Nagaraja (Naga) Prakasam is a versatile and passionate leader with 28 years of global experience (decade in the USA, rest in India). As a full time lead angel investor, lead 15 deals, invested in 23 start-ups, serves 12 boards, seen 6 exits, 2 write-offs. Spearheaded Impact thinking in Indian Angel Network and co-founded IAN Impact. His personal mantra is “Start-ups should focus on India’s strength – people, problems, Tech (PPT)”.
Believing in hands on approach, he does Bharath Dharshan traveled extensively in rural areas across 28 states/UTs understanding the need first hand. Sought after as thought leader in Impact space and inspired many students as a motivational speaker in number of colleges. Featured by Forbes magazine as Social investor engineering social change. Delivered C.K.Prahalad memorial lecture at WorldCoCreationDay. Chaired “Green Revolution 2.0 – Food Security and the role of innovation” at 10th CII Innovation Summit. Spoke at launch of Bank of Innovations and Ideas (BII) by Ministry of Rural Development along with Dr.Abdul Kalam. Awarded “Successful Person 2015/Vetri Tamilar” by Sangam4, Chennai. Proud to join CMs of Rajasthan and Assam to unveil state startup policy.
Partner at Acumen – New York based $100M impact venture fund.Served as an independent director in one of its portfolio company, Guardian – a micro finance venture working in Water and Sanitation.
Founder Chairman of Nativelead Foundation (NLF) – enables entrepreneurship in non-metros of Tamilnadu, with the vision to Enable, Nurture, Incubate, Invest (Native Angels). Nativelead grown into 242 angels in Madurai, Trichy, Coimbatore, Erode, Tuticorin, Karur, Tirunelveli with 9 investments, touching 120 startups, 37 colleges. Replicated Nativelead model in Malabar area of Kerala as MiZone/Malabar Angels
Advisor, Resident Mentor at NSRCEL, IIMB; Investment Committee, IIT Madras Incubator; Mentor at CIIE, IIMA; Board Member, Madurai Agri-Business Incubator, TNAU-NABARD.
Along with Principle Scientific Advisor (PSA) Office to GoI, conceptualized and advising to build KisanMitr – national digital platform to make Atmanirbhar Farmer.
Expert jury Panel: Govt. of India National Entrepreneurship Award, Govt. of Karnataka Elevate, Forbes 30 under 30.
Advisor – aIdea, NAARM Agri Incubator; IIHR-Bangalore; Startup Oasis; MiZone; Change Alliance; VIT – TBI; CARE School of Business, Trichy; .
23 Investments: Uzhavarbhumi, FarmersFZ, Carbon Masters, Nativespecial (partial exit), Neurosynaptic, Lumiere Organic, Guardian (exited), SP Robotic Works, Saahas Zero Waste (series A), Freshworld (series A), Uniphore (series C, partial exit), GoCoOp (series A), Happy Hens, Rain Stock (exited), Sattva Consulting, GramVaani (merged with OnMobile), Consure (series A) , Orangescape, Gamiana (exited), Stayzilla (exited), UnBxd (exited), Druva (unicorn), Solaron (exited).
12 boards: FarmersFZ – Farm to Home safe to eat fruit and vegetables, Carbon Masters – Waste to bio-CNG/Organic fertilizer, Neurosynaptic – telemedicine; Enabling access to quality and affordable healthcare to masses in rural and remote areas through technology, GoCoOp – online market place for co-operatives, Uniphore (BoD 2014-2019)– voice recognition for 60+ languages and 100+ dialects. Freshworld (Observer) – Farm to Home vegetables using cleantech smart carts. Saahas – Zero Waste Management; recycling 50 tons of waste a day. SP Robotics – Robotics training to school students,Lumiere (observer)- Seed to Table Organic, Sattva Consulting, Happy Hens – Free Range Poultry,Nativelead Foundation
Indian Institute of Manamagent (IIMB) did a case study on 2 of his portfolio GoCoOp and Saahas Zero Waste that is now published in Harvard Business Publishing and taught in colleges all over the world.
Served as President of Atlanta and San Diego Chapters for the Association for India’s Development (AID). AID received Times of India Social Impact award in 2011 from the Prime Minister. The movie Swades was inspired by AID.
Earlier in his career, as President of CDC Software (world’s 12th largest enterprise software company) South & Southeast Asia, managed sales and India Engineering Centre of Excellence. During the 16 years tenure, grew from Systems Engineer to President involved in growing the company from $50M to $400M with ups and downs. At the age of 35, youngest executive to be given country head responsibilities. Intrapreneurial culture that he inculcated made the company to be shortlisted for prestigious NExT Practices Award for “Promoting Innovation & Entrepreneurship” by NASSCOM.
As a globetrotter traveled 26 countries now resides in Bangalore. Naga holds a B.E. degree from Thiagarajar College of Engineering, India. An MBA degree from the San Diego/Kennesaw State University, United States.
More at http://naga.farm/about/
Spearheaded Impact thinking in Indian Angel Network and co-founded IAN Impact. His personal mantra is “Start-ups should focus on India’s strength – people, problems, Tech (PPT)”.