January 11th 2025

From Dreaming to Experiencing: My Journey to Mount Judi’s Annual Investors Meeting

On January 11, 2025, I had the incredible opportunity to attend the Mount Judi Annual Investors Meeting - an event I had once only dreamed of experiencing.

How It All Started

My admiration for Sherif Kottapurath Sir and the work at Mount Judi Ventures began back in 2020 during my incubation journey with EdVenture Park

We were introduced to Sheriff Sir through Meraj Sir, who spoke about his journey as the CTO of Sun Microsystems (one of Silicon Valley’s biggest names. Google it if you haven’t already!). Later, when Mohammed Ali Shariff (Partner at Mount Judi Ventures) visited our office, we got to know more about the firm.

During that visit, Ali Sir gave me the name “Star Dust”—describing me as someone who can fit anywhere and complete a piece. That compliment from someone I look up to so much meant the world to me.

Becoming a Fan of Mount Judi

I’ve always been fascinated by ethical investing, startup funding, and the financial side of businesses. As I learned more about Mount Judi Ventures, it quickly became a dream place to work.

I started binge-watching every interview and talk by Sheriff Sir on Mount Judi and Rehbar Financials. When I heard about the Mount Judi Investors Meeting 2024, I was curious to know how the pitches went, what questions were asked and everything in between.

Meraj Sir gave us some insights, but I wanted more. So, when I found the YouTube live stream of the event, I binge-watched the entire thing before it got removed!

Finally Getting to Attend in 2025

In December, Sheriff Sir and Ebaad Momin Sir visited our office, but I didn’t get the chance to meet them. Then, Meraj told me that our core team is invited to attend this year's meeting.

A moment I had only watched from a distance was now happening in person.

The Experience: January 11, 2025

The day started with prayer, followed by - Portfolio company presentations, A fiery fireside chat and Updates with Future Plans

Key Takeaways from Startup Pitches

I listened to every pitch with one question in mind: ?? What are these founders doing right that our startups at EdVenture Park can learn from?

Some standout lessons:

?? Make your startup name easy to understand – If it’s complex, add phonetic spelling (learned from Wify).

?? Have a strong unfair advantage – SkyeAir’s positioning in the drone delivery space stood out.

?? Use popular platforms for impact – Swift Chat by ConveGenius went from delivering education via messaging apps to becoming a leader in AI.

?? Empower your employees – Wify helps upskill workers so they can start their own ventures.

?? Low-cost, high-impact models work – DilFoods built a virtual restaurant model with zero capital expenditure.

?? Redefine industries – LoFoods is reshaping healthy food choices.

?? Personalized learning is the future – Gooru’s vision of making education as personalized as Google Maps is inspiring.

Understanding the Investor’s Perspective

One of the most valuable sessions was about how Mount Judi Ventures approaches investments. Understood how the pipeline, growth strategy, and investment thesis works and how it all guides their decision-making.

The Fireside Chat – Pure Gold! ??

The most exciting session was a fireside chat with Mr. Samir Kumar from Athera Venture Partners who is currently managing a 900 crore fund. Here are my biggest takeaways:

1?? Team matters the most – Investors first look at the founding team’s chemistry, resilience, and understanding of their business.

2?? Being founder-friendly ≠ being soft – It means empathizing but also making tough calls when needed.

3?? Disagree, but don’t be disagreeable – Healthy debates lead to better decisions.

4?? Humility is key – Treat entrepreneurs like customers—without them, there’s no business.

5?? Stay involved – Investors should deeply understand their portfolio companies and engage with them regularly.

6?? Guide, don’t control – Suggest, but never prescribe—it’s the founder’s business, not yours.

It was an intense and insightful conversation, with real-world examples and lessons from 15 years of VC experience.

A Moment to Remember

As the event ended, I hesitantly walked up to Sheriff Sir to thank him for this opportunity.

His response? "I know you guys at EdVenture Park will go much beyond this."

That moment reminded me of my first conversation with Ali Sharif Sir, when he called me "Star Dust."

Great Leaders who embody true humility.

It was truly a surreal experience. From watching the event online in 2024 to being there in person in 2025, it has been a full-circle moment.

Grateful to EdVenture Park and Meraj Faheem for helping me turn a dream into reality!

Onward and Upward ??

#FlywithEVP