Deep tech-focused venture capital firm Celesta Capital on Friday said it has onboarded former KPMG executive Arun M. Kumar as a Managing Partner.
In his new role, along with the Celesta management team, Kumar will work with large institutional investors, government agencies, and technology leaders while leveraging his wealth of experience, specifically in the US-India corridor, the company said in a statement.
“I am excited to join the accomplished and forward-looking Celesta team that is passionate about growing globally impactful companies. The combination of Celesta’s uniquely focused expertise in deep technology with the talent and market synergies between the US and India is a powerful value proposition," said Kumar.
Prior his joining to Celesta, Kumar served as the Chairman and CEO of KPMG’s India arm for the last five years. He was also the member of the KPMG’s global board of directors, as well as its EMA board.
Kumar also served in former US President Barack Obama’s administration as assistant secretary of commerce for global markets and director-general of the US and foreign commercial service (USFCS), under the leadership of commerce secretary Penny Pritzker.
Before joining KPMG, he was a Co-Founder, CEO and CFO of three tech companies in the silicon valley. He has been a mentor to entrepreneurs in silicon valley and India.
Kumar holds a bachelor's degree in Physics from the University of Kerala and a master's degree from MIT Sloan School of Management.
“His strong connections in both the public and private sector, along with his impeccable credentials, will be invaluable to our portfolio companies during this exciting period of growth for Celesta," said Sriram Viswanathan, Celesta Capital Founding Managing Partner.
Founded in 2013 by Michael Marks, Nicholas Brathwaite, Sriram Viswanathan, and Lip-Bu Tan, Celesta Capital is a deep technology venture capital firm that leverages synergies between leading centers of innovation in the US, India, and Israel to create globally impactful enterprises.
The firm has funded over 80 technology companies globally and actively invests in the following verticals: software, semiconductors, intelligent systems, bio convergence, and industry transformers.
