Global venture capital firm Bessemer Venture Partners has announced the appointment of tech industry veteran Pankaj Mitra as a Partner in its India practice, underscoring its continued commitment to backing the next generation of technology leaders in the region.

Mitra will focus primarily on enterprise tech, artificial intelligence (AI), and cybersecurity.

Mitra brings over 25 years of industry experience to Bessemer, having previously led investments and M&A efforts at Cisco’s corporate development team, particularly for its global Customer Experiences portfolio and Indian operations. His impressive investment track record includes stakes in companies such as Fiddler (AI observability), Uniphore (contact center AI), and Whatfix (digital adoption).

“I am thrilled to join Bessemer at this pivotal time,” said Mitra. “The ongoing AI platform shift offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity for builders to usher in the next wave of tech evolution across industries. With its stellar track record, Bessemer is poised to partner with this new generation of ambitious, world-class founders in India addressing pain points domestically and globally, and I’m excited to be part of this journey.”

Prior to Cisco, Mitra was part of Infosys’s USD 500 million innovation fund, where he invested in firms like Ideaforge and Whoop. His early career includes roles at VMware, where he helped launch its first cloud services, and at Deloitte as a management consultant. Mitra holds a degree from IIT Kharagpur and an MBA from the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business.

Vishal Gupta, Partner at Bessemer, said, “We are delighted to welcome Pankaj to the Bessemer family. He brings a breadth of experience which is a unique blend of investing prowess as well as deep industry knowledge. This will be invaluable as we look to deepen our commitments in AI, enterprise-tech, and cybersecurity in India.”

Bessemer Venture Partners, with over USD 18 billion in assets under management, has backed iconic global companies including LinkedIn, Shopify, Twilio, DocuSign, and Toast. In India, the firm has been active for over two decades, with past and current investments in Swiggy, Urban Company, Boldfit, Easebuzz, and others.

In March 2025, Bessemer announced its second India-focused fund of USD 350 million, targeting areas such as AI, fintech, enterprise-tech, digital health, and cybersecurity—sectors directly aligned with Mitra’s expertise.