Jungle Ventures held its AGM on a Mumbai cricket field, using sport to stress patient, long term founder partnerships and a coaching style role for venture capital investorsVenture capital firm Jungle Ventures is rethinking how it engages with founders, moving beyond traditional boardroom interactions to more informal, relationship-driven settings, as it hosted its annual general meeting on a cricket field in Mumbai.
Ditching suits and slide decks for bats and balls, the firm brought together founders, investors and limited partners in a format that reflects a broader shift in venture capital — where building long-term partnerships is increasingly seen as important as deploying capital.
“I think this is the first time we’re doing cricket. And why not cricket? The ambition this sport has goes with the country. Obviously, we believe we have the best founders here with similar ambitions,” said Anurag Srivastava, Founding Partner at Jungle Ventures.
For the firm, the choice of cricket was not incidental but symbolic of how it views startup building. Managing Partner David Gowdey said the sport mirrors the patience required to build enduring companies. “Cricket is a great sport that represents the patience that’s required to really build companies that last the test of time. In fact, if anything, we should be playing Test cricket and not T20 cricket,” he said.
The format also highlighted how expectations from venture capital firms are evolving, with founders increasingly seeking more active involvement. Srivastava acknowledged that while investors often act as commentators or critics, the role needs to evolve further. “I wish VCs were coaches… I would love to see VCs transition to being real coaches, maybe at times even captains… but I don’t think we are there yet,” he said.
Some founders, however, already view investors as playing a more hands-on role. “They’re the coaches because they tell you what to do when you need it the most, and play from the sidelines, just like a coach,” said Abhinav Pathak, Co-founder and CEO of Escape Plan.
The unconventional setting also encouraged more open interaction between stakeholders. “It’s quite an interesting and innovative twist to an AGM… it’s also a good way to come together in a different kind of setting,” said Robin Staszek of Hasso Plattner Foundation, who was visiting India for the first time and also trying cricket for the first time.
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Participants from across regions, including Europe and Southeast Asia, used the opportunity to network beyond formal discussions, with several drawing parallels between sport and entrepreneurship. “It’s like running a marathon… rain or shine, you just have to keep persevering,” said Francis Sebastian Anugerah, Founder and CEO of BRIK.
The underlying message from the event was clear: in today’s venture ecosystem, writing a cheque alone is no longer sufficient. Firms are increasingly expected to offer strategic guidance, partnership and long-term conviction, as the investor-founder relationship continues to evolve.
