Sousthav Chakrabarty

Established Siply as a Tech-enabled Micro-savings platform of choice for the next 400 Million underserved Indians. In addition, helping people inculcate a habit of saving, using technology, gamification, and a planning-first approach. In 5 years, generated turnover of over 400Cr ($50mn)+ in savings and credit, 7mn+ customers, 12+ locations, and raised $20mn from investors in Equity and Debt.

Specialist in -

• Digitizing an existing brick-and-mortar businesses
• Devising GTM strategy for new products/markets
• User Experience design - Audit and redesign
• Formulation of a Marketing/Sales plan
• Fund raise strategy, planning, conducting outreach, introductions to the right set of investors
• Sounding board for new ideas/financial decisions based on own experience
• Exploring avenues for additional revenue generation through tweaks in products/services and partnerships.

Also operated SprintVC, an Alternative Investment Fund focussing on Angel Investments, scaled the product/platform to 730+ investors, with total commitments of $20mn, and with 54 investments of $5mn till date.

General Partner at Sprint VC (2022-07 – Present)

SprintVC is a SEBI Registered Alternative Investment Fund that offers Angel investment opportunities to qualified Angel Investors. Have scaled the product/platform to 730+ investors, with total commitments of $20mn, and with 54 deployments of $5mn till date.

Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer at Siply (2020-08 – 2026-03)

Establishing SIPLY as the tech-enabled micro-savings platform of choice for the next 400 Million underserved Indians. Siply offers Micro-Savings through Digital Gold, Mutual Funds, Stocks, Chit Funds, and National Pension Scheme. It also offers Micro-Credit options through partner NBFCs for Earned Wage Access, Short Term Personal Loans, and discounting options.

Managed a team of over 75 employees, across Marketing, Sales, Operations, and Technology Development. Also responsible for investor relations and fundraising activities, raised over $20mn from Angel Investors and Institutions. Responsible for liaising and overseeing legal and secretarial teams, audit and accounting teams, internal and external stakeholders, and also ensuring regulatory compliance with various regulations pertaining the various products being offered.

Partnership with various institutions on the supply side, such as Augmont for Digital Gold, various AMCs for Mutual Funds, stock brokers, IBG E-chits for Chit Funds, and HDFC for National Pension Scheme. In addition, partnership with various institutions on the demand side, encompassing both B2B and B2B2C offerings, with institutions such as Grameen Foundation, Amazon, Apna, Awign, Big Haat, Blackbuck, DeHaat, Dunzo, ElasticRun, Happay, Khatabook, Kredily, LetsTransport, Myntra, Ninjacart, Novopay, Pagarbook, PhonePe, Quess, Rapido, Razorpay, Shadowfax, Swiggy, Udaan, Ujjivan, Vyapar, Xoxoday, Zaggle, Zomato, and many others.

Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Capital Quotient (2016-04 – 2020-07)

QDS owns and operates multiple technology-enabled platforms that offer cutting edge solutions to end consumers and financial intermediaries. CapitalQuotient - Personal Finance platform that helps create a financial plan in less than a minute, consolidate across 18 different types of asset classes, instant and unbiased advice, and multi-asset execution that is free of any product bias or agenda. WealthQuotient - Offers the powerful CapitalQuotient engine to financial intermediaries for their and their customers' use with a host of business enhancement tools.

Head - Relationship Banking at HDFC Bank (2013-12 – 2015-12)

• Managing a team of Imperia and Preferred Relationship Managers
• Guiding team of all components of score card – CASA buildup, Income generation, Product sales at individual customer group level, and hygiene parameters such as unique client meetings, unique customers cross sold, contact and profiling of customers at predetermined frequency, and NTB acquisition
• Aligning RMs deliverables to branch targets and areas of focus
• Focusing in branch growth of book size through CASA strategy
• Driving cross sell of Life and General Insurance and Mutual Funds
• Driving quality NTB acquisition
• Regular review of all parameters, providing guidance and hand holding where required, coaching and counselling under-performers and recognizing super achievers
• Complaint handling of customer grievances and provide a single point of contact for resolution of customer complaints
• Compliance to all bank processes and procedures and adherence to periodic audits
• Championing high value life insurance deals for the branch and region
• Lowest attrition in team in the region
• Month on month income achievement for all RMs basis the targeted income
• Handled complex and critical client complaints on the verge of severing relationships and restored patronage
• Drawing on past experience designed a unique Financial Planning approach with Asset Allocation with regular Portfolio Rebalancing strategy. Also designed Staggered and Step Up Investment philosophy – all designed during previous entrepreneurial stint
• High quality New To Bank acquisition of customer from self-sourced HNI members of clubs, associations and trade bodies
• Delivered the largest Whole Sale Asset deal for the branch in current FY with intensive follow-up
• Rated as "Exceeded Expectations" for the FY 2014-15 which is in the top 10% of the organization
• Successfully executed a 105Cr FDI PE Funding for an in-house client through the bank counter through rigorous follow up of over a year

Managing Director at Repairyourinvestments Advisors Private Limited (2007-05 – 2013-08)

• Acquisition and management of HNI clients
• Revenue generation through Online subscriptions and Managed Portfolio Services
• Spearhead research team in Managed Portfolio Services
• Appointing Introducers, and sub-brokers as distributors
• Managing cash flows on a monthly basis
• Recruitment of sales team and client service team
• Engaging in discussions with various broking houses, AMCs and Insurance companies for corporate level tie-ups and value added services
• Appointment of empanelled members such as lawyers and chartered accountants to increase client service offering
• Managing performance and goals of sales and service staff, motivating them as required and ensuring their survival during challenging times
• Managed to go live on four out of six proposed services within one year of incorporation
• Online client base expanded to over 2000 clients
• Managed Portfolio Services expanded from only Equity in 2009 to include Commodities launched in 2010, Currencies launched in 2011 and Real Estate Advisory in 2012
• Managed Portfolio Services acquired 320 clients as on date with an asset base of over 45 Cr

Investment Counselor at Citibank India (2005-05 – 2007-03)

• Managing existing base of HNI clients
• Revenue generation through Equity/Insurance/RIS/Forex
• Acquiring new HNI clients through referrals
• Corporate tie ups for portfolio management services – including institutional tie ups for management of large corpuses both domestically and remittances – forwards and hedges

Area Sales Manager at Citibank India (2005-06 – 2006-07)

• Manage relationships with corporate clients for all Category A corporates (220 relationships)
• Manage lines of credit, various facilities towards the corporates, due diligence on various upcoming requirements and recommendation to corporate banking team, and checking adherence to policies
• Manage teams for cross sell of Credit cards, Personal Loans, Home Loans, Ready Credit, DMAT Accounts, and NR Accounts
• Service query resolution within turn around time as per SLAs
• Ensure ATM Maintenance for captive ATMs
• "Shooting Star" Award for outstanding contribution as the best performer of the Suvidha business among the Bangalore Team for Q3 of 2005-2006
• "Certificate of Appreciation" for outstanding contribution during January – July 2006 towards business growth
• "Certificate of Appreciation" for outstanding contribution towards Key Initiative in Balance Build-up in June 2006
• "Certificate of Recognition" for individual contribution towards Balance Sheet Build-up during the Bangalore Blitz business growth program (July-August 2006)
• "Certificate of Recognition" for individual contribution towards Savings Accounts Applications during the Bangalore Blitz business growth program (July 2006)
• "Certificate of Recognition" for individual contribution towards Cross-sell Revenue during the Bangalore Blitz business growth program (July 2006)
• Was key member of the Implementation team of the Annual Risk and Review for Business Compliance undertaken by Citibank US.

Sales Manager at MetLife (2004-05 – 2005-05)

• Set up new avenues of business development and recruiting a team of Financial Advisors both part-time and full-time
• Ensure adherence of sales process, back office operations and underwriting
• After sales support and customer service
• Organize activities for promoting brand and also as business enhancers

Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Marketing, Finance – New Hampshire College (2004-01 – 2004-12)

Post Graduate Diploma in Management in Marketing, Finance – ITM Group of Institutions (2002-01 – 2004-12)

B.Com (First Class Honours) in Accounting and Management – St. Xavier's College (1999-01 – 2002-12)

I. S. C. E. in Sciences – La Martiniere for Boys, Kolkata (1997-01 – 1999-12)

I. C. S. E. in Sciences – St. Xavier's Collegiate School - India (1987-01 – 1997-12)