I'm Santosh Panda — a serial entrepreneur with 25+ years of building, scaling, and investing in technology companies worldwide. Based in India; lived and worked across Singapore, UK, Finland, and the US.
Two startups. Product teams at eBay UK and the BBC iPlayer launch in 2007. A decade across FTSE 100 companies and category leaders. A bootstrap to $11M, near-death during COVID, then a new platform built for where communities actually live.
I bootstrapped & raised VC funding to scale Explara from $0 to $11M in gross transaction revenue, serving 100K+ users across 21+ countries. I founded Foundership — an accelerator that backed 58 startups across 8 cohorts from 1,500+ applications, then grew into a full-stack Business Studio; it winds down in 2026. Today I coach a few exceptional founders in deeptech, and AI— on growth, revenue, and operational efficiency. I also advise ExplaraX, the WhatsApp-first community platform I founded, now run by its own team.
Before all this, I shipped products at eBay UK, was on the BBC iPlayer launch team in 2007, and consulted for FTSE 100s — Vodafone, William Hill, Allianz, News International. I've lived and worked in the UK, USA, Finland, Singapore, and India.
Building impact is what drives me. Building something that matters? Let's talk.
Where my time goes now — advising, building, backing. Each a different lens on the same thesis: distribution and operator depth win.
Mentoring a few exceptional founders — growth, revenue, and operational efficiency. Deep in deeptech, and AI.
Accelerator. The Business Studio. Grew revenue, co-built ventures, and enabled serious professionals to invest in high-impact businesses. Three studios, one ecosystem.
India's first DIY event registration SaaS, scaled $0 → $11M — backed by Blume Ventures and dozens of angels. Now ExplaraX — a WhatsApp-first community platform. I stay on as an advisor while the team runs it day-to-day.
Two decades of conversations — Foundership and the next cycle of building, the Explara years, the operator's craft.
A keynote on what Web3 founders are getting wrong about distribution — and how to build for the next cycle, not the last one.
On Foundership's Web3 thesis, India's regulatory position, and what serious builders should focus on.
On building Foundership, the accelerator-to-business-studio pivot, and why distribution is the real moat.
Panel discussion as a contributor to NASSCOM's Web3 Potential report.
Helping founders navigate what's next. Mentoring a few exceptional founders — growth, revenue, and operational efficiency. Deep in deeptech, and AI.
The WhatsApp-first community platform I founded — now run by its own CEO and team. I stay close as founder and advisor, on strategy and growth.
From accelerator (1,500+ applications, 8 cohorts, 58 startups) to a full-stack business studio. Backed by Blume Ventures, Hiro Mashita, and a strong angel cohort.
Bootstrapped India's first DIY event SaaS to $11M GTV. Backed by Blume Ventures and dozens of angels; three rounds across India, Singapore, and the USA. Multi-product evolution: Events, Community, Payments, Crowdfunding.
Product teams shipping for UK & EU markets. Core team member on the BBC iPlayer launch in 2007 — a landmark in streaming.
Vodafone (supply chain across 27 countries), William Hill (betting platform), Allianz (insurance e-commerce), News International (digital paywall for Times, Sunday Times, Sun).
EDI platforms, enterprise social tools, content management, and warehouse management — Helsinki, Bangalore, US market. The internet-first foundation.
Pricing, positioning, and the GTM motion that repeats without me in the room. I get inside the machine — I don't advise from the sidelines.
New markets, new models — the leap most founders see a year too late. Zero-to-one, and one-to-next.
Fundraising strategy, board dynamics, crisis navigation — and the timeless one: when to hold versus when to leap.
I show up for builders — that's not a service; it's a habit. Foundry Club across 35+ cities, nurturing AI Valley Club, years of backing founders before it was fashionable. If you're building something for the ecosystem, I'll lend reach, judgment, and a genuine hand.
I only work with people committed to building world-class companies. If that's you, let's talk.