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Why Investing in Startups Helping Businesses Reduce Climate Change is a Smart Move
Talks about Climate Change, Venture Capital and Startup
VR
Vijay Rajendran
Fractional Executive at Astreva
San Francisco Bay Area
Overview
Vijay Rajendran is a former founder and venture capital portfolio head who transitioned into a CEO coach, specializing in helping leaders with fundraising, market creation, product launches, and team building. With a background as the Global Head of Portfolio Value at 500 Global and experience as a Venture Partner at Republic, he now focuses on coaching high-growth startup CEOs and teaching B2B sales strategy for startup founders at Maven.
Highlights of his career include serving as the Head of Corporate Growth, Innovation, and Partnerships at 500 Global, and his role as a Venture Partner at Republic, where he gained experience in working with diverse founders and investing in female-led companies.
Work Experience
Strategic Advisor
2025 - Current
Creating and scaling generative AI companies at venture builder, gAI Ventures, alongside world-class operators to scale fast.
Author
2025
#1 New Release in Venture Capital on Amazon Unlock the secrets to securing startup funding with The Funding Framework: Secure Startup Funding with Confidence by Vijay Rajendran. This indispensable guide is packed with actionable insights and expert strategies that can transform your approach to fundraising.
Senior Advisor
2025
Public Speaker
2025
In a world where disruption is the new normal, are you keeping up—or getting ahead? Vijay Rajendran is a keynote speaker, executive coach, and technology investor who helps leaders break out of reactive cycles and build companies that don’t just adapt to change but define it. With deep expertise in corporate innovation, venture capital, and high-growth startups, he challenges organizations to rethink how they approach strategy, leadership, and transformation.
Executive Coach to High-Growth CEOs
2023
Who I work with People I work with have the unique challenge of accomplishing hard things that have never been done before. As they try to improve the world, they find they want to improve themselves. Working with individuals in the way that I do means transformation. Often leaders come to me because they are struggling with something important in the business. They are very likely aware that they need to instigate change somehow and have probably tried many things but haven’t found the right solution. What the Process is like Specifically, when I work with someone, I am helping them in 1:1 individual coaching sessions and some team settings to find relief from such issues as Difficulty Fundraising (for their Startup or Fund), Challenges of Growing their Business, Co-Founder Disagreements, & Problems with Team-Building. We tackle those issues to find solutions, but also I help them overcome feelings of stress, conflict, and feeling stuck, the impact of which can be hugely significant [both at home and at work]. They tend to feel a new focus, rhythm, “lightness.” Why can I help you? I led the portfolio value team that supported one of the largest early stage venture capital portfolios in the world: 500 Startups. I've supported many founders and helped them on their journey to becoming CEOs. I have also developed relationships with investors and executives and understand how to help them develop professional and organizational success they want.
Founder
2024
Faculty, Climate Angels Fellows Program
2023
Climate Capital Syndicate Principal
2022 - 2024
Angel investor in Climate startups and instructor in the Climate Angels educational program with members of the Climate Capital Team.
Climate Capital is an investment firm that supports companies that directly or indirectly reduce global greenhouse gas emissions.
Course Instructor, B2B Sales Strategy for Startup Founders
2022 - 2024
Launched one of the first B2B selling courses specifically designed for early-stage startup founders on the expert learning platform, Maven.
Maven Car Sharing is a smart alternative to traditional car rental.
Global Head of Portfolio Value
2021 - 2023
I led a global team helping startups through community, events, and tools to develop connections and raise capital. Also, screening primarily fintech startups with the 500 Global / 500 Startups Global Accelerator investment team. Additionally, I mentor startups one-on-one on GTM and scaling and serve as one of our instructors for 500’s Bootcamp for Accelerator Managers.
Head of Corporate Growth, Innovation and Partnerships
2018 - 2021
- Built entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world and led an international team that worked with corporations to facilitate startup partnerships and develop new growth areas. - Authored pivotal CVC Report: Unlocking Corporate Venture Capital (~3000 downloads) and served as Corporate VC Unlocked faculty in 500-INSEAD program in Paris for 25 CVCs. - Designed a fintech accelerator and sourced Series A and B startups for Visa in Asia-Pacific region.
500 Global is a multi-stage venture capital firm that invests in founders building fast-growing technology companies.
Raised $2,271,999.00 from Abu Dhabi Financial Group.
Venture Partner
2021 - 2022
Deal flow: I helped to source and share Republic-ready companies with Republic and the VP network.
Republic Crypto offers a compliant and inclusive blockchain financing and investment platform for investors seeking high growth potential.
Investor
2018 - 2022
- Sourced and led due diligence in software, hardware, and consumer marketplaces for GVC Partners angel investment group focused on pre-seed, seed, and Series A technology firms.: - Conducted diligence and invested in Sote, building Africa’s digital logistics infrastructure