Meta’s Krishna Mehra joins Elevation Capital to lead AI investments

The big picture: At Meta, Mehra led engineering for messaging ads through AI-driven products and deployed some of the earliest Llama models. He previously built cloud systems at Cohesity and co-founded two startups — Capillary Technologies, which helped establish India’s early SaaS landscape, and Taro, later acquired by EAT Club. As an angel investor, he’s backed over 40 companies including Innovaccer and MoEngage.

Between the lines: The appointment comes as Indian founders increasingly target global markets from day one. With 40% of Silicon Valley companies having Indian diaspora founders, Elevation sees significant opportunity in AI talent building for worldwide audiences. “India’s SaaS ecosystem has matured, producing global success stories across categories. Indian talent now leads the AI revolution,” said Mehra.

The move bolsters Elevation’s SaaS Compass programme, which enters its second year offering founders mentorship from industry leaders like ThoughtSpot’s Vikram Bhaskaran and Figma’s Scott Pugh. The firm has backed nearly 30 companies in the SaaS and AI space, including Clear, Fareye, and Murf.ai, with increased activity over the last four years.

Mukul Arora, co-managing partner, Elevation Capital, said, “We are extremely bullish on Indian founders building category-defining AI companies for the world, and with Krishna leading our presence in Silicon Valley, we are better positioned than ever to help founders realise this opportunity.”