Kesar Varma

Kesar is a partner at Upfront and joined the investment team in 2021. Prior to Upfront, Kesar was a Product and Engagement Lead at LA-based healthcare startup Akido Labs, where he was responsible for the development of Akido’s patient engagement and clinic management platform, which improved access to primary care, maternal care, cancer services, and labs. He also led Akido’s efforts to support COVID-19 vaccine and testing distribution for underserved populations.

Kesar also brings venture experience to Upfront, having served as a Venture Fellow at Virtue VC, and as a Venture Partner at Necessary Ventures and at Mentors Fund, where he supported partners on investments in healthtech and edtech. He graduated from Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelors in Medical Anthropology and Healthcare Management.