Headline

Deep-Tech Investments @ Speciale Invest | IIM Bangalore

About

I focus on deep-tech investments at Speciale Invest, evaluating and supporting ambitious technology-led companies at Series A and beyond. My experience spans the founder's office, strategy, manufacturing, supply chain, finance, fundraising, and commercialization within deep-tech businesses. Working closely with technical teams, customers, suppliers, investors, and leadership has shaped how I think about technology adoption, company building, and capital allocation. Most recently, I was the first business hire at a semiconductor startup, which gave me a front-row seat to what it takes to build and scale a hardware company from the inside. I enjoy conversations around emerging technologies, commercialization, company building, and investing. More of my musings at https://balajimp.substack.com/

Location

Bengaluru

AI stack

claude

gemini

Work experience

Investments at Speciale Invest, Jun 2026 - Present · 3 mos, Bangalore Urban, Karnataka, India, balaji.mp@specialeinvest.com At Speciale Invest, I spend my time evaluating and supporting deep-tech companies as they scale from breakthrough technologies into enduring businesses. Always interested in meeting founders building ambitious, technology-led companies.

Lead - Founder's Office (Finance & Operations) at Ixana, Dec 2024 - May 2026 · 1 yr 6 mos, Hybrid, Acting as a financial and operational extension of the founders, spanning finance, fundraising support, global operations, and execution across functions.

Business Analyst - CEO's Office at Vedanta Group, Aug 2024 - Nov 2024 · 4 mos, Jharsuguda, Odisha, India, Recruited as a part of their 'Leadership Development Program'. Experimented, decided the role is not for me and moved on.

Independent Consultant at Freelance, Apr 2024 - Jul 2024 · 4 mos, Hybrid, - IIT Palakkad (IPTIF): Served as a Market Research Consultant for an international tech company, developing the Market Analysis and Product Development Strategy for an Electric Vehicle technology. - IIM Bangalore: Worked as a Project Associate on a team developing an India-specific Freight Transport Emissions Calculator, encompassing Scope 1, 2, and 3 Emissions. - B2B Education Startup: Formulated the business strategy, developed 3+ pricing models, identified a Total Addressable Market (TAM) of 2M+, and projected revenues of INR 54M+ - Logistics Player: Provided sell-side partnership and assistance for a logistics sector client with over INR 100 Crores in assets.

MBA Candidate (Strategy & Finance) at Indian Institute of Management Bangalore, Jun 2022 - Mar 2024 · 1 yr 10 mos, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India, - Rank 12 / 470+ (Top 3%ile) | Director’s Merit List - Specialization: Strategy, Corporate Finance, and Operations. - Select Consulting Engagements: 1)Accenture Strategy (Internship): Consulted on Intelligent Automation for 4+ business lines; designed automation workflows identifying $45K+ in value. 2) PwC India (Industry Project): Conducted market entry analysis for the Education sector across 6 states, identifying 10+ high-growth programs (CAGR >15%). 3) Ashok Leyland (Strategy Project): Developed ESG risk & Green Financing frameworks; presented strategic roadmap to the Chief Strategy Officer. 4) Supply Chain Management Centre (IIMB): Designed a supplier management framework for a ₹1000Cr+ international manufacturer to optimize a ₹100Cr+ purchase budget.

Education

Master of Business Administration - MBA, Business Administration and Management, General, Indian Institute of Management Bangalore

Bachelor of Engineering - BE, Mechanical Engineering, Thiagarajar College of Engineering