Peak XV Partners acknowledged that internal disagreements were behind a cluster of senior partner departures, even as the firm accelerates its bet on artificial intelligence and prepares a U.S. expansion. The venture firm said it is moving swiftly to reassign board responsibilities and deepen technical bench strength to execute its AI-led strategy.
Managing partner Shailendra Singh said the differences were substantive but private, framing the exits as part of the natural cycles at large, multi-stage firms. He emphasized continuity for portfolio founders, noting overlapping board representation and “imminent” handovers to remaining partners and operating leaders.
Leadership Turnover and Continuity Plans at Peak XV
The departures include long-tenured investors such as Harshjit Sethi and Shailesh Lakhani in India, and Abheek Anand and Pieter Kemps in Southeast Asia over the past year. Most recently, veterans Ashish Agrawal, Ishaan Mittal, and Tejeshwi Sharma decided to leave; the trio is teaming up to launch a new venture platform, positioning the move as their own entrepreneurial step.
Agrawal was central to Peak XV’s fintech and consumer bets, including Groww, one of the firm’s standout listings in 2025. Across the past decade, the group worked together on multiple early and growth-stage deals, shaping a portfolio that today spans more than 400 companies with over 35 IPOs and several M&As.
To steady the helm, Peak XV promoted Abhishek Mohan to general partner and elevated Saipriya Sarangan to chief operating officer, consolidating firmwide operations and investment coverage. Singh countered market chatter that the firm’s biggest outcomes were run by people who have since left, arguing that key exits were led by long-serving partners who remain in seat. The partnership now counts seven general partners, supported by multiple partners and principals.
AI Strategy at the Center of Peak XV’s Next Phase
After spinning out from Sequoia Capital in 2023, Peak XV now manages more than $10 billion across 16 funds and has made roughly 80 AI-linked investments. The firm plans to open a U.S. office within the next 90 days to extend its reach into frontier AI, while reaffirming India as its largest and most important market.
Singh said the firm believes AI will reshape venture investing more deeply than past platform shifts, requiring investors with genuine technical fluency rather than broad generalist coverage. Peak XV is recruiting AI-native talent—researchers and engineers with machine learning and large-scale model experience—to supplement traditional company-building support.
The pivot mirrors broader industry dynamics. PitchBook and CB Insights have tracked sustained momentum in AI dealmaking through 2024, while Indian industry body Nasscom has highlighted rapid growth in the country’s AI developer base. In Southeast Asia, government-backed cloud and data initiatives are widening the pipeline for enterprise AI adoption. Peak XV’s bet is that specialized talent inside the firm will surface and underwrite higher-quality AI opportunities across these markets.
IPO Windfall and Portfolio Performance at Peak XV
The firm’s recent liquidity underscores why succession and coverage matter. Five portfolio companies—Groww, Pine Labs, Meesho, Wakefit, and Capillary Technologies—listed across November and December 2025. Peak XV tallied about ₹300 billion (around $3.33 billion) in unrealized, mark-to-market gains from those IPOs, plus roughly ₹28 billion (about $310.61 million) in realized proceeds from share sales during the listings.
Transitions of this scale can unsettle founders and limited partners, especially when departing partners hold multiple board seats. Peak XV’s plan hinges on overlapping coverage and quick handoffs to preserve decision velocity on hiring, follow-ons, and secondary sales. The firm argues its exit track record is institutional rather than individual, with operating partners and multiple GPs embedded across key boards.
What to Watch Next as Peak XV Executes Its Plan
In the near term, expect updates on the U.S. office opening, board transitions across affected portfolio companies, and new AI-focused hires. Founders should see continuity in capital access and operational support, while LPs will gauge whether the firm’s technical hiring thesis translates into differentiated AI deal flow across India, Southeast Asia, and the U.S.
If Peak XV executes on its plan—replacing departed partners with AI-native investors and maintaining active board coverage—it will not only steady the ship after a rare bout of internal friction, but also sharpen its edge in the most competitive category in venture today.