Athera Venture Partners, an early-stage seed to Series A venture capital firm, has announced the appointment of Rajiv Mehta as General Partner.

Rajiv will work closely with the Athera Venture Partners' founding team of Samir Kumar, Parag Dhol and Rutvik Doshi, and complement their skill sets while bringing first-hand operative experience to the fund’s portfolio companies. With over two decades of experience in leadership and entrepreneurship, Rajiv has a solid understanding of building and scaling businesses. He has previously worked with Arvind Sports & Fashion Brands as its CEO and prior to that was the Managing Director of Puma, South Asia for nearly 10 years. Most recently, Rajiv was the CEO of Stove Kraft, India’s largest listed (by volume) kitchen & home appliance company where he took the company public and turned it into a profitable business.

He has also successfully built and sold his own brand, D:FY, an affordable range of sports gear. Additionally, Rajiv has been an active investor and mentor to start-up founders since 2011.

Rajiv’s early career in fashion and retail equips him with a keen sense of consumer behavior, marketing, and branding. His experience as an investor and mentor to startups will enable him to identify promising start-ups, guide them through the early stages of growth and help them scale. His experience as an entrepreneur will enable him to provide Athera Venture portfolio companies with valuable guidance, share practical advice and empathize with founders.

“We are thrilled to welcome Rajiv to the Athera Ventures team. With his extensive experience in building and scaling businesses, we are confident that Rajiv's appointment will add immense value to our portfolio companies. His entrepreneurial mindset and ability to identify potential pitfalls and opportunities will help our start-ups navigate the challenges of growth and achieve their full potential. We look forward to working with Rajiv to create a positive impact on the startup ecosystem and drive innovation across industries", said Rutvik Doshi, General Partner, Athera Venture Partners.

“I am excited to join Athera Ventures. This is a fantastic opportunity to contribute to the growth of the Indian startup ecosystem, and I share Athera’s vision of investing in early-stage companies in emerging technology sectors. What sets Athera Ventures apart is their strong value system, which is critical for a long-term partnership. They have a hands-on approach, partnering with entrepreneurs through every step of their journey, creating value for both the founder and investors. I look forward to working closely with the team to identify and support high-potential startups in India, building a strong portfolio of companies that leverage cutting-edge technologies to address the world's most pressing challenges”, said Rajiv Mehta.