Together Fund names former Google executive Lakshmi Shankar as general partner

A SaaS-focused venture capital firm Together Fundappointed Lakshmi Shankar as general partner.

The company said that with Shankar’s appointment, its VC fund intends to focus more on SaaS software and artificial intelligence, as well as strengthen US-India ties.

With over two decades of experience building and scaling enterprise technology and consumer products for the Internet, Shankar previously served as Vice President of Product Strategy at GoogleHe was instrumental in the global expansion of Google Search and the launch of Search Generative Experience (now “AI Overview”), Google’s response to OpenAI’s ChatGPT, Microsoft’s New Bing, and Perplexity for AI.

“Together Fund is a leader in AI and Software as a Service (SaaS), and Lakshmi’s addition to our team underscores our commitment to maintaining our leadership position in this dynamic industry,” said Manav Garg, Founder, Eka and Co-Founder, Together Fund.

Prior to Google, Shankar played key roles at Twitter (now “X”), working closely with CEO Jack Dorsey and CPO Kayvon Beykpour. He was also instrumental in developing new growth strategies and monetization opportunities and led several strategic acquisitions of startups to drive Twitter’s scale and strategic goals.

“Lakshmi’s presence in San Francisco strengthens our mission to build a strong US-India bridge. His insights and connections in the Silicon Valley tech ecosystem will be invaluable as we support and scale startups in these key markets,” said Girish Mathrubootham, CEO of Freshworks and co-founder of Together Fund.

The Bengaluru-based early-stage venture capital fund has achieved the first close of its $150 million fund of 2023.

“I’m excited to join a team dedicated to supporting the next generation of innovators. Together Fund’s unique approach and focus on AI align perfectly with my vision for the future of technology,” said Shankar.

In December, Together Fund launched Together AI Studio to help startups realize the potential of artificial intelligence (AI). Together AI Studio will support Together’s AI-focused investments from initial concept through scaled growth, hiring, achieving product-market fit, and organizational development.

Founded by founder-operators like Girish Mathrubootham, Chairman Fresh worksand Manav Garg, Founder and CEO of Eka Software, Together Fund launched its maiden fund in July 2021 with $85 million in capital.