Shailesh Rao
Shailesh Rao is a Co-Founder and General Partner at Arc180, an early-stage technology investment platform dedicated to partnering with immigrant entrepreneurs. Beyond providing capital, Arc180 offers access to global operational expertise and networks to help founders build transformative businesses in the US and beyond.
Arc180 draws on Shailesh’s extensive experience as one of the most prolific early-stage global technology investors over the past decade. He is deeply committed to supporting immigrant founders in scaling and succeeding within the US market. Shailesh has been an early partner to global founders behind companies such as Moglix, Omaze, and Sun Mobility, as well as emerging ventures like Cloudchef, E6X, and Spyne, contributing to a portfolio of over 40 early-stage investments. Previously, he was a partner at TPG, where he managed the Growth and Social Impact fund, The Rise Fund, across India and Southeast Asia, leading investments in Nykaa and Livspace—two of India’s most successful unicorns. Additionally, Shailesh serves as a Global Mentor and sits on the Global Selection Panel for Endeavor, a nonprofit global community supporting high-impact entrepreneurs.
Shailesh’s global outlook stems from his senior leadership roles in pioneering some of today’s most widely used digital services. He played a key role in the global launches of Google Maps, Google Earth, YouTube, and Twitter. He was honored with the Founders Award for launching Google Maps and Google Earth, and received the Google OC Award for contributing to YouTube’s growth to over $1 billion in global revenue. During his tenure as Managing Director of Google India, Businessweek recognized him as one of the 100 most powerful leaders in India. Shailesh has also served as a Senior Advisor at McKinsey & Company and as a member of the CEO Council at Lighthouse Funds, a private equity firm. His board experience includes roles as an Independent Director at JLL, a global real estate services firm, and STX, an independent Hollywood studio.
