Our Team
Our core investment group and advisor team leverages a deep network of operators across the global tech community to support portfolio companies.
Melissa Frakman
CEO & FOUNDING PARTNER
Melissa Frakman is CEO & Founding Partner of Emphasis Ventures (EMVC), a global early-stage venture capital firm investing in the future of fintech and commerce that is both in and inspired by India innovation. EMVC is a trusted partner to India's local fintech ecosystem as well as leadership of financial services and internet companies around the world, with portfolio companies including Jar, Slice, Khatabook, Bureau, Flash, Clinikk, Tartan, and Monnai. With over a decade in India, Frakman has led Asia investments, new market strategy, and partnerships worth over $1 billion for Fortune 500 companies and top pension funds, including building products in digital banking, payments, and insurtech.
Previously, Frakman was Vice President of Zomato prior to its landmark IPO, India Senior Director at Albright Stonebridge Group, Financial Services Director of the US-India Business Council, and program manager with early microfinance institutions. She has been a product advisor to companies including Amazon, Uber, Principal Financial, and Remitly (IPO 2021) and served as guest lecturer on fintech at Harvard Business School, Cornell, and Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore. Frakman is a recipient of the FT Innovation Asia Awards, Colin Powell Leadership Fellowship, Ward Medal for Economics, Global Women in Fintech Powerlist, and mentor to Techstars and the Government of India's Atal Innovation Mission. She has been featured in the Washington Post, Financial Times, Forbes, Times of India and the New York Times.
Ashwini Joshi
SENIOR ASSOCIATE, INVESTMENT
Ashwini is an experienced investment professional focused on early-stage fintech in India. Prior to EMVC, Ashwini was a founding member of the Digital Group at ICICI Securities where he evaluated fintech startups for investment and partnership within the asset manager’s innovation strategy, and led the development of ICICI’s first fintech incubator.
Previously, Ashwini worked in ICICI’s Private Wealth Management Group and as an Analyst with a Mumbai-based investment bank. A graduate from IIM Indore, Ashwini is particularly interested in the intersection of behavioral finance and emerging technology.
Alessandro Di Battista
senior Associate, Operations and insights
Alessandro is a manager and consultant with experience across the technology and financial sectors. In his role at EMVC he supports fund and portfolio operations and the network effect of its fintech insights, by working alongside a team of experienced investors, industry advisors, and visionary entrepreneurs.
Before joining EMVC, Alessandro was a Project Leader at The Boston Consulting Group (BCG), where he was a member of the Financial Institutions and Technology practices. Additionally, he contributed to the successful launch of the digital ventures arm of a large UK media business and has been a strategy consultant to organizations around the world.
Advisors
AP Hota
SENIOR PORTFOLIO MENTOR
AP Hota was the founding CEO & MD of the National Payments Corporation of India, responsible for the world’s first and largest biometric-enabled real time national payments platform: Unified Payments Interface (UPI), RuPay, and BHIM. Previously, he was Chief General Manager of the Department of Payment & Settlement Systems at the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).
Krishnan Venkatchalam
ADVISOR
Krishnan is a global leader in insurtech distribution and product innovation. He was the global head of microinsurance at AIG and founding executive of Blue Marble Microinsurance, a consortium of the world’s top insurers. Responsible for launching AIG’s business in India, he is a Chevening scholar at the London School of Economics and a fellow of the Insurance Institute of India.
Thomas Hyland
advisor
Thomas is an active investor in India and was the co-founder of Aspada, an early-stage, impact venture capital fund based in Bangalore backing innovative models in financial services, agricultural supply chains and logistics, healthcare, and education. Anchored by the Soros Economic Development Fund, Aspada was sold to the LGT Group of Liechtenstein in late 2019 where it now anchors LGTs global sustainable fund effort, Lightrock.
Kiran Shetty
Advisor
Kiran is the CEO of SWIFT India leading both national and cross-border banking payments. As CEO & Regional Head, he led Western Union’s growth in South Asia. He is the recipient of National Award for E-Governance Driving Financial Inclusion from the Government of India and has participated for 20+ years in the evolution of digital finance in India.
Sundeep Sikka
Advisor
Sundeep is CEO of India’s largest mutual fund company, Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management Ltd. He is a respected leader in the industry, including as former Chairman of the Association of Mutual Funds of India and Director of India’s Financial Planning Standards Board (FPSB), advocating and promoting financial literacy, investor awareness, retail penetration, and digital transformation.
Rumi Morales
Advisor
An early specialist in digital currency, blockchain, AI, and distributed ledger technologies, Rumi is a partner at Outlier Ventures, and previously led the ventures investments for CME Group. She is an early investor in many of the world’s most iconic blockchain companies and applies a truly international lens to working with founders in South Asia and other markets.
Alex Acree
Advisor
Alex Acree is a regtech and legal expert, advising and investing in companies in highly regulated industries. He is the Chief Legal Officer of Unit. Previously, he served as Managing Director & General Counsel at Fenway Summer, a U.S. fintech fund. Alex was an attorney for financial institutions at a global law firm and held a series of senior positions at technology startups. He holds a J.D. and MBA from Yale University.
