Viraj Phanse

VC, Investor | Ex Operator (Product/GTM) - AWS, Oracle, Aerospike, Persistent | Ex co-founder/CEO | 1x exit

[Founders Village @foundersvillge]

Coming up at Tech Weekend September 2025

@vrphanse, Partner at @ArkaVentureLabs, investing in: Enterprise AI, Deep Tech, Frontier Tech
Stage: Pre-Seed & Seed

📅 Friday, September 5th | ⏰ 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Viraj Phanse is a Partner at Arka Venture Labs, a BGV-backed cross-border fund focused on pre-seed and seed-stage enterprise AI startups. He brings extensive operational, investment, and entrepreneurial experience across enterprise AI, SaaS, infrastructure, data, analytics, and cloud.

Previously, Viraj was the CEO and co-founder of a venture-backed AI and data startup that exited in just two years, led product and strategy at AWS and Oracle, and drove go-to-market efforts at Aerospike and Persistent Systems. He has also served as a Venture Partner at U First Capital and as a Fellow and Selection Committee Member at Berkeley Angel Network.

With an MBA from UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business, an MS in Computer Science from UCLA, and a B.Eng from Pune University, Viraj blends deep technical expertise with hands-on scaling experience—making him an invaluable partner for founders building in enterprise tech.

What Are VC Office Hours?

✔️ One-on-one meetings with VCs during Tech Weekend
✔️ Book your meeting slots in advance
✔️ Each meeting lasts 15 minutes
✔️ Pitch, get tailored advice, and refine your strategy

🔗 Link to Sign up for Tech Weekend: https://t.co/gXCbABHz0V

If you’re building in enterprise AI, deep tech, or frontier markets—this is your chance to connect with a cross-border investor who’s been a founder, operator, and backer.

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

https://t.co/BnyxZTPRxO

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

🚀 Building Your AI-First Organization isn’t just vision—it’s execution.
Here’s the complete guide with 106 AI tools, specialized training, and 14 business functions to help leaders and teams scale AI across the enterprise.
👉 Read the full playbook now.

https://t.co/DXbAsBmhFm

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

Enterprise AI weekly is here!

https://t.co/KSDUj408FF

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

Sorry for the repost! I forgot to remove the paywall, so only half the content was visible. It’s fixed now — you can view the full newsletter.

Free — Enterprise AI Weekly
https://t.co/KshfOBc3D1

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

https://t.co/gjjDE4b19s

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

Open source AI models like #Llama, #Gemma, #Mistral are revolutionizing enterprise deployment! 🚀 As companies prioritize data privacy and cost efficiency, smaller language models on private clouds are gaining traction.

https://t.co/c2Wc2uuYNO

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

#saas is dead if it does not transform into #sas (Service as Software).

Budget for #AI can be created from either killing #saas products or cutting headcount.

#AI is about outcome and ROI with minimal human intervention, unlike #saas

https://t.co/4GFMvFMF2B

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

@"A primer on pricing for pre-seed and seed enterprise startups"https://t.co/CgyksEsUsO on @LinkedIn

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

@"A primer on pricing for pre-seed and seed enterprise startups"https://t.co/CgyksEsUsO on @LinkedIn

[Alexander De Ridder @adridder]

@vrphanse Nailing PMF sets the stage. Traction fuels sustainable growth. Brilliant perspective

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

Building a product used to be a moat, but today #PMF and #traction are key. Even OpenAI and Langchain wouldn't succeed without them.

🚀 PMF: Solve a real market problem.
📈 Traction: Prove value with customers or usage.

Your moat now is proving value and scaling fast

[Samuel Duc @samm_duc]

@vrphanse @vrphanse there's definitely a shift happening in the tech landscape. adapting to ai for better roi seems crucial. what's your take on transitioning from saas to sas?

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

@samm_duc SaS is the future. People do not want more tools but an outcome. Only SaS can deliver it.

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

#saas is dead if it does not transform into #sas (Service as Software).

Budget for #AI can be created from either killing #saas products or cutting headcount.

#AI is about outcome and ROI with minimal human intervention, unlike #saas

https://t.co/4GFMvFMF2B

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

Our startup just got an exit! A sincere thanks to the team, customers, friends, partners, investors and mentors.

https://t.co/kn8OihiOWg

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

https://t.co/FlzusEqHzw

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

You do not need a PM at a startup! https://t.co/wfEwzdG9q8

[Viraj Phanse @vrphanse]

Contrary to popular belief, VCs are more risk-averse than risk-takers. They bet on startups they truly believe in, even at early stages. Many think startups raise money solely on pitch decks. However, investors reduce risk by betting on market opportunity and the team. #VC