Arjun’s [Extended] Elevator Pitch
If you asked 18-year old Arjun Hegde, in the midst of the COVID pandemic who was about to start as a Computer Science major at The University of Texas at Austin, what his career prospects were, his answer would have been simple: Software Engineer. What was not to like about the work life, compensation, and more?
If you asked 21-year old Arjun Hegde, post-interning at Autonodyne and Oracle as well as being a member of business organizations at UT, his answer wouldn’t be that simple: Software Engineer but maybe Technical Product Management. There might be more opportunities when building new technologies than simply writing code at a desk.
At 23 years old, after completing my Bachelors from UT Austin and my MEng from Cornell University, I am returning to Austin, Texas to work in venture capital at Moneta Ventures (an early stage West Coast and Texas based VC firm). September 2nd, 2025 marks my first day as an Analyst in this new exciting space. Here’s how I got here:
I grew up obsessed with technology. My Christmas lists rarely had toys but rather new devices that fascinated me. I was also the chief technician at my home, helping my parents or my brother with troubleshooting their tech issues. Naturally, it seemed fitting that I would go on to study a technical subject. As a computer science major at The University of Texas at Austin, I gained an incredible foundation and was quickly prepared for software engineering internships. My start came at a local drone startup known as Autonodyne, where I began to learn how software is built. Itching to learn even more about the software industry, I moved on to a larger company, Oracle Corporation. Here I was exposed to how software scales through Agile processes, but I also realized how much more it took than proficient programming. To continue my exposure, I requested to intern as a Technical Product Manager the following summer. I enjoyed the mesh of soft and technical skills, working as the glue between client, management, design, and developer teams.
With the onset of the AI wave in 2024, I decided to take a step back from my career and spend some extra time on my education to be prepared for the future. I enrolled at Cornell Tech, which is Cornell University’s NYC AI graduate program. My time here exposed me to real world product developing, engineering, and venture education. As part of that, I had the opportunity to intern as a Venture Analyst at Decibel Partners.
The style of work in venture capital being very independently-driven while still intensely collaborative ended up quickly becoming my cup of tea. I realized my true passion was storytelling, and through the venture deal flow you learn that every startup is a story waiting to be told, it just needs the right support. This career was not originally on my radar but my hope is that as I start this new journey, my background in technology coupled with my social personality should pair well in the Austin startup ecosystem and make me a stronger venture capitalist who can identify the right opportunities for our thesis. Whether you have questions about my background, would like to connect with Moneta Ventures, or just want to chat please feel free to email me at arjun@moneta.vc