Prashanth Prakash

Prashanth Prakash
Alma materBangalore University
University of Delaware[1]
OccupationsVenture Capitalist, entrepreneur
SpouseAmitha Prashanth
AwardsPadma Shri (2025)[2]

Prashanth Prakash is an Indian entrepreneur and venture capitalist based in Bengaluru.[3][4] He is the founding partner of Accel India.[5][6][7] He received the Padma Shri in 2025 from the Government of India for his contribution to trade and industry.[8]

Career

In 1995, Prashanth Prakash founded Visual Reality, one of India’s first animation companies. In 1997 he founded NetKraft, an offshore solutions company focusing on retail and healthcare.[9]

Since 2004, he has been a venture capitalist for Indian startups.[10][11] As a partner at Accel, Prakash has invested in Indian startups such as Flipkart, Ola, Freshworks, Book My Show, Swiggy and Bounce.[12][13][14]

In 2008, Prakash, along with Subrata Mitra and Mahendran Balachandran founded the Indian branch of the US venture capital firm Accel.[15][16]

In 2021, he was appointed as an advisor to the Chief Minister of Karnataka, B. S. Yediyurappa. Prakash is also part of the Vision Group for Startups for the Government of Karnataka.[17] He is also part of the National Startup Advisory Council.[18][10]

In October 2024, Prakash became the joint owner of the Bengaluru franchise team in the second season of the Global e-Cricket Premier League (GEPL). Nikhil Kamath is one of the joint owners with him.[19]

In August 2022, Prashanth Prakash partnered with the Indian Institute of Science to set up a geriatrics wing as part of IISc's upcoming Bagchi-Parthasarathy Hospital.[20][21] He is also the founding patron of the Longevity India initiative in IISc[22] and the co-founder of the UnboxingBLR Foundation.[23]

Philanthropy

Prashanth has helped Sikshana, an organisation working to improve the education in schools, in expanding their work from 10 to 100 schools.[24][25]

In 2021, Prashanth Prakash, in collaboration with other venture capitalists, established a ₹100 crore (equivalent to ₹112 crore or US$13 million in 2023) COVID-19 fund[26] and created grants to encourage start-ups focused on developing products and services to tackle COVID-19 pandemic-related concerns. The investors did not take a stake in the sponsored ventures.[27]

Bibliography

Prashanth Prakash has co-authored a book titled Unboxing Bengaluru - The City of New Beginnings.[28] It was launched by the 22nd Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sri Siddaramaiah.[29]

Awards and honours

  • Padma Shri (2025) for contributions in trade and industry.[30][8]
  • Social Impact Leader 2021 for his philanthropic work by ASSOCHAM.[31]

References

  1. ^ "Accel's Prashanth Prakash appointed CM's advisor". The Economic Times. 2021-05-05. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2026-02-09.
  2. ^ "VC fund Accel's Prashanth Prakash awarded Padma Shri in trade and industry category". The Economic Times. 26 January 2025.
  3. ^ "From Nikhil Kamath to Prashanth Prakash: Key Highlights from EdelGive Hurun India Philanthropy List 2023". Business Today. 2 November 2023.
  4. ^ "Invest in new ideas, not flavour of the season, says Accel's Prashanth Prakash". Mint. 28 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Committee with stakeholders and officials will draw up a roadmap for the Bengaluru in six months: D.K. Shivakumar". The Hindu. 17 June 2023.
  6. ^ "India has the potential to be a global lab for scalable longevity solutions: Accel's Prashanth Prakash | Today News". mint. 25 July 2025.
  7. ^ Bagchi, Shrabonti (10 May 2024). "Prashanth Prakash: Master Mentor". Mint.
  8. ^ a b "Padma Awards 2025" (PDF). www.padmaawards.gov.in. MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS.
  9. ^ "Prashanth Prakash: A Pioneering Venture Capitalist Transforming India's Startup Landscape". Bru Times News.
  10. ^ a b "'Team, practicality of business plan are what we look at, not spreadsheets'". BusinessLine. 10 June 2012.
  11. ^ "GenAI, climate & fintech, hot bets for investors next year: Accel's Prakash". Business Standard.
  12. ^ "The Accel effect". www.fortuneindia.com. 2018-07-12. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  13. ^ Prakash, Prashanth (2023-12-31). "Innovation, sustainability to fuel transformative phase: Accel's Prashanth Prakash". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  14. ^ "Of 100 Indian unicorns, 25 will go IPO in the next 3-5 years: Accel's Prashanth Prakash". Business Today. 2022-11-16. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  15. ^ "Accel's India story". Mint. 9 December 2016.
  16. ^ "Manufacturing-focussed startups got $8 billion in investments over 7 years: Prashanth Prakash". The Economic Times. 2023-10-12. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  17. ^ Srikanth, Chandra R (4 May 2021). "Accel's Prashanth Prakash appointed advisor to Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yeddiyurappa". Moneycontrol.
  18. ^ "National Startup Advisory Council reconstituted; non-official members nominated". pib.gov.in. Retrieved 2024-01-19.
  19. ^ "Nikhil Kamath, Ankit Nagori and Prashanth Prakash now Bengaluru franchise owners of e-cricket league". The Economic Times. 21 October 2024.
  20. ^ "IISc signs agreement with Prashanth Prakash to set up geriatrics wing". Business Standard.
  21. ^ "Venture capitalist Prashanth Prakash signs up with IISc, to fund geriatrics unit at Bagchi hospital". The Economic Times. 2022-08-11.
  22. ^ "IISc launches Longevity India Initiative to support ageing research in India". The Hindu. 18 April 2024.
  23. ^ Das, Pooja (2024-11-26). "Thinking beyond the box". The New Indian Express. Retrieved 2026-02-16.
  24. ^ "Philanthropy with Purpose: An Inspiring Vision for India's Future". Thephilanthropist.org. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
  25. ^ "Sikshana Foundation | Board Members". sikshana.org.
  26. ^ "Action Covid-19 Team eyes Rs 500 crore philanthropic fund". The Economic Times. 4 March 2021.
  27. ^ "Accel's Prashanth Prakash: Building A Rs 100 Crore Covid-19 Relief Fund". Forbes India. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  28. ^ Jasline, Cheryl (2023-12-02). "'Bengaluru is a city that offers different types of Bengaluru, all coexisting'". The Hindu. Retrieved 2024-01-16.
  29. ^ "Karnataka announces 10-day Unboxing Bengaluru Habba festival to showcase best of state capital". The Indian Express. 16 November 2023.
  30. ^ "Padma Awards Winners 2025 Full List". Bru Times News.
  31. ^ "ASSOCHAM honors Prashanth Prakash as Social Impact Leader 2021 - India CSR". 2022-02-25. Retrieved 2024-02-26.
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