Archive · 27 Jan 2026
Bengaluru-Born Woman Leads $6bn Hedge Fund
Mala Gaonkar, born in the US but raised in Bengaluru, India, became a successful hedge fund manager.
She started SurgoCap Partners with $1.8 billion in 2023, which grew to $6 billion by 2026.
Gaonkar, who studied economics at Harvard, faced challenges as an Indian-origin woman in the male-dominated finance world.
She learned from her mistakes, like selling Nvidia too early, and built her fund on principles of clarity and collaboration.
Her fund focuses on how technology changes industries like healthcare and finance.
Gaonkar uses data and AI to make investment decisions and writes fiction to stay grounded.
Her success inspires other Indian-origin women in finance.
Mala Gaonkar launched SurgoCap Partners with $1.8 billion in 2023, growing it to $6 billion by 2026.
She is an Indian-origin woman who faced challenges in the male-dominated hedge fund industry.
Gaonkar studied economics at Harvard and worked at Boston Consulting Group and the World Bank before entering finance.
Her investment philosophy focuses on scalable opportunities with high returns and the impact of technology on non-tech sectors.
She uses data and AI to make investment decisions and emphasizes the importance of revisiting and learning from mistakes.
- Who
- Mala Gaonkar, an Indian-origin woman and Harvard graduate
- What
- Launched and grew a hedge fund called SurgoCap Partners
- When
- Launched in January 2023, grew to $6 billion by 2026
- Where
- Based in the United States, with roots in Bengaluru, India
- Why
- To identify scalable opportunities with high returns and to reshape non-tech sectors through technology
- Name
- Mala Gaonkar
- Fund Name
- SurgoCap Partners
- Fund Launch Year
- 2023
- Initial Assets
- $1.8 billion
- Current Assets (2026)
- $6 billion
- Education
- Harvard (Economics), Harvard Business School (MBA)
- Previous Work
- Boston Consulting Group, World Bank, Lone Pine Capital
- Investment Focus
- Technology reshaping non-tech sectors