How Neha Singh’s Market Intelligence Firm Earned Global Recognition In Tech Space

It's not common for a firm to create buzz globally in a short span since its launch, however, Bengaluru-based Neha Singh's firm Tracxn didn't take much time to be recognised as one of the world’s largest platforms when it came to tracking startups and private companies.

Launched in 2013, the private market intelligence tracks and scans over 1.4 million entities globally and has subscribers across 50-plus nations. Singh, an IIT alumnus, earlier worked as an investor and on coming to terms with the solid impact technology had been creating, she decided to enter the space.

In an interview with SheThePeople, Neha Singh discusses her startup, investment strategies and growth, STEM education for women and what it takes to lead a firm that is making waves globally.

Neha Singh Tracxn Interview

What made you choose a career in STEM and finance?

I have always been interested in mathematics, technology, and computer science, which led me to pursue a degree in computer science from IIT Bombay. Later on, I worked as an investor in a venture capital firm- Sequoia Capital. I got the opportunity to see how technology is impacting the lives of consumers and businesses through tech-led businesses. Additionally, I experienced how financial investors are contributing to the acceleration of innovation systems by technology-driven companies.

How did Tracxn happen?

Interestingly, Neha Singh Tracxn came to fruition when my co-founder Abhishek and I, both independently arrived at the idea of leveraging technology to make the job of private market investors easier. We are both coders-turned-investors, with computer science backgrounds and both thought there has to be a way to simplify the investment market tasks. We started exploring different ways of using tech in the sector.

Through our work in the field, we discovered various ways to use technology to make our jobs more manageable. However, we realised that while public market investors had multiple platforms such as Bloomberg, Eikon, Factset, and CapitalIQ etc to streamline their work, private market investors were still using a lot of manual labour to aggregate information. It soon became apparent to us that there was a large opportunity in the private market data space. This realisation prompted us to create a global platform in this domain that utilised technology to make the process more efficient. Our goal was to make private market data accessible, organised, and valuable to investors worldwide.

What were the challenges you initially faced and what are the current challenges?

The initial days of building Tracxn were challenging, as we were figuring out the product-market fit, while managing sales, alongside building the platform from scratch. As we didn't have any comparable products already in the market, we had no choice but to create them entirely from the ground up.

A significant portion of our initial resources was dedicated to collaborating with our first group of customers and expanding the company's operations. We also had to invest time and effort in developing teams. After completing the initial market research, our focus shifted towards scaling the organisation and building sales. Currently, we are in the mode of taking our organisation to the next level.

From when you started to now, what factors have had the biggest impact on your growth as a leader?

I think the biggest factor has been continuous learning at every stage of my growth as a leader. As an entrepreneur, in the initial phases you work on getting the product market fit right. In the initial phases, you do the sales yourself, focusing on selling products to large enterprises. And after reaching a threshold, entrepreneurs need to scale the organisation to the next level.

How do you plan to digitally revolutionise the Indian market with your company’s growth plans?

Startups have been catalysts to the digital revolution and a lot of the innovation happening today. At Tracxn, we help investors discover interesting startups. We try to reduce the information gap in the private market and startup ecosystem.

Have you come across a gender gap when it comes to women and investments? How do you think we can encourage more women to take charge of their finances and make platforms available for them to do so?

The number of women-led startups is still a minority. I would not say there is a gender gap for women startups, but just that the number of women-founded companies is fewer, hence the funnel is not equal in number to the number of men-led businesses.

Aimed market volatilities nowadays, what investment strategy will be recommended for women?

Women often delegate investment decisions to the men in the house. But women are influencers and should take charge of their finances. More women are taking up leadership roles in their professional life, and they can utilise these skills in other aspects of their life as well.

Women often delegate investment decisions to the men in the house. But women are influencers and should take charge of their finances.

What more do you suggest stakeholders can do when it comes to inspiring women in STEM?

To inspire greater participation by women in STEM, countries and education systems should launch initiatives that promote and encourage their involvement in these fields. Programs that provide financial assistance, mentorship, and networking opportunities specifically tailored to women in STEM can be particularly effective in breaking down the gender barriers that often discourage women from pursuing STEM careers.

As a leader in business, how do you suggest the Indian market can empower more women in leadership positions?

Empowering more women to take on leadership positions in the Indian industry requires a conscious effort to cultivate a culture of inclusivity and diversity. One way to achieve this is by promoting gender-neutral policies and providing equal opportunities for career growth. This includes policies related not just to recruitment, but also compensation, promotions, training and other aspects related to career growth. These days major corporations are organising programmes to help women engineers grow professionally.

Companies must also create safe spaces and forums to discuss issues related to gender and work towards gender equity. There is also a need for more awareness about STEM education.

Additionally, providing equal opportunities for career growth is crucial for promoting gender diversity and can be achieved by establishing mentorships and sponsorship programs that are specifically tailored for women in the workplace. By fostering values that promote diverse perspectives and experiences, companies can create an "environment where women feel empowered to take on leadership roles and make valuable contributions to the organisation. This would also engender innovation, improve performance, and improve bottom lines for businesses.

What is the one piece of advice you would want to give women with respect to financial independence and investments?

My advice to women would be to start early, educate themselves about finance, diversify their investments, and take calculated risks. They should try to build a strong peer network and have role models who influence them in their lives and with whom they can discuss their challenges and solutions to those.

What advice would you give women on their startup journey?

It’s a great time to get started on the path to entrepreneurship. The ecosystem is very conducive. Drawing from my experience as an entrepreneur, my suggestion to women who aspire to follow the same path would be to have a clear vision of what they want to achieve, take calculated risks to pursue their goals and surround themselves with a talented and diverse team to leverage their strengths and overcome challenges along the way.

Suggested reading: How Sonam Srivastava Applied STEM Knowledge To Finance To Build Investment Advisory