Together Fund co-founder Manav Garg joined AI startup Emergent as Executive Chairman, two years after his firm first backed the company. Garg takes an active operating role while still managing Together Fund's portfolio, a less common arrangement for such a senior switch. Garg believes AI's next phase will fundamentally transform how businesses operate, a shift beyond earlier content or dev-tool applications.
How We Got Here
Founded in 2021 by Garg and ex-Freshworks CEO Girish Mathrubootham, Together Fund backs early-stage startups across enterprise tech. Garg spent 18 months closely working with Emergent’s founders, Mukund and Madhav Jha, deepening his involvement before the shift.
The Numbers
- Garg’s role at Emergent will span strategy, partnerships, governance, and business scaling.
- He plans to continue managing Together Fund's portfolio, which includes early-stage AI, software, fintech, and enterprise tech firms.
- Emergent differentiates itself by helping businesses "operate differently," moving beyond simply aiding developers to "build software faster."
- Garg's conviction stems from his belief that AI is moving to a "core operating layer" for businesses, beyond content creation or software development.
- The broader Indian AI funding landscape recently saw Sarvam AI reportedly seek $250 million at a $1.5 billion valuation, with Nvidia and Bessemer backing.
What Happens Next
🇮🇳 Why This Matters for India
For Indian enterprise tech founders, especially those building AI-driven workflow tools in Bangalore or Hyderabad, Garg’s shift confirms the market's pivot to AI as an operating layer.
The Take
Emergent clearly gains a seasoned operator with a venture capitalist's network and strategic heft. Expect to see Emergent leverage Garg's connections and vision to land significant enterprise AI pilot projects and partnerships within the next two quarters.
Source:
Inc42 ↗