April 28, 2025
When I was studying at London Business School — and even earlier, during my time at SMU in Singapore — I kept hearing the same advice:
"If you're into startups, you have to go to Bangalore someday."
It was one of those things that stuck with me.
The idea of a city buzzing with ambition, full of entrepreneurs and engineers building the future — it sounded almost mythical.
Fast forward a few years, and I found myself at a point where I could finally make that curiosity a reality.
Running my two companies, eMatura and Epistemy, remotely gave me the flexibility to work from anywhere.
I didn't want to spend Q1 stuck in cold, grey Europe — I wanted somewhere dynamic, somewhere alive.
Bangalore felt like the right move.
I booked my flights: Vienna → Delhi → Bangalore.
When I landed at Bangalore airport, the first thing I thought was: "Wow — this airport is actually really nice."
But the real Bangalore hit me the moment I got into the cab.
Driving to my Airbnb in Indiranagar, I was immediately reminded — this was India: traffic everywhere, honking, scooters, chaos.
And yet… there was something magnetic about it. I was officially here — and I was here to stay for the next month and a half.
On Day 1, I made a simple plan:
I quickly found Realm Fitness in Indiranagar (bonus points for having a "MMA Gym" vibe — only in Bangalore).
Then I started exploring coffee shops — and immediately, another Bangalore legend turned out to be true: every coffee shop really is a mini startup hub.
At a Starbucks in Indiranagar, I sat next to a guy pitching a printed deck to an investor. Across the room, two coders were deep into building a product.
You could feel it: this city is building something.
I spent the next few weeks hopping across different coworking spaces to get a feel for the scene:
One thing stood out immediately: the quality of talent in Bangalore is extremely high.
Forget the stereotypes of cheap outsourcing — this is different.
I met founders who had MBAs from Yale, engineers who had studied at IITs and top international schools, and developers who could go toe-to-toe with anyone in Silicon Valley.
Of course, the best people here don't work for $5/hour — but compared to London, you're getting incredible value for top 1% engineers, operators, and thinkers.
I also dove into Bangalore's event scene — everything from GenAI meetups to startup networking nights organized by groups like Magic Ball.
Some events were packed with YC-backed founders and genuinely exciting companies building for global markets.
Others... were less impressive.
(Lesson learned: in Bangalore, event quality is hit-or-miss — you need to choose wisely.)
Another cultural difference: WhatsApp groups are everything.
Every event, job posting, prototype feedback request — it's all happening in massive, hyperactive WhatsApp communities.
Compared to London or even Singapore, the density of startup energy was off the charts.
It honestly reminded me more of Austin — just with more scooters, more chai, and a lot more hustle.
Another big realization: VCs love Bangalore.
Almost every major foreign VC has a local office here.
And Indian VCs themselves are investing heavily — with ticket sizes for seed rounds comparable to Europe.
The big advantage? In India, you can do so much more with the same money.
Lower burn. Top-tier talent. A massive and fast-growing domestic market.
It makes total sense why so many Ivy League founders, after raising in the US, are coming back to Bangalore to build.
After spending a month and a half living and working in Bangalore, I can confidently say:
I want to come back. I see huge potential for hiring local talent here. I would strongly consider building an office here in the future. There's a vibrant London Business School alumni community here too, which opens even more doors.
I'm very bullish on Bangalore's future.
And I genuinely believe it's going to be part of my own journey, whether through future hiring, collaborations, or new ventures.
If you're thinking about Bangalore — whether you're curious about the city, considering expansion, or looking for amazing engineers — I would 100% recommend giving it a shot.
Of course, there are some realities to be aware of:
But if you can embrace the adventure, adapt, and keep an open mind — Bangalore will reward you with opportunities you can't find anywhere else.
It's a city built for dreamers, builders, and believers.