Shahan Sud moves on from JAFCO Asia after 3.5 years, to focus on business advisory

Shahan Sud has moved on from his role at JAFCO Asia after a 3.5-year stint, during which he helped establish the Japanese venture capital firm's presence in India. He joined the firm in July 2022 as its first hire in India and the fifth member of its global investment team.

During his tenure, Sud worked across investment sourcing, due diligence, hiring, team building, community engagement, thought leadership and limited partner relations. He played a role in building JAFCO Asia's brand in India and supporting investment ties between India and Japan.

Following his departure, Sud is working across three areas: business development for corporates, advisory for family offices and operational support for profitable start-ups.

In the corporate segment, he is helping companies generate revenue through business development across sectors. He is currently supporting defence and engineering, procurement and construction (EPC) companies with active orders worth around Rs 4,100 crore.

Sud is also working with select family offices as India's family office ecosystem matures. He has engaged with around 100 family offices to understand their investment priorities, interest in direct investments and changing appetite for fund-of-funds investments. He is advising select family offices on a pro bono basis.

His third focus area is helping profitable start-ups strengthen their operations and prepare for fundraising and potential initial public offerings (IPOs). Drawing on his experience in venture capital, investment banking and trend analysis, Sud is working with founders to streamline business structures and improve investor readiness.

He noted that profitable start-ups are finding it difficult to raise venture capital as they face challenges in restructuring their existing operations to meet investor expectations. His advisory work aims to help such businesses prepare for both venture capital funding and public listings.

Sud's move follows a challenging second year at JAFCO Asia, which he described as a significant learning experience. He said an investor's character is tested during difficult periods and that professional exits are also an important measure of one's journey.

He has handed over responsibility for India investments to Supriya as the firm transitions to its new identity, JIF Capital. Sud said he would share further details about his next steps in due course.