Executive Spotlight: Who Is Ravi Mhatre, Lightspeed's Co-Founder and Partner? (2027)
Ravi Mhatre is the Co-Founder and Partner of Lightspeed Venture Partners, the technology investment firm based in Menlo Park, California. Lightspeed's team page says he has spent more than 25 years building the firm, its enterprise practice and its portfolio, and describes him as one of the most prolific enterprise investors in the industry.
He studied electrical engineering and economics at Stanford, worked at Silicon Graphics and Booz Allen, and now invests across enterprise software, health, blockchain and growth-stage companies. This page uses public professional information only.
Current role and company
Mhatre is a Partner and Co-Founder at Lightspeed Venture Partners and works from the Menlo Park office. His Lightspeed profile lists focus areas of US, blockchain, enterprise, growth and health. The Milken Institute's 2024 conference page describes him as a founding partner with a global leadership role.
- FirmLightspeed Venture Partners, a global technology investment firm.
- TitlePartner and Co-Founder, per Lightspeed's team page.
- BaseMenlo Park, California.
Career path
- Early life. His Lightspeed profile says he grew up with an Indian immigrant father and a Brooklyn-born mother, and lived on three continents and in four states before turning 18.
- Education. He holds a BS in electrical engineering, a BA in economics and an MBA, all from Stanford University.
- Before venture capital. The profile lists Silicon Graphics, a stint as a management consultant at Booz Allen, and a software engineering role at a biotech instrument manufacturer.
- Lightspeed. He co-founded the firm and has spent more than 25 years building it, according to Lightspeed.
What he is known for
- Enterprise investing. Lightspeed describes him as one of the most prolific enterprise investors in the industry, with experience taking founders' companies to acquisition or IPO.
- Named partnerships. His profile names Anduril, AppDynamics, Guardant, MuleSoft, Natera, Nutanix, Offchain Labs, Rubrik, ThoughtSpot and Zscaler among the companies he has partnered with.
- Newer areas. The investments listed on his profile also include Anthropic, Neuralink, Thinking Machines, Character.AI, Skild AI, Helsing, Fireworks AI and Helion.
- Recognition. Lightspeed says Forbes named him a top dealmaker on its Midas List in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2025 and 2026. He sits on the Stanford Business School Trust advisory board and is a former board member of the Western Association of Venture Capitalists and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) Silicon Valley.
Leadership style and philosophy
From his own profile and statements: Lightspeed's page says he is focused on technology founders and mentors them as they build value and leadership, and quotes him as saying that success is measured in years and decades. In the firm's December 2025 fundraising announcement, reported by Entrepreneur India, he said AI is the most transformative technology shift in a generation. On May 6, 2024 he spoke on a Milken Institute Global Conference panel titled Market Impacts in the Digital Age: Realizing Value and Redefining Industries.
Key numbers
Company-reported figures for Lightspeed, with the period shown. They are the firm's, not Mhatre's personal figures.
- Capital raisedMore than $9 billion in new capital across six vehicles, announced December 17, 2025.
- Fund XV-A / XV-B$980 million and $1.2 billion.
- Select VI$1.8 billion.
- Opportunity Fund III$3.3 billion.
- Co-Investment Fund I$600 million.
- Single-investor vehicles$1.25 billion, formed in 2025.
What to watch next
Worth tracking: how Lightspeed deploys its $9 billion of new capital into AI companies, and which new names appear on Mhatre's profile as the firm adds investments.
Questions people ask
Who is Ravi Mhatre?
He is the Co-Founder and Partner of Lightspeed Venture Partners, a technology investment firm in Menlo Park, California.
What is Ravi Mhatre's role at Lightspeed?
Lightspeed's team page lists him as Partner and Co-Founder, with more than 25 years spent building the firm and its enterprise practice.
Where did Ravi Mhatre study?
At Stanford University, where he earned a BS in electrical engineering, a BA in economics and an MBA.
What did he do before venture capital?
His profile lists Silicon Graphics, management consulting at Booz Allen, and software engineering at a biotech instrument manufacturer.
Which companies has he worked with?
His profile names Anduril, AppDynamics, Guardant, MuleSoft, Natera, Nutanix, Offchain Labs, Rubrik, ThoughtSpot and Zscaler, among others.
How much did Lightspeed raise in 2025?
Lightspeed announced on December 17, 2025 that it had closed more than $9 billion in new capital across six vehicles.
Sources
- Lightspeed: Ravi Mhatre · Title, bio, education, career, investments, recognition
- Milken Institute: Global Conference 2024 speaker page · Speaker bio, May 6, 2024 session, headshot
- Entrepreneur India: Lightspeed closes over USD 9 billion · December 2025 fund amounts and quote
Facts were read from the linked pages on October 31, 2026, partly through a fetch tool that returns summaries, so confirm details on the original pages. The hero photo is his speaker headshot on the Milken Institute conference page; Milken notes speakers write their own bios. This page covers public professional information only.
Top photo: Milken Institute (milkeninstitute.org)