Krithi Ravindra
"what goes around, comes around"
My Backstory
Where were you born?
I grew up in Essen, the industrial heart of Germany, where people are known for being hard workers, straight shooters, down to earth, and easy to grab a beer with. My parents taught me the value of dreaming big and working hard. My mother founded a successful biomedical startup in the 1990s, growing it for 15 years before selling to a large firm. She taught me about perseverance, breaking through barriers, and doing simple things better than overconfident incumbents. My father started as a car mechanic before founding his own dealership in the 1970s. He saw success come and go with industry changes, but his amazing relationship skills allowed him to relate to anyone.
Starting at age 8, my parents had me help out on a small farm, which helped me appreciate physical labor. In my teens, I worked admin roles at my mom's startup, learning efficiency and attention to detail. At 16, I took a monotonous job besides high school at a bank’s account statement printing department that taught me patience - which is valuable as an early-stage investor. I studied energy management and finance, doing my undergrad in Germany before a Master's at Purdue and Tsinghua.
After university, I started in corporate finance and M&A, focusing on renewable energy deals. I then joined a large utility amid industry transformation during and after Fukushima. My role changed to business development in batteries, grid storage, and distributed energy. I also supported early tech investments at the intersection of energy and power retail tech. Later, I helped a global engineering firm leverage its vast hardware expertise to partner with early-stage hard tech founders - right before embarking on my own journey as a founder (unsuccessfully).
What is your name?
Krithi Ravindra
Where were you born, where were you raised?
I was born in Bangalore but was raised between the Middle East and India.
What is the area you are from famous for?
Bangalore is known as the Silicon Valley of India because there are many startups and tech companies. It is also called the Garden City for its parks and greenery and it also has the best weather.
What did/do your parents do?
My father has retired but he was a general manager in a steel company and my mother is a Montessori teacher.
Any siblings when you grew up?
I have one younger sister.
What are the two things (outside of school) that you spent the most time on when you were a kid or teenager?
Playing outside with my friends and getting lost in a good book.
What are you missing from your younger years?
Probably the simplicity of just being outside with my friends with nothing else on my mind.
What did you study, and where?
I studied Master in Management and MSc in Digital Marketing from SKEMA Business School.
Summarize your work after university and before Foundamental.
This is actually my first full-time role. Before Foundamental, I built up my marketing experience in various industries such as IT consulting, law firm, fashion and fintech through internships during my masters.
What is your story of getting into Foundamental?
Honestly, it started pretty simply. I was job hunting after graduating and came across the role on LinkedIn. The job description caught my eye, so I applied and reached out to Nina directly. The more I learned about Foundamental and my role through the interviews, the more it felt like the right fit for me. I enjoyed talking to Nina and Eduard during the interview process, the vibe was exactly what I was looking for, and I knew this was where I wanted to be. And here I am.
I Am On The Lookout For
What are the things in a business that excite you?
The marketing side of things. I enjoy watching the different ways businesses connect with their audience. I pay attention to the creativity behind a good campaign, or a well-timed trend and I think there’s a real craft to it.
What are values that are ultra important to you in other people in business life?
Trust, honesty, communication and understanding because we spend so much time crafting messages and building perceptions so for me, it only makes sense to lead with the same values behind the scenes too.
What are you chasing in your life?
Happiness and peace, for myself and the people around me.
What intrigues you? As in, you see or hear something like this, you stop whatever you currently do.
Honestly, anything new. A fresh idea, an interesting conversation, a different perspective, if it's something I haven't heard before, I'm stopping whatever I'm doing and joining the conversation.
Think of VC as an artisan craft, where every craftsmen has their unique method and finesse. How would you describe your unique ‘craft’ to VC?
My craft is adaptability. I've worked across IT, law, fashion and fintech and each time I've had to understand how that world works and figured out what good marketing looks like within it. No two are the same and that's what I love about it.
Any favorite readings?
I'll always love the Harry Potter series but more recently, I read a short story called 'The Street That Got Mislaid' and I really enjoyed it. It’s about a forgotten street in the middle of a busy city where a small community lives in complete peace, away from the noise of the world. The street somehow slipped through the cracks of the system and a filing clerk stumbles upon it. It ‘s a simple story but it stays with you.
What is your favorite quote or mantra that can be applied in a business context?
‘You miss 100% of the shots you don't take.'
Cool. Now give a second quote or mantra you like in a business context.
“You measure yourself by the people who measure themselves by you“
What is your secret ninja-skill?
Adapting easily to new surroundings. I've lived across different countries and cultures and stepping into something unfamiliar has never scared me.
If you were a super-hero, what would be your super-hero name?
The Chameleon.
What is one person in the world you would like to have dinner with?
Eileen Gu. She's young but she’s a freestyle skier, model and a Stanford University graduate. But what draws me to her is the way she carries herself and articulates her thoughts. I've watched some of her interviews and there's something about the way she speaks and thinks that I find inspiring. I'd just love to sit down and talk with her.
What can you nerd out over for hours with the right discussion partner?
TV shows, movies and books. I'm actually getting back into reading and I forgot how much I love it.
When someone who knows you in your business life very well were to describe you, what adjectives would they use for you?
Organised, creative, and a good listener.
Is there something you would never mind spending a lot of money on?
Travel, good food, and quality time with the people I love.