ve a number of extra successes than I did once I first joined. That provides me extra confidence to tackle extra contrarian bets, and in VC it’s about believing in issues nobody else believes and being proper.”