Professional Background and Role
Alok Goel is the Co-Founder, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of Drivetrain AI, a SaaS company specializing in financial planning and analysis (FP&A) software for growing enterprises. Founded in 2021 alongside co-founders Tarkeshwar Thakur and Saurav Bhagat, Drivetrain aims to provide businesses with real-time insights into financial health, simplify financial management, and enable more predictable growth trajectories.
Before founding Drivetrain, Alok held a senior leadership role as a Partner at Elevation Capital (formerly SAIF Partners), where he was actively involved in venture capital with investments in multiple sectors, including consumer technology unicorns. His experience also spans executive leadership at a mobile payments firm and significant roles in product management and finance at Google, including heading Google AdSense.
In his capacity at Drivetrain, Alok oversees multiple functional domains including P&L responsibility, business strategy, product development, marketing, and operations. He is deeply involved in driving the company’s vision, fundraising initiatives, and investor relations to ensure alignment with long-term business objectives.
Educational Achievements and Recognition
Alok is an alumnus of the Indian School of Business (ISB), where he was ranked 3rd academically and received multiple prestigious accolades:
- Merit List
- Dean's List
- Torch Bearer Award
- Special Contribution Award
He was also elected President of the Business Technology Club during his tenure, reflecting his leadership within the academic community.
Company Highlights and Recent Developments
- Drivetrain successfully raised $15 million in Series A funding (October 2022), with prominent participation from Elevation Capital, Jungle Ventures, and Venture Highway. This capital injection supports Drivetrain’s mission to help companies avoid financial instability and improve the precision of business execution strategies.
- In March 2025, Drivetrain achieved SOC 1 Type II compliance for public enterprises, a significant compliance milestone distinguishing it in the FP&A SaaS market where many competitors hold only SOC 2 Type II. This positions the company as a trusted solution for highly regulated organizations seeking financial transparency and security.
- Drivetrain has demonstrated a consistent focus on product-market fit tailored to SaaS CFOs, highlighting features such as automated data consolidation, centralization, and seamless integration, which facilitate enhanced financial forecasting and operational agility.
Expertise and Professional Interests
Alok’s expertise extends across several crucial domains relevant to fast-scaling technology companies:
- Product Management
- Strategic Marketing
- Finance and Fundraising
- Venture Capital and Investment Strategy
- Technology-driven Automation and AI in Finance
He actively shares insights on finance benchmarks, growth strategies, and process optimization through leadership content and industry podcasts, such as his participation in The SaaS CFO Podcast (August 2024). Key points from this episode include:
- Emphasizing the importance of clear financial reporting, documented processes, regular performance reviews, and defined roles within growing organizations.
- Advocating for a multi-metric approach in business decision-making to avoid pitfalls of target fixation.
- Highlighting the necessity for authentic Go-To-Market (GTM) strategies focused on customer references, thought leadership, and warm introductions, especially within SaaS CFO circles.
- Stressing investor alignment to ensure shared vision and minimize energy-draining conflicts, contributing to smoother scaling trajectories.
Thought Leadership and Market Positioning
Alok positions Drivetrain as a platform that helps SaaS and enterprise customers to:
- Achieve predictable growth through data-driven financial planning.
- Identify and manage performance issues proactively before impacting the bottom line.
- Shift finance function roles from survival mode to strategic growth enablers.
He is recognized for his ability to blend deep domain knowledge in finance with operational expertise gained from previous roles at prominent technology firms and venture capital environments.
Company Culture and Employee Insight
Drivetrain consistently receives favorable employee reviews, with a Glassdoor rating of 4.8/5 from 44 reviewers. Feedback emphasizes:
- The leadership’s wisdom, openness, and approachability, with a culture of listening and empowering employees without micromanagement.
- A strong commitment to a supportive and high-performance work environment cultivated by the founding team.
Public Engagement and Communication
Alok is an active communicator on LinkedIn, sharing best practices, templates, and automation insights that demonstrate Drivetrain’s value proposition in financial data infrastructure efficiencies. He also leads initiatives such as CFO dinners and community events, reinforcing his connectivity to the SaaS finance leadership ecosystem.
Key Contacts and Resources:
- LinkedIn profile: [linkedin.com/in/goelalok](https://www.linkedin.com/in/goelalok)
- Drivetrain website: [drivetrain.ai](https://www.drivetrain.ai/)
- Drivetrain LinkedIn: [linkedin.com/company/drivetrainai](https://www.linkedin.com/company/drivetrainai/)
- The SaaS CFO Podcast (feat. Alok Goel): [The SaaS Academy](https://www.thesaasacademy.com/podcasts/the-saas-cfo/episodes/2148825568)
Alok Goel’s combined expertise in venture capital, product leadership, and financial technology, supported by his educational pedigree and track record of successful fundraising and compliance achievements, positions him as a strategic driver behind Drivetrain’s growth and innovation in the FP&A SaaS market.
