What do you do when you spot a gap, not just in a market, but in how young people are seen by that market? If you’re Shanil Shah, you build something that connects the dots: between early-stage startups and big-money investors, between overlooked founders and real funding, between the classroom and the boardroom.
In this exclusive interview with Inside Success CEO David Sonowo, Shanil breaks down how he went from founding a student society at Warwick to launching Kaiku, a global data insights platform trusted by venture capitalists, corporations, and even governments.
David: So, quick intro, we’re Inside Success CIC. We’ve got a publication in Nigeria, Ghana, and the UK. What we do is we teach young people what it really takes to start a business or become a VC themselves.
I’d love to hear more about you, how you got started, and how you built things up. You seem really young, probably the youngest VC I’ve spoken to so far!
Shanil: Well, I’m turning 30 in January, so I’m hitting a slightly different stage now. But yeah, we started really young, straight out of uni. Launched the business then, and it’s just been evolving ever since.
David: Okay. Cool. So quickly, hi. My name is David. Can you tell us a bit about yourself? Who are you? What’s your name? What do you do?
Shanil: Yes, great. I’m Shanil, cofounder of a business called Kaiku. I studied Hispanic Studies with Economics at Warwick about seven or eight years ago, and that’s where I met my cofounder.
Kaiku provides data insights to investors, mainly in venture capital, but also big corporations and governments. We’ve built a global database of early-stage companies, and we help investors use that data to find new prospects.
David: Amazing. What got you into that? And how did you develop that data-driven approach? Was there something specific that sparked the idea?
Shanil: Absolutely. At Warwick, there were tons of societies: finance, law, politics, economics, but nothing that brought them all together for students with overlapping interests. So we started one: Warwick Congress. It combined those disciplines and brought in companies to run mock assessment centers for students heading into the industry.
We built a team of 50 to 60 people and, within a year, grew to around 70. The conference was a success. And from there, we thought, why not take it further?
Since we had this network of big companies and talented students, we started matchmaking. Warwick also had an incubator, so we began connecting early-stage student founders with the companies we’d brought in. It grew organically into helping young entrepreneurs take those first steps, getting their ideas off the ground and connecting with real industry experts.
David: How would you describe yourself in three words?
Shanil: Great question. I’d say I’m very calm, that’s helped a lot in high-pressure moments. I’m also quite creative, which makes it easier to adapt and think outside the box when needed.
And I’m definitely driven. That hunger and passion are key. When things get tough, the motivation has to come from within, because it won’t always come from the outside.
David: That’s amazing. What’s been your most successful match-up to date?
Shanil: That’s a good one. We used to have a model where, if we made a successful match and an investor backed a startup, we’d take a small commission. It was a great way to measure our success and reinvest in our growth.
One standout example was a biotech startup working on sleep tech; tracking and improving sleep quality. We matched them with one of our closest investor networks from university. They made a significant investment, and since then, the company has scaled through multiple funding rounds. They now employ over 100 people, all from that one match.
David: What’s the company worth now at the moment?
Shanil: I couldn’t tell you their exact valuation, but their funding journey says a lot. They started with a few hundred thousand pounds and eventually raised £10 to £20 million in later rounds.
David: What’s been your biggest lesson that you’ve learned so far?
Shanil: Biggest lesson? Mistakes matter. They’re lessons in themselves. Honestly, you learn more from a mistake than from a person or even from your wins. Every misstep teaches you something as you move forward.
David: I totally agree.
Shanil: So one of the things we did, a few years in, we tried expanding into multiple markets, beyond the UK into Europe, Asia, the US, even South America. That turned out to be a bit of a mistake.
It did leave us with a global network we can tap into now, which is a plus. But we also wasted a lot of time and money, flying to the Middle East or exploring markets that just didn’t pan out.
It taught us to be more selective. Not every opportunity is worth chasing, and doing proper research before diving in is key.
David: Amazing. If you were to give advice to a young person trying to pitch their business to a VC, what would you say? And how would you guide them to get in the right rooms and position themselves properly?
Shanil: Mhmm. I’d say the first step is research. Validate your idea, make sure there’s actually space for it in the market, and that you’re not just duplicating what’s already out there.
Then, build a team! It’s really tough doing this alone. Every founder I’ve seen thrive had either a solid team or mentors to lean on. Surrounding yourself with the right people makes a huge difference.
David: You mentioned having a strong team around you. From your experience, how important is that for success? We often hear stories about solo CEOs like Richard Branson, but is that the full picture?
Shanil: Having a team really helps with handling volume, the sheer number of tasks, and spreading the pressure. Like we discussed earlier, mistakes teach you a lot. With a team, you’ll make more mistakes, sure, but you also multiply the lessons.
Resilience and passion are hard to maintain alone. With a team, you can share responsibilities and lean on each other when things get tough.
It’s also key to build a team with people who aren’t just like you. My cofounder and I are very different; he’s eccentric, driven, and outward-facing. I’m more reflective and people-focused. But that balance works. Different characters bring different strengths, and when you understand that, you grow together.
David: Brilliant. Managing a team is huge. What skills do you think are essential for that? I mean, you mentioned leading a team of 70, and that sounds wild. How have you been able to handle that, and what advice would you give to others managing something that big?
Shanil: Leadership is key, but I don’t think it’s something you’re just taught from day one. You learn it as you go. For me, the people side is everything. Taking time to understand your team; their strengths, their gaps, and where they need support is crucial. If you can build strong communication early on, you create a feedback loop where everyone’s learning and improving together.
When you’re leading a project or business, you need to stay connected to your team. That means clear communication, honest feedback, shared goals, and building a culture where everyone feels supported. If your team buys into your vision and trusts your leadership, you don’t need to micromanage. You grow together. That mutual understanding is so important to establish early.
David: Amazing. So, how important is diversity in the businesses you invest in? And how have you managed to navigate that space?
Shanil: We’ve been lucky, right from university, we’ve always been surrounded by diverse teams, across gender, nationality, and background. It’s been our bread and blood from the start.
But it’s something you have to actively maintain. Some industries are still heavily male-dominated or regionally skewed, and systems aren’t always built to be inclusive. So we’ve had to be intentional, especially when working in regions like Asia, where diversity isn’t as prioritized. It’s not something that fixes itself, so you have to keep pushing for it, using whatever influence and resources you’ve got.
David: So, what industries are you currently focused on? I know you mentioned doing a bit of everything at first, but how did that narrow down?
Shanil: Yeah, in the beginning, we took on almost anything, just to generate revenue and get things going. But we quickly realised that diving into industries we weren’t familiar with only created more work.
We’ve done everything from fintech, like working with Mastercard, to deep tech and biotech, even nanotech. But eventually, we had to draw a line and focus on sectors where we had real expertise.
In VC, some investors specialize, like in science or aerospace, while others stay broad but bring in specialists. We learned to strike a balance. You can’t master everything, but with all the online resources now, you can self-educate enough to stay sharp.
David: You seem really passionate, so I’m curious, what industries actually excite you the most? You mentioned biotech earlier, but what’s your go-to space?
Shanil: What I love about my job is getting to see all kinds of industries, especially those frontier technologies that show us what the future might look like. But if I had to pick, I’m most drawn to impact tech.
That includes green technologies, carbon capture, and anything that focuses on sustainability and improving life on this planet. I’m more excited by solutions that help people and the planet than, say, robotics or AI for convenience. For me, it’s about long-term impact, helping the earth and human life thrive, not just making things faster or flashier.
David: When do you see your organization in the next five years?
Shanil: In the last two years, we’ve expanded from the UK to Europe and now Asia, setting up in Hong Kong and working with clients in Korea, Singapore, and Japan.
In five years, I’d love to have country managers leading operations in each region, while we focus on strategy, market visits, and key client relationships.
We also want to evolve our tech. It’s currently a global company database, but imagine integrations with platforms like Mastercard or expanding our work with Hitachi across more divisions.
So it’s really about growth, and deepening our footprint where we’ve already landed.
David: I keep hearing a lot about Africa as an emerging market. What have you heard about that space, and has your organization looked into it?
Shanil: Definitely. My parents are from East Africa, my mom from Kampala, Uganda, and my dad from Nairobi, Kenya. Growing up, their opportunities weren’t as strong compared to here, but things have improved over the last 20 years.
Africa has huge potential, especially in tech. There’s so much innovation, but not enough early-stage support, funding, or expert guidance. The talent is incredible, but it’s not fully backed. We need stronger bridges between Africa and more developed markets. I’ve noticed more people from East Africa moving into places like Southern Europe, Lisbon especially is becoming a hub for tech entrepreneurs. That’s promising, but I’d love to see more investment directly into Africa so people don’t always have to leave to thrive.
David: What advice would you give to a young entrepreneur trying to figure things out, maybe looking to follow in your footsteps?
Shanil: First, find your passion. Try different things, because what you like will evolve as you grow. Once you find what excites you, be bold about it. Wake up every day ready to push it forward. And honestly, just be a good person. Be friendly, adaptable, and thoughtful about others. The more people like working with you, the more doors will open. That alone can take you far.
David: Amazing. Thank you so much, this has been an amazing interview.
Shanil: Absolutely. Thank you, David. Those were some really thoughtful questions.
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