About the founder
Rakesh Kapoor (ex-CEO, Reckitt Benckiser)
Rakesh has more than four decades of experience of which 8 years were as the global CEO at Reckitt Benckiser, a $17b revenue global leader in consumer health and hygiene, with brands such as Dettol, Lysol, Harpic, Nurofen, Durex, Finish, Vanish and Strepsils.
Under his leadership, RB transformed from a household cleaning business to a world leader in consumer health and hygiene. When he took over in 2011, the company had 20% of its business in consumer health, a figure that grew to over 60% in just 8 years. The Total shareholder returns compounded over 8 years at >12% p.a which was top quartile in the industry.
Team 12 Flags
All in, Always!
Capital is just the start — we’re long-term partners relentless in unlocking the extraordinary potential of every start-up we back.
Rajat Agarwal
Partner & Managing Director
Rajat brings over a decade of experience in financial services and investing. Before joining 12 Flags, he looked at tech investments at Google through $10B India Digitization Fund and was part of the late-stage investing team at GIC. Rajat has also held roles in M&A and IBD teams at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He is an electrical engineer from IIT Delhi and completed his MBA from IIM Calcutta.
Outside of work, Rajat tackles puzzles, writes questionable poetry, bluffs his way through poker, and plays sports — apparently, spreadsheets aren’t enough of a workout. He is an avid quizzer and relishes being a quizmaster (after all, asking the right question is more valuable – plus it makes him look sharp at house-parties). Oh, and he’s also an active member of Mensa International, perhaps being a smart person in the room is a full-time job.
Akshit Khanijo
Senior Associate
Akshit brings over 6 years of experience in finance and investing domain. Prior to joining 12 Flags, Akshit worked as an investment professional at Omidyar Network. Prior to that, he also had stints with Alta Capital, JP Morgan, Blackstone and DE Shaw. Akshit is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and SRCC.
Akshit is a cricket fanatic who is an ardent believer of Test cricket— because just like investing, it’s all about patience, strategy, and long-term commitment. As per him, short formats are just a ‘fast-food version’ of the game and not the ‘5-course meal’. He also enjoys watching nature documentaries, probably wondering if animal kingdom is more productive than startups and investing ecosystem.
Rishabh Dodeja
Investment Analyst
Rishabh brings analytical prowess with his experience across tech and finance. Prior to joining 12 Flags, Rishabh has worked with Signal Capital, a hedge fund based in London where he was instrumental in building their quantitative investment strategies. Rishabh is a graduate from IIT Bombay and is a CFA Level 3 candidate.
When Rishabh isn’t crunching numbers, he’s knocking sixes out of the park, applying his mechanical engineering skills to perfect his cricket swing, or smashing shuttlecocks in badminton with the highest precision. He also spends his time traveling the world, to get inspired for the next big idea (or perhaps just for the next wild adventure).
Rishika Madan
Investment Analyst
Rishika brings valuable experience from her prior stints in the investment teams at VenturEast and Chiratae Ventures. Her work spanned across climate-tech, healthcare, and consumer sectors where she built thesis on various sub-sectors and identified interesting businesses & founders in the space. Rishika holds a master’s degree in Statistics from National University of Singapore and a bachelor’s in economics from University of Mumbai.
Rishika is all about community building (after all, a good portfolio needs a solid foundation), traveling the world (looking for “growth” opportunities in every country), and loving animals (for she believes in fostering long-term relationships, whether with people or pets).
Dhara Bhasin
Program Associate
Dhara brings an entrepreneurial streak, having experienced life on the other side of the table. Before joining 12 Flags, she founded her own startup, Baylink, in the retail-tech space, where she handled everything from fundraising and legal compliance to in-house operations, leading the company through two successful fundraisers. She graduated from Manipal University and brings with her a builder’s mindset and boundless energy.
Dhara's enthusiasm carries through every conversation. She loves connecting with people over exploratory conversations. She spends weekends discovering new spots around town and is rarely one to turn down a good old cup of joe. (Pro tip: if you need café recommendations, she’s the one to ask.). When not café-hopping, she’s probably planning her next trip or getting lost in a book.
Shraddha Sharma
Program Associate
Shraddha brings unique and valuable skills from her diverse set of experiences including writing and growth marketing at The Arc and Namma Yatri, where she explored the art of storytelling, strategy, and the occasional growth experiments (not all of which went as planned). She is a graduate of Gargi College, Delhi University, and brings a sense of curiosity and creative energy to everything she takes on.
Outside of work, Shraddha loves putting her creative muscle to the test, whether dabbling in amateur Substack writing or finding new ways to win on a tennis court. At one point, she even considered getting a tennis-inspired tattoo, before good sense prevailed. She also prides herself on her “elite” taste in movies and encyclopedic pop-culture references (that she slips into conversations whether you asked for them or not).
Neha Garg
Finance Lead
Neha brings over a decade of expertise in taxation, accounting, and audit. Before joining 12 Flags, she wore many hats as a virtual CFO for several early-stage startups. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Neha also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Investment Banking from IIM Indore, along with certifications in International Taxation and Information System Audit from ICAI.
Neha enjoys experimenting with healthy recipes, carefully balancing ingredients like she balances balance sheets. She stays active through yoga and dance, proving that flexibility isn’t just for accounting adjustments. In her free moments, Neha also enjoys Indian mythology, secretly rooting for the accountants and treasurers in ancient royal courts.
Team 12 Flags
All in, Always!
Capital is just the start — we’re long-term partners relentless in unlocking the extraordinary potential of every start-up we back.
Rajat Agarwal
Partner & Managing Director
Rajat brings over a decade of experience in financial services and investing. Before joining 12 Flags, he looked at tech investments at Google through $10B India Digitization Fund and was part of the late-stage investing team at GIC. Rajat has also held roles in M&A and IBD teams at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He is an electrical engineer from IIT Delhi and completed his MBA from IIM Calcutta.
Outside of work, Rajat tackles puzzles, writes questionable poetry, bluffs his way through poker, and plays sports — apparently, spreadsheets aren’t enough of a workout. He is an avid quizzer and relishes being a quizmaster (after all, asking the right question is more valuable – plus it makes him look sharp at house-parties). Oh, and he’s also an active member of Mensa International, perhaps being a smart person in the room is a full-time job.
Akshit Khanijo
Senior Associate
Akshit brings over 6 years of experience in finance and investing domain. Prior to joining 12 Flags, Akshit worked as an investment professional at Omidyar Network. Prior to that, he also had stints with Alta Capital, JP Morgan, Blackstone and DE Shaw. Akshit is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and SRCC.
Akshit is a cricket fanatic who is an ardent believer of Test cricket— because just like investing, it’s all about patience, strategy, and long-term commitment. As per him, short formats are just a ‘fast-food version’ of the game and not the ‘5-course meal’. He also enjoys watching nature documentaries, probably wondering if animal kingdom is more productive than startups and investing ecosystem.
Rishabh Dodeja
Investment Analyst
Rishabh brings analytical prowess with his experience across tech and finance. Prior to joining 12 Flags, Rishabh has worked with Signal Capital, a hedge fund based in London where he was instrumental in building their quantitative investment strategies. Rishabh is a graduate from IIT Bombay and is a CFA Level 3 candidate.
When Rishabh isn’t crunching numbers, he’s knocking sixes out of the park, applying his mechanical engineering skills to perfect his cricket swing, or smashing shuttlecocks in badminton with the highest precision. He also spends his time traveling the world, to get inspired for the next big idea (or perhaps just for the next wild adventure).
Rishika Madan
Investment Analyst
Rishika brings valuable experience from her prior stints in the investment teams at VenturEast and Chiratae Ventures. Her work spanned across climate-tech, healthcare, and consumer sectors where she built thesis on various sub-sectors and identified interesting businesses & founders in the space. Rishika holds a master’s degree in Statistics from National University of Singapore and a bachelor’s in economics from University of Mumbai.
Rishika is all about community building (after all, a good portfolio needs a solid foundation), traveling the world (looking for “growth” opportunities in every country), and loving animals (for she believes in fostering long-term relationships, whether with people or pets).
Dhara Bhasin
Program Associate
Dhara brings an entrepreneurial streak, having experienced life on the other side of the table. Before joining 12 Flags, she founded her own startup, Baylink, in the retail-tech space, where she handled everything from fundraising and legal compliance to in-house operations, leading the company through two successful fundraisers. She graduated from Manipal University and brings with her a builder’s mindset and boundless energy.
Dhara's enthusiasm carries through every conversation. She loves connecting with people over exploratory conversations. She spends weekends discovering new spots around town and is rarely one to turn down a good old cup of joe. (Pro tip: if you need café recommendations, she’s the one to ask.). When not café-hopping, she’s probably planning her next trip or getting lost in a book.
Shraddha Sharma
Program Associate
Shraddha brings unique and valuable skills from her diverse set of experiences including writing and growth marketing at The Arc and Namma Yatri, where she explored the art of storytelling, strategy, and the occasional growth experiments (not all of which went as planned). She is a graduate of Gargi College, Delhi University, and brings a sense of curiosity and creative energy to everything she takes on.
Outside of work, Shraddha loves putting her creative muscle to the test, whether dabbling in amateur Substack writing or finding new ways to win on a tennis court. At one point, she even considered getting a tennis-inspired tattoo, before good sense prevailed. She also prides herself on her “elite” taste in movies and encyclopedic pop-culture references (that she slips into conversations whether you asked for them or not).
Neha Garg
Finance Lead
Neha brings over a decade of expertise in taxation, accounting, and audit. Before joining 12 Flags, she wore many hats as a virtual CFO for several early-stage startups. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Neha also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Investment Banking from IIM Indore, along with certifications in International Taxation and Information System Audit from ICAI.
Neha enjoys experimenting with healthy recipes, carefully balancing ingredients like she balances balance sheets. She stays active through yoga and dance, proving that flexibility isn’t just for accounting adjustments. In her free moments, Neha also enjoys Indian mythology, secretly rooting for the accountants and treasurers in ancient royal courts.
Team 12 Flags
All in, Always!
Capital is just the start — we’re long-term partners relentless in unlocking the extraordinary potential of every start-up we back.
Rajat Agarwal
Partner & Managing Director
Rajat brings over a decade of experience in financial services and investing. Before joining 12 Flags, he looked at tech investments at Google through $10B India Digitization Fund and was part of the late-stage investing team at GIC. Rajat has also held roles in M&A and IBD teams at JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He is an electrical engineer from IIT Delhi and completed his MBA from IIM Calcutta.
Outside of work, Rajat tackles puzzles, writes questionable poetry, bluffs his way through poker, and plays sports — apparently, spreadsheets aren’t enough of a workout. He is an avid quizzer and relishes being a quizmaster (after all, asking the right question is more valuable – plus it makes him look sharp at house-parties). Oh, and he’s also an active member of Mensa International, perhaps being a smart person in the room is a full-time job.
Akshit Khanijo
Senior Associate
Akshit brings over 6 years of experience in finance and investing domain. Prior to joining 12 Flags, Akshit worked as an investment professional at Omidyar Network. Prior to that, he also had stints with Alta Capital, JP Morgan, Blackstone and DE Shaw. Akshit is an alumnus of IIM Bangalore and SRCC.
Akshit is a cricket fanatic who is an ardent believer of Test cricket— because just like investing, it’s all about patience, strategy, and long-term commitment. As per him, short formats are just a ‘fast-food version’ of the game and not the ‘5-course meal’. He also enjoys watching nature documentaries, probably wondering if animal kingdom is more productive than startups and investing ecosystem.
Rishabh Dodeja
Investment Analyst
Rishabh brings analytical prowess with his experience across tech and finance. Prior to joining 12 Flags, Rishabh has worked with Signal Capital, a hedge fund based in London where he was instrumental in building their quantitative investment strategies. Rishabh is a graduate from IIT Bombay and is a CFA Level 3 candidate.
When Rishabh isn’t crunching numbers, he’s knocking sixes out of the park, applying his mechanical engineering skills to perfect his cricket swing, or smashing shuttlecocks in badminton with the highest precision. He also spends his time traveling the world, to get inspired for the next big idea (or perhaps just for the next wild adventure).
Rishika Madan
Investment Analyst
Rishika brings valuable experience from her prior stints in the investment teams at VenturEast and Chiratae Ventures. Her work spanned across climate-tech, healthcare, and consumer sectors where she built thesis on various sub-sectors and identified interesting businesses & founders in the space. Rishika holds a master’s degree in Statistics from National University of Singapore and a bachelor’s in economics from University of Mumbai.
Rishika is all about community building (after all, a good portfolio needs a solid foundation), traveling the world (looking for “growth” opportunities in every country), and loving animals (for she believes in fostering long-term relationships, whether with people or pets).
Dhara Bhasin
Program Associate
Dhara brings an entrepreneurial streak, having experienced life on the other side of the table. Before joining 12 Flags, she founded her own startup, Baylink, in the retail-tech space, where she handled everything from fundraising and legal compliance to in-house operations, leading the company through two successful fundraisers. She graduated from Manipal University and brings with her a builder’s mindset and boundless energy.
Dhara's enthusiasm carries through every conversation. She loves connecting with people over exploratory conversations. She spends weekends discovering new spots around town and is rarely one to turn down a good old cup of joe. (Pro tip: if you need café recommendations, she’s the one to ask.). When not café-hopping, she’s probably planning her next trip or getting lost in a book.
Shraddha Sharma
Program Associate
Shraddha brings unique and valuable skills from her diverse set of experiences including writing and growth marketing at The Arc and Namma Yatri, where she explored the art of storytelling, strategy, and the occasional growth experiments (not all of which went as planned). She is a graduate of Gargi College, Delhi University, and brings a sense of curiosity and creative energy to everything she takes on.
Outside of work, Shraddha loves putting her creative muscle to the test, whether dabbling in amateur Substack writing or finding new ways to win on a tennis court. At one point, she even considered getting a tennis-inspired tattoo, before good sense prevailed. She also prides herself on her “elite” taste in movies and encyclopedic pop-culture references (that she slips into conversations whether you asked for them or not).
Neha Garg
Finance Lead
Neha brings over a decade of expertise in taxation, accounting, and audit. Before joining 12 Flags, she wore many hats as a virtual CFO for several early-stage startups. A Chartered Accountant by profession, Neha also holds a Post Graduate Certificate in Investment Banking from IIM Indore, along with certifications in International Taxation and Information System Audit from ICAI.
Neha enjoys experimenting with healthy recipes, carefully balancing ingredients like she balances balance sheets. She stays active through yoga and dance, proving that flexibility isn’t just for accounting adjustments. In her free moments, Neha also enjoys Indian mythology, secretly rooting for the accountants and treasurers in ancient royal courts.
12 FLAGS GROUP
A unique platform to invest patient capital behind the most promising consumer businesses.
12 FLAGS GROUP
A unique platform to invest patient capital behind the most promising consumer businesses.
12 FLAGS GROUP
A unique platform to invest patient capital behind the most promising consumer businesses.