We recently welcomed Akhil Gupta to the Accion Venture Lab team as our Investment Officer for South Asia. In his role, Akhil leads investments in innovative fintech solutions in India and South Asia and supports our portfolio companies in the country to continue scaling their growth and impact for underserved communities.

Akhil shares his background and what excites him about where inclusive fintech is headed in South Asia:

What led you to pursue impact investing?

After completing my engineering and MBA degrees, I spent nearly a decade as an entrepreneur in India, riding the wave of the boom in the tech startup ecosystem. When I had to close one of my startups in 2017, I took a step back and realized that issues I cared deeply about — like education and financial inclusion — weren’t being addressed by traditional venture capital models, which often prioritize only exponential growth and returns.

This led me to join the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, where I worked at the intersection of tech startups and social impact. With my background as a founder, impact investing became a platform where I could leverage my experience and skills to create value and help solve the pressing social problems that are close to my heart.

What drew you to join Accion Venture Lab?

While building my last startup in the auto repair and servicing space, I witnessed firsthand the financial struggles of low-income groups in India, particularly mechanics, drivers, and telemarketers who earn under $4,000-5,000 per year. Even a small financial or medical setback could push them into lifelong debt. This experience sparked my passion for solving financial inclusion challenges and helping these families build long-term resilience.

I believe technology is the key to supporting low-income people at scale, which is what drew me to Accion Venture Lab. The team’s focus on financial inclusion through tech, along with Accion’s long-standing history and global perspective, offered the perfect opportunity to learn from the best and create meaningful impact in India.

How does your entrepreneurial background help you support founders?

With nearly a decade of experience as an entrepreneur in India, I gained a deep understanding of the operational challenges and urgency that early-stage startups face. My entrepreneurial background allows me to empathize with the human side of entrepreneurship, helping me connect with founders and prioritize what truly matters.

I provide practical, hands-on support to help entrepreneurs stay focused on their immediate goals while navigating critical decisions. My experience enables me to offer both strategic insights and operational advice to help founders execute their vision effectively.

What excites you most about where inclusive fintech is headed in South Asia?

Two key trends stand out to me. First, the development of the India Stack, a set of open APIs and digital infrastructure, has revolutionized access to public services, enabling seamless, secure digital transactions and empowering millions of Indians. With platforms like UPI, Aadhaar, and DigiLocker, digital public infrastructure is bridging gaps in financial inclusion and creating new opportunities to develop fintech applications tailored to the specific needs of India’s diverse population.

Second, India’s entrepreneurial boom is fueling grassroots innovation, with entrepreneurs building solutions that directly address the challenges of South Asia’s underserved markets, driving inclusive growth at the local level.

What trends and innovations are you seeing in the region?

One clear trend is the ongoing push and pull between fast-growing tech startups and increasingly assertive regulatory bodies. Startups are driving innovation and creating value at scale, unlocking new sources of credit for large segments of the population. At the same time, regulators are strongly stepping in — not just to protect vulnerable groups, but also to ensure stability and responsible growth. This dynamic interplay between the two is maintaining balance and ensuring a more inclusive growth of credit in South Asia.

The rise of AI adds even more momentum to this dynamic, creating both challenges and opportunities. It points to huge potential, and I’m optimistic about where the region is headed.

From your experience, what are the most effective ways to help people in low-income communities build economic stability?

There’s no simple solution to helping low-income people build financial stability, but it’s a critical challenge. At the core, enabling sustainable livelihood opportunities and providing access to affordable credit for short-term needs and future investments is key.

Just as important, though often overlooked, is micro-savings. Traditionally, the high cost of collecting small savings made it unviable at scale. However, with the rise in financial inclusion, including bank accounts, digital payments, and mobile platforms, there is now a real opportunity to build micro-savings solutions for low-income individuals, especially those in the informal sector. Helping people build small but consistent savings can be transformative for long-term economic stability.

What do you like to do outside of work?

Outside of work, I love traveling, meeting new people, and enjoying different cuisines. I’m also deeply passionate about music. I spend a lot of time exploring and discovering both timeless classics and hidden gems across genres. It brings me a lot of joy to dive into the stories behind the music, the cultural influences, and the emotions it evokes. It’s a creative outlet for me and a way to constantly learn and connect with others who share the same passion.