AS VENTURES GO, there is one recorded on May 29, 1953, that still captures the imagination. That was the day Sir Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay made history by becoming the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Since then, that feat has symbolised the triumph of the human will in the face of overwhelming odds. Almost exactly to that day, 70 years later, on June 6 to be precise, Sequoia Capital, one of the most revered names in the venture capital world, announced that it was splitting its business into three independent entities for the US and Europe, China, and India and Southeast Asia (SEA). More importantly for those in this country, it also revealed that the India and SEA business would be rebranded as Peak XV Partners, taking inspiration from Mount Everest, which was called Peak XV before being renamed.
Let us get back to Peak XV Partners. Few were aware of this impending decision. In fact, not many in its own team had a clue until the day of the announcement. What followed was an aggressive rebranding. “The way they have very quickly rebranded themselves is remarkable. At their office, it is almost taboo to use the word Sequoia. You will be corrected even by people in
