Portrait of Anil Mathews, entrepreneur and author

I’m AN

entrepreneur
& author

driven by one idea: technology should expand human potential, not replace it.

Over the past two decades I’ve built companies that prove small, clear-thinking teams can shape global markets. I founded Near Intelligence, scaled it across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America, and led its Nasdaq listing at a valuation near one billion dollars.

Today I lead Alphabyte Ventures, a studio that creates and invests in focused software products that give clarity, speed, and precision to ambitious teams everywhere.

Visit Alphabyte Ventures

From idea to impact

My journey started in the early 2000s, when mobile data was chaos and the term “real-world intelligence” didn’t yet mean anything. What began as an experiment to understand human movement evolved into Near Intelligence, one of the most recognized data companies of its time.

We raised $235 million across equity and debt, backed by Sequoia India, JP Morgan, Cisco, and Telstra. We acquired Teemo (Paris) and UM (California) to strengthen our product and data capabilities, serving customers in more than 40 markets. In 2023, Near Intelligence was listed on Nasdaq — a single bell strike that represented years of building across four continents.

Milestones

Companies founded

Public listing on Nasdaq

Strategic acquisitions

Raised across equity and debt

$235M

Markets served

40+

Years building technology

20+

What I’m
building now

At Alphabyte Ventures, we create and back products built for focus, not noise. We use AI only where it improves decisions or removes friction, not where it merely impresses.

Every venture begins with a question: what would this look like if technology got out of the way? The answer becomes what we build.

Writing
and ideas

I’m the author of The Start Switch, a book about momentum — how to begin, stay focused, and keep going when most people stall. Writing sharpens how I think about teams, execution, and long-term discipline.

Beyond the book, I write essays and reflections on clarity, leadership, and the practical side of building things that last.

Anil Mathews, author of The Start Switch

Principles that
anchor my work

Perfection kills velocity

Start before conditions feel perfect.

Complexity kills focus

Keep teams small and responsibilities clear.

Momentum compounds when it can be seen

Make progress visible.

Technology matters only if people keep using it

Build things that outlast the buzz.