Professional Role and Current Position
Dharmesh Thakker is a General Partner at Battery Ventures, a global investment firm with over 40 years of history and a portfolio exceeding 450 companies. He joined Battery Ventures in 2015 and focuses primarily on early-stage and growth equity investments in sectors including cloud infrastructure, big data, AI, security, and embedded software. Thakker is recognized as a key partner to entrepreneurs building disruptive businesses and is a prolific blogger on cloud-native technologies and AI application stacks.
Investment Focus and Expertise
At Battery Ventures, Thakker’s investment thesis centers around cloud infrastructure, big data/AI, security, and embedded software, with a significant emphasis on companies that leverage emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence. He has publicly commented on market trends, notably addressing the phenomenon of “AI washing”—where companies overstate their AI capabilities. Moreover, he advises startups on pragmatic capital raising and efficient tech scaling.
Board Memberships and Industry Influence
Thakker serves on several boards, including being listed as a board member of ORDR, DynamicOps, Guavus Analytics, LinearB, and Theta Lake. He is also an advisor at Neuron7. His involvement in these companies underscores a hands-on role in guiding transformational ventures within his focus sectors.
Prior Experience and Career History
Before joining Battery Ventures, Dharmesh Thakker was a Managing Director at Intel Capital from 2011 until 2015. At Intel Capital, he led the firm’s global cloud and big-data practice, managing early- and later-stage investments. During his tenure, he notably spearheaded investments in high-profile companies such as MongoDB (formerly 10gen) and DynamicOps. Additionally, he contributed strategic planning efforts for Intel’s $14 billion datacenter group.
Prior to Intel Capital, Thakker accrued nearly a decade of experience in product management and go-to-market roles for enterprise software companies, including a product and business development leadership role at Keynote Systems.
Education
Dharmesh Thakker holds a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. His technical and business education foundation supports his investment acumen and ability to evaluate technology-driven growth opportunities.
Public Presence and Thought Leadership
Thakker actively shares insights through multiple channels including blogging on Battery Ventures’ platform, contributing to Forbes as a former contributor, and participating in interviews with major media outlets such as CNBC and Bloomberg, focusing on AI’s impact on tech startups and investment trends. His public commentary often focuses on practical advice for founders and critical analysis of technological hype cycles.
This profile indicates Dharmesh Thakker as a seasoned venture capital professional with deep expertise and extensive operational and board-level involvement in cloud, big data, and AI sectors, making him a valuable resource for identifying innovative technology ventures and shaping strategic growth within his portfolio companies.
