Startup Ecosystem Mourns The Loss Of Good Capital Cofounder Rohan Malhotra

Rohan Malhotra, cofounder and managing partner at early-stage venture investment firm Good Capital, passed away yesterday (October 1).

Known for his sharp investment acumen and deep commitment to nurturing startups, Malhotra cofounded Good Capital with his brother Arjun Malhotra in 2019.

The seed-stage VC firm quickly established itself by investing in transformative businesses, focused on software that enables agent-led distribution models and supports entrepreneurs who approach problem-solving through first-principles thinking.

His academic credentials, including an M.A. in Business Management from the University of St. Andrews and a YSS in Economics from Yale University, laid the foundation for his distinguished career, positioning him as a leading figure in the startup and investment world.

Malhotra’s journey in the business world began as an intern at HSBC. His talent and vision later led him to serve as an advisor at AngelList India, where he played a pivotal role in supporting the startup ecosystem. Before venturing into venture capital, he cofounded Investopad, a startup incubator aimed at fostering entrepreneurial growth.

Under Rohan Malhotra’s leadership, Good Capital launched its maiden fund with a target corpus of $25 Mn that backed startups from pre-seed to Series A stages.

Further, his vision also played a crucial role in the firm’s expansion, as it announced its second fund with a target corpus of $50 Mn, along with a $25 Mn greenshoe option. This fund aimed to support founders leveraging AI in distribution, personalisation, or business operations, with plans to write up to $1.5 Mn cheques over the next four years. Through this, the firm was aiming to invest in around 30-35 startups.

Good Capital’s investment portfolio includes startups like Meesho, simsim (acquired by Google), Definitive Intelligence (acquired by Groq) and Autonomic (acquired by Ford).

Tributes have poured in from the startup ecosystem, including Zishaan Hayath and Rahul Chaudhary.

“Shattering to think of a world without you, Rohan. In your short well-lived life, you filled us with warmth, laughter, ambition and hugs. They made only one like you,” Zishaan Hayath, cofounder of edtech startup Toppr said.

“Feeling broken. The kindest, the most generous, the most open hearted one ever created.
Rest in peace, Rohan,” Rahul Chaudhary, cofounder of Treebo, said.

“Rohan was more than a friend, he was my little brother, my golf partner and an irreplaceable human being. Memories you have given us in a short time are forever. Life can be very unfair at times,” Waqar Younis, former Pakistan Cricket Team coach wrote on X.