PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/PRIVATE BETA — FOUNDER ACCESS ONLY/INVESTORS PERMANENTLY EXCLUDED/VERIFIED FOUNDERS ONLY/
← Fund Intelligence
DOSSIER // VERIFIED INTEL

BEENEXT

SingaporeBEENEXT
0
Truth Cards
0
Partners Rated
Avg Score
Get Access
Access Level
◈ Truth Cards
0 VERIFIED

No verified intel yet.
Be the first founder to leave a truth card.

Request Founder Access →
Dossier Summary

No summary available yet.

Classification
Slugbeenext
HQSingapore
Stage FocusBEENEXT has invested in 261 companies, primarily in seed …
Intel StatusAccepting submissions
🔥 BERNIE'S HOT TAKE

BEENEXT is the real deal - 11 unicorns including recent winner Raise, plus solid exits like Locus acquisition prove they can spot winners early. Teru genuinely lives the 'founder-first' philosophy because he's been there himself - serial entrepreneur who built and IPO'd companies before becoming an investor. They're one of the most active early-stage investors in India/SEA with real operational support across geographies. The fund exits 6 percentage points more often than other VCs, but they lead 24 percentage points fewer deals than average - they're picky followers who add value without ego. The team actually knows how to build companies, not just write checks.

KEY TAKEAWAYS
  • Best for: India/SEA founders needing operational support from investors who've actually built companies
  • Watch out for: They're followers more than leaders - expect to work harder for that lead investor
  • Known for: Genuine founder empathy and cross-market introductions that actually matter
Investment Thesis

BEENEXT believes in a partnership-driven approach, walking alongside founders through empathy and collaboration. They are industry-agnostic, aiming for limitless thinking while fostering innovation that transcends geographical boundaries. The firm takes a sector-agnostic approach with one constant: believing in visionary founders building scalable technology companies, with a sharp eye for platform plays and category-defining innovation in traditionally underserved sectors.

Stage & Sector Focus

BEENEXT has invested in 261 companies, primarily in seed rounds in India-based startups. Their investments span Enterprise Applications, Consumer, and FinTech. They invest in pre-seed to Series A stages with check sizes from $200K to $5M, though they often lead or co-lead rounds. Despite broad interests, they particularly focus on SaaS, IoT, AI, and marketplaces while avoiding gaming and AdTech.

Notable Portfolio
BharatPeShiprocketMPLNoBrokerOpenJupiterM2PInnovacer
Key Partners
Teruhide Sato
Founder & CEO

Serial entrepreneur who co-founded Cybercash Japan with Softbank in 1997, then founded BEENOS (formerly netprice.com) in 1999, taking it public in 2004. World Economic Forum Young Global Leader in 2008. Describes himself as 'founder first' and credits great mentors for believing in him during his entrepreneurial journey.

Hero Choudhary
Partner

Leads BEENEXT accelerate fund focusing on India and Southeast Asia. Brings 15+ years investing experience in digital economies with a unique global CXO network. Notable investments include BharatPe, NoBroker, Servify, M2P, Healthians, Jago Coffee.

Hiro Maeda
Partner

Leads Japan SaaS-focused ALL STAR SAAS FUND with computer science and economics background from Bucknell. Early-stage investor in 100+ companies, previously led investment at BEENOS and launched Japan's first startup accelerator. Forbes Asia 30 Under 30 in 2016, with notable investments in SmartHR, ANDPAD, Instacart.

Anirudh Garg
Partner

Responsible for India and Southeast Asian investments. Previously at Flipkart and Speciale Invest (deep-tech VC). Chemical engineering background from BITS Pilani. Has invested in MPL, NoBroker, Rippling, Notion, Innovacer, Jupiter, BharatPe, and many others across diverse sectors.

Have a specific question about BEENEXT?

Ask Bernie →
INVESTOR ACCESS PERMANENTLY DENIEDBERNBOOK // DOSSIER v1