January Capital

Episode 2 of The First Podcast – Out Now In this episode, we sit down with Abhishek Gupta, co-founder of Circles, the world’s first digital telco. Ab’s journey is anything but conventional. From nearly pursuing a career in acting to then studying engineering, jumping into consulting at McKinsey, transitioning to private equity, he ultimately took the leap into entrepreneurship. He shares the challenges of breaking into telecom, building a strong co-founding team, and navigating early fundraising struggles. We also dive into Circles’ international expansion, the shift into SaaS, and the mindset needed to scale in high-growth industries. With insights on startup culture, hiring, and first-principles thinking, this conversation is one founders won’t want to miss. Watch Episode 2 now and subscribe for more: https://lnkd.in/giaMMT9Q

For Abhishek Gupta of Circles.Life, aligning on values as co-founders wasn’t automatic—it was a process. Each founder brought their own perspective, but through thoughtful discussions, they merged their principles to create a strong foundation. Ownership, learning, hierarchy, boldness—these were the values they committed to. And as Circles.Life grew, they sought people who aligned with them. Looking back, Abhishek reflects on the challenge of maintaining this alignment at scale, wishing they had been even more steadfast in upholding these values. Want to hear more about how company values shape long-term success? Stay tuned for our next episode with Abhishek, coming this Wednesday.

How can you effectively tackle market segmentation and global expansion? Join Abhishek Gupta from Circles as he reveals key insights on how focusing on digital-native customers has been crucial to their success. He will delve into the importance of grasping consumer behavior, especially how convenience influences decisions, along with the strategies that have facilitated their successful entry into international markets. Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of this regions most seasoned operators. The episode launches next Wednesday.

Join us as Abhishek Gupta from Circles explains how identifying a specific, digital-native customer segment transformed their strategy. By targeting a niche market, those willing to pay extra for convenience, allowed them to incrementally expand and capitalise over time. Abhishek shares how excelling in serving this niche led to strong product validation and growth. Discover why focusing narrowly can be more effective than attempting to cater to everyone. Our episode with Abhishek is out next Wednesday.

In our next episode we are fortunate enough to feature one of the regions most visionary thinkers and ambitious innovators, Abhishek Gupta from Circles. Having targeted the archaic telecommunications industry over a decade ago, he and his team approached the industry's challenges methodically, building technology at every juncture to better improve the experience for customers in this region. In this upcoming episode, Abhishek Gupta of Circles discusses why choosing co-founders you trust deeply is essential for navigating the startup journey. Discover how working with individuals who align with your vision and values, rather than just having the right skills, can transform your founding experience. Trust in your team’s abilities and intentions often trumps having rigid roles or specific expertise. The next episode launches next Wednesday.

The First Podcast Has Launched – Episode 1 Out Now We are excited to kick off The First podcast with our debut episode featuring Kieran Donovan, founder of k-ID. k-ID is building the infrastructure to empower and protect kids and teens in the digital world. In this episode, Kieran shares his journey, the challenges of creating meaningful solutions, and his vision for a safer online experience for young people. This is just the beginning. The First will bring candid conversations with entrepreneurs, builders, and changemakers shaping the future. Watch / listen using the links in the comments.

Communication coupled with empowerment is a powerful force of nature in building companies. Kieran Donovan of k-ID shares how regular one-on-one meetings with team members unlock their potential and align personal goals with the team’s vision. His motivation of how nurturing individual passions can drive exceptional outcomes was something that really resonated with us when we filmed this episode. The First Episode 1 Launches this Wednesday!

We are always fascinated with how different founders navigate the complex decision-making process of finding the right cofounders, a decision that ultimately sets the course of the business. Many successful partnerships are born from existing relationships... classmates who brainstormed business ideas during lectures or former colleagues who recognized each other's complementary skills. Some co-founder matches seem almost destined, with serendipitous encounters igniting an instant spark. On the other end of the spectrum, we've observed founders who approach co-founder selection with scientific precision. For Kieran of k-ID, he recognized that the experience of his cofounder Jeff both complement each other's blind spots while at the same time both having overlap in same problem statement behind k-ID, much like a Venn Diagram. Discover how their varied backgrounds resulted in a more holistic and robust team that shaped a clear, impactful vision for solving a very complex problem. The full length episode airs next Wednesday.

We're excited to kick off The First series with a compelling interview featuring Kieran Donovan, the visionary behind k-ID. k-ID is building the infrastructure to empower and protect kids and teens by providing trusted, age-appropriate experiences as they navigate the digital world. When we did the recording with Kieran I was blown away at his clear drive and ambition. Two qualities really stood out: 1. Propensity for Action: Kieran's approach is characterized by a strong bias towards taking concrete steps to address the challenges facing youth in the digital space. 2. Urgency of the Mission: He emphasizes the significant risks of inaction, recognizing that the digital landscape can be a fundamental detractor for youth if left unaddressed. This inaugural episode of The First series is the catalyst of candid insights into the entrepreneurial mind, the challenges of building groundbreaking solutions, and the potential for technology to create positive change. Our episode with Kieran launches next Wednesday.

Today we are proud to formally launch The First - a platform designed to provide curated content and support to founders in the Asia-Pacific technology ecosystem. Having partnered with some of the region’s most successful founders from an early stage, we know that building a company of endurance is not a linear path. By capturing the learnings of pioneering founders, as well as better connecting the region’s most experienced executives and founders, we believe there is an opportunity to best set up companies for success from day one, with the right foundational culture, governance and infrastructure. In the coming days, we will launch the foundational element of The First - a series of long-form interviews that delve into how founders build world-class enduring companies. Over the coming months, we will announce additional programs that positively contribute to our region. As a firm, we recently announced an expansion of our investment capabilities, with the close of our growth credit offering and our ability to increasingly act as a flexible capital solutions provider across a company’s lifecycle. To be clear - this amplified ambition is not a movement away from our early-stage foundation, rather it expands the support we can provide. The First represents our unwavering commitment to being a cornerstone early-stage investor in Asia-Pacific’s early stage ecosystem - as a team, we have never been more excited about the prospect of partnering with the region’s best founding teams as a day-one investor. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gwv6nCMm