Bikram Bakshi
PARTNER, INNOVATIONS INVESTMENT AND CYBER FUND INVESTMENT COMMITTEES
Bikram is a partner at Blu Venture Investors and serves on the Innovations and Cyber Fund investment committees. He is a seasoned CEO, innovator, and entrepreneur with multiple exits experience. From 2014 to 2017, he was CEO of Optum Govt and Optum International and a member of the executive leadership team at United Health Group (UHG). From 2007 to 2014, he was president and CEO of QSSI, a health technology business that grew from under $10M in revenues to over $150M under his leadership. Bikram led the sale of QSSI to UHG/Optum in 2012 and subsequently spearheaded the turnaround of healthcare.gov.
Prior to QSSI, Bikram held senior positions in companies ranging from Fortune 100 names such as Intel and Xerox to cybersecurity startups like BNX systems (acquired by Citigroup in 2005). Bikram holds an MBA from the Wharton School of Business, currently serves on the Entrepreneurship Advisory Board for Wharton, and is a named inventor of 13 US patents.
As an early-stage investor, Bikram is driven by the same qualities as being an entrepreneur: being a leader of change, taking outsized risks, and seeking outsized returns. He is most interested in cyber and health technologies and looks for startups with cohesive teams, product-market fit, market traction, and strategic exit opportunities.
INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE
Government/Defense/Intelligence
Healthcare/Biotech
Identity Management
FUNCTIONAL EXPERTISE
Engineering and Product Development
Mergers and Acquisitions
Sales and Marketing
Strategy
COMPANIES
What do you look for in a start-up company?
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Team
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Product-Market Fit
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Market Traction
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Strategic Exit Opportunities
What excites you about early stage investing?
Reliving my journey, and helping others navigate their own.
When on the board as a director or advisor, what do you do to help them get to the next stage?
Help anticipate and plan for the next hurdle the start up may not see coming, provide an objective opinion when it’s difficult to see the forest from the trees, and challenge the leadership team to reach their highest potential.