Khushbu Topandasani

Khushbu Topandasani is an Associate Director on the investment team at Vertex Ventures SE Asia & India, one of Southeast Asia's oldest and largest venture capital firms (part of the Temasek-backed Vertex Holdings network, known for early bets on Grab, Nium, and FirstCry). She joined Vertex in 2020 and was promoted to Associate Director in January 2023, focusing on sourcing and executing early-stage investments across Southeast Asia. She spends significant time on the ground in Indonesia, where much of her deal activity is concentrated.

Before venture capital, Khushbu spent several years at Citibank, where she completed the bank's competitive Management Associate Program and rotated through Corporate Banking, Insurance, Wealth Management, and Cards & Loans before becoming a Product Manager. In that product role she reportedly managed a portfolio of roughly 30,000 customers accounting for approximately US$200 million in annual spending. Earlier in her career she interned at Ernst & Young Singapore and at Starwood Hotels & Resorts Singapore (now part of Marriott International).

She holds a Bachelor's Degree in Accountancy from Singapore Management University, with student-exchange stints at the University of British Columbia and the National University of Singapore. In 2023 she completed an Executive Leadership Development Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business.

Beyond deal-making, Khushbu is an active voice in the regional startup ecosystem. She co-authored a two-part Business Times "Due Diligence" column on carbon-market investing, publishes on Medium and LinkedIn on topics such as female founders and Southeast Asian consumer trends, and has mentored founders through programs like She Loves Tech Indonesia.

• Early-stage, Southeast Asia-first: Invests at seed and Series A into companies building for the region's growing digital economy, largely sector-agnostic but with a consumer and Indonesia tilt.
• Climate / carbon tech interest: Co-authored "Carbon Markets — Nascent and Faced with Growing Pains, Why Should VCs Care?" and a Business Times column identifying opportunities across the "carbon tech stack" — project-development tooling, MRV (measurement, reporting & verification) using sensors/satellite imagery, carbon accounting, consumer climate apps, and registries/trading platforms. In her words: *"Carbon offsetting is therefore an essential piece of the puzzle in attaining our goal of achieving net zero."*
• Consumer & creator economy: Portfolio work spans e-grocery, parenting/commerce platforms, and creator-monetization models, plus published analysis of Southeast Asia's "snacking surge" and consumer behavior.
• Value-add posture: Vertex positions itself as a hands-on partner beyond capital — helping with introductions, key hires, go-to-market, and follow-on fundraising.
• Backs female founders: Publicly advocates for and highlights female founders in her network and writing.