Anuj Sahai steps down as Chief Product Officer at Peak XV amid continued leadership churn

Peak XV Partners' (formerly Sequoia Capital India & SEA) Chief Product Officer, Anuj Sahai, has stepped down after a two-year stint at the firm, adding to the string of top and mid-level exits at India's largest VC firm.

“After an eventful run as Chief Product Officer at Peak XV, I’m turning the page and looking forward to the next adventure,” he wrote. “The role gave me a front-row seat to the startup ecosystem—partnering with founders and ideas that are shaping markets—and hands-on experience with AI technologies.”

Sahai joined Sequoia Capital India & SEA in April 2023 and transitioned into the same role at Peak XV after it broke ties with its US partner Sequoia Capital. His exit marks the latest in a string of high-profile departures from the firm since the restructuring, which has been accompanied by shifts in investment strategy and internal restructuring.

In February, Managing Directors Abheek Anand and Shailesh Lakhani announced they were leaving the firm. Lakhani, who spent over 17 years at Peak XV, sits on the boards of key portfolio companies including Zetwerk, Ixigo, and HealthKart. Anand led investments in companies such as Slice, Blinkit (formerly Grofers), and Cuemath.

While Lakhani indicated his departure was a personal decision to pursue new challenges and spend more time with family, the exits come at a time when Peak XV is making internal changes. The firm has reportedly cut its fund size, reduced carried interest from 30% to 20%, and adopted a more cautious stance on growth-stage investing.

The leadership churn continued into May, when Vice President of the Growth team, Suraj Agarwalla, and Vedant Trivedi, who was part of Peak XV’s Surge team, exited the firm. Agarwalla, known for his involvement in growth-stage deals, while Trivedi focused on seed-stage investments and moved on to join an artificial intelligence (AI) portfolio company.

More recently, in July, Anirudh Bose Mullick, previously Director for Human Capital at Peak XV Partners, exited the firm to launch a new venture. His move echoed a broader trend of senior investors choosing to pursue entrepreneurial paths following long stints at institutional funds.

Sahai’s departure adds to the shifting leadership landscape at one of India’s most influential VC firms. While he has not disclosed his next move, he indicated openness to collaborating on new projects and AI-led startups.

(The story was updated to reflect accurate designations.)