Ritesh Malik is a physician-turned-entrepreneur who has spent the last decade building companies, backing founders and shaping institutions at the intersection of India's economic transformation.
Trained as a physician, Malik began his professional journey in medicine before transitioning into entrepreneurship. In 2015, he founded Innov8 Coworking, a Y Combinator-backed startup (Summer 2016) that reimagined flexible workspaces in India at a time when the sector was still nascent. Under his leadership, Innov8 scaled rapidly to more than 60 locations across the country, becoming one of India's most prominent co-working platforms. The company was later acquired by SoftBank-backed OYO, marking one of the notable exits in India's startup ecosystem.
Following his exit, Malik shifted his focus toward long-term capital allocation and institution building. He leads his family office, The Mangrove Holdings, which oversees a diversified portfolio across public equities, early- and growth-stage startups, strategic operating businesses and real estate. The family office has backed over 125 startups across sectors including mobility, aerospace, deep tech, consumer brands, health tech, cybersecurity and media.
Select portfolio companies include Ather Energy, Agnikul Cosmos, Blue Tokai, Asimov Robotics, Inito, Josh Talks, Safe Security, STAGE, The Viral Fever and Nothing, among others. Through The Mangrove Holdings, Malik positions himself as an operator-backed capital partner bringing strategic insight, governance depth and long-term alignment to founders and management teams.
In parallel with his investment activities, Malik continues to operate wholly owned businesses in sectors close to his professional roots. He runs Radix Healthcare, a healthcare platform in New Delhi, and Anardana Hospitality, a hospitality venture focused on contemporary Indian dining. These operating businesses reflect his belief in combining capital allocation with hands-on entrepreneurial stewardship.
Beyond commerce, Malik has consistently invested time and capital into building institutions that outlast individuals. He is a co-founder and trustee of Plaksha University, a 50-acre technology university in Mohali, Punjab, established with the vision of reimagining engineering education in India through interdisciplinary learning, research orientation and global collaboration. His role extends beyond financial support to strategic guidance in governance, ecosystem building and mentoring early-stage startups through the Plaksha Incubation Centre.
He also serves on the Advisory Board of the Kuo Sharper Center for Prosperity and Entrepreneurship at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), contributing to conversations around entrepreneurship, capital formation and innovation-driven economic development. Additionally, he sits on the board of Netaji Subhas University of Technology in New Delhi, supporting public higher education and technology-led advancement.
Malik is deeply engaged in public policy and digital ecosystem advocacy. He is the Founder, Director and Executive Council Member of the Alliance of Digital India Foundation (ADIF), a not-for-profit organisation representing India's digital startups in regulatory and policy matters. Through ADIF, he works toward shaping frameworks that foster innovation while ensuring responsible digital growth.
In the philanthropic sphere, he co-founded Accelerate India Philanthropy (AIP), an initiative aimed at encouraging structured and strategic giving among Indian family offices. His philanthropic interests span education reform, cybersecurity awareness, startup policy and accessible healthcare — areas he views as foundational to India's long-term competitiveness and social equity.
Across his diverse roles as founder, capital allocator, operator, board member and philanthropist, Malik's work is unified by a long-term orientation toward building durable institutions, enabling entrepreneurship and advancing inclusive growth. His career reflects a deliberate shift from building companies to building ecosystems — combining capital, governance and conviction to support the next generation of innovators.
Malik is based in New Delhi. He is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (Class of 2022)