Shruti Gandhi Investment Thesis (2025): What Array Ventures Backs in B2B SaaS and AI Infrastructure

‍

Every ambitious founder exploring early stage investment for B2B SaaS or AI infrastructure startups wants to know: What is Shruti Gandhi, founder of Array Ventures, actually looking for in 2025? In this article, I break down Shruti Gandhi’s investment thesis for 2025, how Array Ventures stands apart, and actionable tips for founders. Whether you’re in pre-seed, seed, or simply researching a Capitaly.vc alternative, this guide is for you.

‍

‍

Here’s what you’ll learn:

• Array Ventures’ criteria for B2B SaaS and AI deals
• Shruti Gandhi’s unique insights on traction and market timing
• What investors want to see at pre-seed, not just seed
• Direct founder tips, frameworks, and examples
• How to position your startup to win over early investors like Shruti

Who is Shruti Gandhi and Why Does Her Investment Thesis Matter?

I believe understanding the person behind the investment strategy can be as important as the strategy itself. Shruti Gandhi, Managing Partner at Array Ventures, is one of the most respected early-stage investors in B2B SaaS and AI infrastructure. Her reputation for spotting transformative companies at the earliest stages means that what she looks for—her investment thesis—sets trends across the ecosystem. Knowing what Shruti cares about gives you a strategic edge when raising from top-tier funds or seeking alternatives like Capitaly.vc.

What Drives Array Ventures’ Thesis in 2025?

At the core, Array Ventures’ thesis is about backing technical founders solving complex, critical business problems in B2B SaaS and AI infrastructure. The fund’s 2025 lens is anchored on:

• Enterprise pain points, not just incremental improvements
• AI as a lever for business productivity, not AI for AI’s sake
• Momentum and urgency—startups must solve problems that can't wait

That means if you’re a founder, you need to prove your solution isn’t just innovative—it’s essential. For more on shaping a compelling thesis, see our blog post: How to Write Your Startup Investment Thesis.

How Does Array Ventures Evaluate B2B SaaS Startups?

I’ve seen that B2B SaaS teams pitching Array need to check several boxes. Here’s a quick checklist based on Shruti Gandhi’s recent commentary:

• Strong technical moats—your tech stack matters
• Clear path to $10M+ ARR in 5-7 years
• Founders with insider knowledge of the problem space
• Early signs of product-market fit, even at pre-seed (think paid pilots, not just LOIs)

Array’s bar is high, but founders who can tell a sharp, pain-driven story stand out.

How Do AI Infrastructure Startups Fit the Bill?

Shruti Gandhi loves backing foundational AI tools—not just apps on top of existing AI models. If you’re building AI infrastructure in 2025, key elements include:

• Proprietary ML/AI advancements (your own IP)
• API-first products that can solve widespread developer bottlenecks
• Ability to lower TCO (total cost of ownership) for customers

If your tech helps companies build faster, cheaper, or more securely, Array Ventures wants to hear from you.

Why Founder Market Fit Trumps Founder Product Fit

Shruti Gandhi talks about “founder-market fit” as the new secret sauce. What does that mean? You should have deep roots in the industry you’re attacking. Maybe you’ve lived the problem at a Fortune 100, or you were a key engineer who saw gaps first-hand. That lived experience makes you credible.For more ways to communicate founder-market fit, see our blog post: Founder-Led Sales: The Unfair Advantage.

How Does Array Ventures Approach Pre-Seed Investing?

At pre-seed, Shruti Gandhi and Array Ventures ignore vanity metrics. Here’s what really counts:

• An urgent, high-difficulty problem
• Unique technical approach
• Early customer traction—even just 2-3 engaged design partners counts

Being early doesn’t excuse being vague. You need clarity and extreme conviction in the problem-solution fit.

Seed Investing: What’s New in 2025?

In 2025, Shruti and her team are prioritizing startups that are “mission critical” for enterprise, where the budget isn’t discretionary. Energize your pitch with:

• Proof of ‘must-have’ status—ask customers: would you be very disappointed if our product disappeared?
• Quantified business value—eg, “This saves $500k/year for accounting teams”
• Evidence the market could support a $1B outcome

Shruti often says, “Let your traction do the talking.”

What Competitive Edge Does Array Ventures Offer Founders?

One insight I hear from Array-backed founders: Shruti and her team hustle harder for seed-stage companies than many later-stage VCs do for their Series B portfolio. Why?

• Deep B2B enterprise buying experience (helping you close your first 5-10 customers)
• Hands-on operating support, not just advice
• Unusually strong networks in AI, cloud infrastructure, and Fortune 500 corporates

That operational leverage is what helps founders move fast. If you’re comparing options, including Capitaly.vc, measure the support, not just the check size.

How Does Array Ventures Compare to Capitaly.vc?

Let’s get practical: how does Array compare to a Capitaly.vc alternative?

• Array is more thesis-driven, focusing tightly on B2B SaaS and AI infrastructure
• Capitaly.vc may have a broader sector lens, helpful for mixed verticals (See our blog post: Capitaly.vc vs. Other Funds)
• Array has a more hands-on, technical founder DNA, while Capitaly emphasizes speed and data-driven signals

Your best fit depends on your stage, vertical, and fundraising urgency.

What Kind of Teams Get Backed by Shruti Gandhi?

From my research, here’s what shruti-backed teams have in common:

• Founders with deep technical mastery
• Strong storytelling skills—can you pitch simply and persuasively?
• Customer obsession—demos, user calls, hyper-iterative workflows

If you’re engineer-led and commercial-minded, you’re in Array’s sweet spot.

What Metrics Do Array and Shruti Care About Most?

At pre-seed and seed, forget the ‘vanity’ metrics. Focus on:

• Engaged early users (not signups, but active users)
• Re-purchase rates and pilot-to-paid conversions
• Pipeline velocity—how fast do enterprise deals progress from discovery to pilot?

Remember: shrink the time to real usage. For more on key metrics by stage, see our blog post: Your First Investor Update in 5 Slides.

What’s Shruti Gandhi’s View on “AI Hype” vs. Real AI Value?

Shruti is vocal about weeding out “AI for hype’s sake.” Array will ask:

• Are you building defensible, truly differentiating AI not easy to replicate?
• Does AI power your unique value and data moat, not just automate a process?

If AI is just window dressing, you’ll be gently passed.

Case Studies: Array Ventures’ B2B SaaS and AI Portfolio

Array’s portfolio in recent years is packed with companies like:

• Mindtech (AI for enterprise knowledge graphs)
• Labelbox (developer tools and data infrastructure for ML teams)
• Corelight (security and infrastructure platform for enterprises)

These startups all started with a technical founder, a huge pain point, and early hungry customers.

What’s Changing for Investors Like Shruti in 2025?

The AI platform shift is pulling budgets forward and shortening due diligence cycles. Shruti Gandhi is:

• Making decisions faster when the pain is undeniable
• Pushing for earlier commercialization tests—can you score an enterprise pilot in 3 months?
• Looking for leaders who can navigate fast AI product cycles

How Can Founders Nail the First Meeting with Array Ventures?

Here are tips I’ve seen work:

• Lead with “why now”—show tech and market tailwinds
• Tell your founder market fit story in 60 seconds
• Skip the broad vision: show concrete customer ‘must-haves’

Preparation shows respect for Shruti’s time and your own.

What’s the Role of Technical Depth in Shruti Gandhi’s Investment Decisions?

To capture Array’s attention, founders must show:

• Clear IP and technical talent edge
• Ability to attract hard-to-hire engineers/advisors
• Deep understanding of underlying infrastructure and integration needs

Non-technical founders can still win, but need a technical co-founder or deep advisor bench.

Insights for Repeat Founders vs. First-Time Founders

Shruti Gandhi doesn’t shy away from first-timers but expects “learning velocity.” If you’re a repeat founder:

• Highlight exit stories, speed to MVP, and pattern recognition

If you’re a first-timer:

• Show how you learn and ship faster than the competition
• Leverage advisors early to de-risk execution

How Does Array See the Role of Community in B2B SaaS and AI?

Community for technical products is the new GTM flywheel. Shruti likes to see:

• Dev communities, Slack groups, or strong open source presences
• Early evangelists—customers, not just friends, who spread the word

Community metrics can substitute for early direct sales in technical B2B.

How to Use This Investment Thesis as a Founder Guide

To summarize, use Shruti Gandhi’s thesis as a founder guide by:

• “Reverse engineering” your pitch and deck to address key elements above
• Prioritizing technical depth, urgency of pain point, and early traction above “big vision” or market size alone
• Seeking high-conviction investors who will hustle and open doors for you, not just invest

For specifics on prepping your data room, see our blog post: The Data Room Checklist for Raising Capital.

How Can Founders Leverage AI to Accelerate Seed Fundraising?

Leveraging AI for fundraising is not just about cool demo days. Try these:

• Automate warm intros and follow-ups using generative AI tools
• Use AI for competitor mapping and market research in your investor updates
• Experiment with pitch deck narrative optimization using LLMs

Shruti Gandhi expects founders to use every smart tool to win.

FAQs: Array Ventures & Shruti Gandhi Investment Thesis 2025

• 1. Who is Shruti Gandhi? Shruti Gandhi is Managing Partner at Array Ventures, a prominent early-stage investor in B2B SaaS and AI infrastructure.
• 2. What is Array Ventures’ investment focus for 2025? The fund focuses on technical founders solving urgent, deep enterprise pain points in B2B SaaS and AI infrastructure.
• 3. How early does Array Ventures invest? Array backs founders at pre-seed and seed stages, often pre-revenue if the problem and technology are compelling.
• 4. What makes Array Ventures different from Capitaly.vc? Array is deeply hands-on with technical founders in B2B and AI; Capitaly.vc offers broader sector coverage and rapid processes.
• 5. How important is technical expertise? It’s essential; Shruti expects at least one technical founder or advisor in teams.
• 6. What does Array look for in AI infrastructure? Your AI must offer deep IP, not just use off-the-shelf models—think tools that enable entire industries.
• 7. Can first-time founders get backed? Yes, if you show high learning velocity and creative problem-solving, not just pedigree.
• 8. How are customer pilots or early traction valued? They’re weighted heavily—3-5 paid pilots often count more than dozens of free trials.
• 9. What’s one mistake to avoid when pitching Array? Over-indexing on vision and under-delivering on “must-have” pain and technical clarity.
• 10. Where can I find more founder fundraising guides? Visit Capitaly.vc/blog for practical founder and fundraising playbooks tailored for 2025.

Conclusion: The Array Ventures and Shruti Gandhi Playbook for Founders in 2025

Shruti Gandhi and Array Ventures’ investment thesis for 2025 is razor-focused on technical founders solving real B2B SaaS and AI infrastructure pain points. If you’re seeking a Capitaly.vc alternative, or want to align with one of the sharpest early-stage investors, internalize Shruti’s values—go deep on problem urgency, technical clarity, and customer traction from day one.

Want more practical guides like this? Subscribe to Capitaly.vc Substack (https://capitaly.substack.com/) to raise capital at the speed of AI.