Big ideas don’t follow the crowd, but they know exactly when to strike. At TechThrive, we bring you trend analysis, industry insights from the latest AI breakthroughs, to the unpredictable shifts in Gen-Z and the evolving consumer landscape. We’ve got the perfect curation for you if you’re an aspiring founder, investor, or just want to sound cool at your next coffee meeting!

For those of you who are new here, Welcome to TechThrive: your Next-Gen venture studio and go-to platform for decoding the future of the economy. From Al trends to consumer behaviour shifts, we're tracking what matters and who's being overlooked.

Stepping into the future of Venture Capital with VC Lab, I’m excited to share that I’ve been selected for the VC Lab Cohort, a leading force that’s helped launch hundreds of emerging VC firms globally. 

(For those unfamiliar, VC Lab is like Y Combinator for emerging VC firms globally)

Venture capital wasn’t built for people who look like me or for women in general and that’s exactly why I’m stepping in to change it. You don’t need to fit in to make an impact; you can look different, think differently, and still lead.

For decades, VC was an old boys’ club. Recent data shows progress that would’ve seemed impossible just a few years ago. Women now lead 19% of solo-managed funds, participate in 42% of team-led funds, and all-women teams represent 10% of team-led funds. These numbers serve as both proof of progress and a reminder of the work that remains.
As I begin this journey with VC Lab to build TechThrive, I’m committed to building a future where venture works for everyone, a future where women, especially those who look like me, don’t just participate but lead, fund, and shape the ecosystem.

At TechThrive, we’re building a hub where ideas, founders, and investors come together to create the companies of tomorrow and shape an inclusive future. If you’re an LP, VC, or angel investor, my inbox is open. If you’re a founder, pitch to us.

As we celebrate these trailblazing Indian women, we came across a really sad pattern: many of the most brilliant are building their breakthroughs from outside India. This isn’t a talent problem; it’s an ecosystem problem. If world-class research labs, patient capital, flexible work policies, and equitable leadership pipelines aren’t accessible at home, women will keep taking their ambition where it’s enabled. Let’s name the gap clearly: India needs stronger research infrastructure, safer and more inclusive workplaces, childcare and re-entry support, pay and promotion transparency, and procurement that rewards deep-tech built here. We cannot wait till it’s too late to enter the global race and lose the talent to other countries.

Seventeen-year-old Tejasvi Manoj turned a personal family scare into a mission to safeguard seniors everywhere, earning recognition as TIME’s Kid of the Year for 2025. Inspired after her grandfather nearly fell for an online scam, Tejasvi created Shield Seniors—an AI-powered platform that teaches older adults to recognise digital fraud, analyses suspicious messages, and connects them with resources to report cybercrime. Her work blends cutting-edge technology and deep empathy, empowering seniors to navigate the online world with independence and confidence while proving how youth leadership can bridge digital divides.

Suchi’s vision has always been clear: to harness the power of data and machine learning to save lives and revolutionise patient care. As the founder of Bayesian Health and a professor at Johns Hopkins, she has developed groundbreaking AI systems that detect life-threatening conditions like sepsis with unprecedented accuracy, enabling hospitals to intervene earlier and drastically reduce deaths. Her innovations, recognised globally by MIT’s “35 Innovators Under 35,” the World Economic Forum’s “100 Brilliant Minds Under 40,” and TIME’s Best Inventions, are already in use at major health centres such as the Cleveland Clinic and Northwell Health. Beyond technology, Suchi is shaping the future of ethical AI in medicine through her leadership on national advisory boards and coalitions. Her story inspires because it shows how cutting-edge science, combined with determination and care, can rewrite the future of healthcare.

Ayesha Khanna is a globally recognised AI entrepreneur and visionary leader driving the future of technology and smart cities. As the Co-Founder and CEO of Addo AI, she has helped governments and Fortune 500 companies worldwide adopt artificial intelligence to transform healthcare, fintech, urban living, and more. Named one of Southeast Asia’s groundbreaking female entrepreneurs by Forbes, Ayesha combines deep academic expertise with hands-on impact, advising major projects like NEOM smart city and steering tech strategies for global giants, including Pfizer and Smart Dubai. Beyond business, she champions women in tech through initiatives like 21st Century Girls, empowering girls through coding and AI education, embodying the blend of innovation and inclusion that defines her career.

When remote work first went mainstream, it felt like freedom. Roll out of bed, open your laptop, and suddenly your bedroom desk becomes both HQ and cafeteria. Gen-Z embraced it as the obvious antidote to corporate monotony. But three years in, the very same generation that cheered for Zoom life is starting to crave the one thing Slack can’t offer: real community. Here’s the thing that Gen-Z is the loneliest generation on record. Studies show nearly 75% of them report feeling isolated, and endless team calls don’t fix it. For a demographic raised on online everything, ironically, they’re the ones now demanding offline spaces. A tweet summed it “I’m not going back to the office unless it feels like a Soho House with a payroll.” (Honestly, it's understandable why this generation is hated by employers.) 

Clocking seven hours of screentime wasn’t enough, this generation tapped into these patterns and found a way to monetise it. Generation Lab launched Verb.Ai and up the doomscrolling game for Gen-Z, all in the name of market research. While we were busy calling out data exploitation, Verb.Ai started cutting $50+ monthly checks just for letting a tracker create a “digital twin” that answers whatever wild questions political campaigns or VCs dream up, all based on actual online habits and streaming choices.

Gen-Z is the master of “treat yourself” economy- even when the bank account is screaming ‘broke’. Rather than waiting for burnout, they weave little treats and moments of joy into their daily lives, contrasting it with millennials’ ‘push through at any cost’ mindset. Although this may be a quick fix for instant gratification, it feeds major consumerism.’ This shift sustains demand for small, accessible luxuries and shapes product development, as brands target Gen-Z with experiences, convenience, and low-barrier “rewards,” making the small treat economy a surprisingly big business. 

Phia, the AI-powered shopping app founded by Phoebe Gates and Sophia Kianni, raised $8 million in seed funding led by Kleiner Perkins, with support from notable investors like Hailey Bieber and Kris Jenner. The app simplifies price comparison across new and used items, helping consumers find the best deals with AI-driven visual matching, resale value estimates, and price tracking. Since launching in April, Phia has attracted 500,000 users and partnered with brands like Cult Gaia and Revolve.

Hailey Bieber also highlighted the importance of supporting female founders, reinforcing the role of women-led startups in transforming tech and consumer markets. Phia will use the funding to expand its engineering and AI teams, aiming to launch a personalised AI shopping agent that recommends products based on individual preferences and budgets.

The AI price tracking and comparison market is growing rapidly, projected to reach $7.3 billion by 2034 at a CAGR of 12.8%, driven by AI adoption in e-commerce and rising consumer demand for optimized pricing. Phia is well-positioned to capitalise on this trend, offering a smarter shopping experience tailored to Gen Z and beyond in an expanding $59.5 billion global price comparison market expected to grow at 7.2% CAGR through 2033.

This investment not only reflects confidence in Phia’s innovative approach but also underscores the broader industry potential where AI and personalised shopping converge for smarter consumer choices.

TechThrive hosted an all-women Hyrox fitness session in Bangalore, designed exclusively for women tech founders to recharge both body and mind. Recognising the unique pressures women face in the fast-paced tech world, this event underscored the critical role that physical fitness plays in supporting wellbeing, resilience, and peak performance. By fostering community through this challenging yet fun fitness race, TechThrive is championing a culture where women leaders prioritise self-care and strength.

That spirit was embodied by the incredible women present, including Angela Malik-Agarwal CA MBA, Sowmya Thyagarajan, Mriganka Lulla, Namita Batni, Mehak Malik, Simran Saluja, and Sheena Jones.

Join our WhatsApp Community to meet like-minded women, driven by ambition and shaping the ventures that make a difference!

And..That’s a wrap from our end for this week’s newsletter, Got feedback or just want to connect, I’d love to hear.

For any Partnerships with TechThrive, connect here.