General Partner

Arjun Rao is a tech entrepreneur turned venture investor who bridges product‑building grit with deeptech investing conviction. With over 15 years of experience building engineering‑first teams and scaling startups, Arjun brings a rare blend of product, technology, and growth expertise to Speciale Invest.

He co‑founded Travelyaari, where he scaled the company to $40M in revenues and raised $12M across seed to Series B, while leading product, technology, and fundraising. Before that, he held product roles at Yahoo! and GoIbibo and also founded an edtech startup, giving him firsthand experience of the founder’s journey from zero to scale.

Today, as General Partner at Speciale Invest, Arjun backs pioneering deeptech ventures in AI led Software, space, semiconductors, robotics, and climate tech, helping shape India’s next wave of IP‑led innovation. His background in strategy, fundraising, and product execution enables him to partner with founders not just as an investor, but as a builder who understands the trenches of entrepreneurship.

Arjun holds a B.E. from NIT Surathkal and an MBA from ISB. Beyond work, he’s passionate about football and brings the same team‑first, strategy‑driven mindset from the field into his approach with founders.

At Speciale, Arjun embodies our mission: to stand shoulder‑to‑shoulder with visionary founders, fueling India’s deeptech revolution with patient capital, sharp strategy, and entrepreneurial empathy.