Praveen Akkiraju is set to leave his managing partner position at SoftBank Investment Advisers (SBIA), which manages Japan-based internet and telecommunications group SoftBank’s Vision Fund, Axios has reported, citing an internal announcement.
Softbank Vision Fund secured $98.6bn for a first fund that was formed in 2016 and it is currently raising a second vehicle that is expected to be smaller in size than its predecessor.
Akkiraju joined in April 2018 after two years as chief executive of cloud technology producer Viptela, following four years as CEO of enterprise software supplier VCE from 2012.
His remit at SBIA involved Akkiraju investing in enterprise technology developers in the Americas and Asia, as well as co-leading India-based deals.
Akkiraju’s duties at Vision Fund, including his board seat at portfolio company Automation Anywhere, will be largely assumed by senior managing partner Deep Nishar. He was unable to comment on his next move but is seeking investing or operational opportunities in the startup ecosystem.
The news follows two high-profile departures from SBIA in recent months: China-based investment director Xiangyu ‘Sean’ Liu in October and UK-based partner David Thevenon earlier this month.
Photo of Praveen Akkiraju courtesy of LinkedIn.
