Harshjit Sethi, the managing director of Peak XV Partners, steps down; he shares that he's embarking on a fresh journey.

In a significant development, managing director Harshjit Sethi has announced his departure from investment firm Peak XV Partners. Sethi's decision to leave the firm comes after a decade of service, during which he played a pivotal role in shaping its growth and investment strategy.

Sethi's LinkedIn post revealed his intention to explore a new chapter, expressing excitement for the next decade in the Indian startup ecosystem. Throughout his tenure at Peak XV, he was closely involved with a variety of startups, including fintech companies Turtlemint, Bright Money, and smallcase, as well as enterprise software and AI firms such as Darwinbox, Enterpret, and RapidCanvas.

Sethi's resignation occurs at a pivotal moment for Peak XV Partners. The firm, which began its journey as Sequoia India before rebranding in June 2023, is currently raising its first independent fund, targeting a corpus of $1.2 billion to $1.4 billion. The fund will focus on bolstering Peak XV's AI capabilities, a focus that Sethi led during his time at the firm.

Sethi's departure is not the first senior-level change at Peak XV. In June, the firm hired Arnav Sahu, a former Y Combinator principal, for its newly created San Francisco team, further strengthening its AI focus.

Harshjit Sethi's tenure at Peak XV spanned over a decade, during which he also served on the boards of several startups, including BharatPe. His key investments included companies like Furlenco and Cars24. Prior to Peak XV, Sethi was with Exponent Capital, where he made key investments.

Sethi's resignation is effective in the coming months, and he will be serving a period of gardening leave before formally leaving the firm. Despite his departure, Sethi remains deeply grateful for his contributions at Peak XV and remains focused on serving the firm's limited partners and founders.

The Indian startup ecosystem has grown and evolved significantly during Sethi's tenure at Peak XV, a fact he emphasized in his LinkedIn post. As he embarks on a new chapter, the industry can look forward to seeing the impact of his continued involvement in the sector.

Harshjit Sethi, the managing director of Peak XV Partners, steps down; he shares that he's embarking on a fresh journey.