Shekhar is a seasoned entrepreneur who has built and sold 3 successful companies to major corporations in the US and India. With nearly 20 years in the startup ecosystem, he now invests in early-stage founders through Startuplift. His career is defined by creating businesses that make a real impact, scaling them to success, and guiding new entrepreneurs to achieve their success.

Shekhar’s journey began at TechUnified, a mobile banking solutions company, where he played a key role in its growth. His efforts helped expand its reach, leading to its acquisition in 2008 by ORG, a publicly listed Indian company. This early success sharpened his ability to understand customer needs and deliver results, setting a strong foundation for his future ventures.

In 2008, Shekhar co-founded HealthcareMagic, India’s 1st telemedicine platform, connecting thousands of doctors with users worldwide. Raised funding from Accel Partners and grew the platform to profitability by boosting its online presence through search engines and social media. His leadership in user acquisition made HealthcareMagic a leading health platform globally, culminating in its acquisition by EBIX, a US-based public company, in 2014. This milestone marked a significant win for India’s health-tech sector.

Shekhar’s most recent venture, GlowRoad, empowered millions of women in India to start home-based businesses through social media platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram. Co-founded in 2017, GlowRoad raised over $30 million funding from investors like Accel, CDH, Vertex, RB Investments, and Korea Investment Partners, becoming a leader in social commerce space. Shekhar’s growth strategies significantly expanded its user base, leading to its acquisition by Amazon in 2022. He continued to lead Amazon’s social commerce efforts, driving further success as Head of Marketing at Amazon.

Shekhar specializes in building, scaling, and exiting high-growth startups, focusing on product-market fit, operational efficiency, and strategic execution while driving sustainable impact. He led 0→1 execution, enabling fast iterations, agile teams, and founder-to-specialist transitions. Shekhar successfully pivoted business models, optimized monetization, and user acquisition, and scaled companies through all growth stages (0→1, 1→10, 10→100) with reduced customer acquisition cost, high retention, and revenue growth. Beyond exits, Shekhar take pride in building world-class teams, with many employees becoming founders and industry leaders. With his partners Shekhar has created wealth for investors and employees, providing career-defining opportunities for many while balancing growth and profitability, ensuring strategic, high-value acquisitions of his companies.

Shekhar brings over 20 years of experience in marketing, growth, user acquisition, user experience, product management, and artificial intelligence. Through Startuplift, he now invests in early-stage startups and helps founders reach key goals like growing their user base and generating early revenue. Shekhar works closely with his portfolio companies to drive sharp execution and build traction to fast track their growth. 

Shekhar is an IIM Bangalore alumnus.