Investor | CEO & Founding Partner of EMVC

Melissa Frakman is an entrepreneur, investor, and global market strategist. She is the CEO & Founding Partner of Emphasis Ventures (EMVC), a venture capital firm that invests in trailblazing founders building at the intersection of digital infrastructure, commerce, and AI-enabled financial systems, with India as both a lab and launchpad for global innovation. With a strategic portfolio that includes startups serving more than 200 million individuals and small businesses, EMVC has established itself as a trusted partner to India's local tech ecosystem as well as corporate leaders worldwide. Before founding EMVC, Melissa spearheaded Asia investments, market strategy, and partnerships valued at over $1 billion for Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups, with specific expertise developing cross-border products across digital banking, payments, and insurtech. Her executive experience includes serving as Vice President at Zomato prior to its landmark IPO, India Senior Director at Albright Stonebridge Group, and Financial Services Director of the US-India Business Council, where she deepened bilateral innovation partnerships. Melissa began her career working with microfinance institutions, establishing her commitment to financial inclusion that continues to inform her investment thesis today. She has provided product advisory to market-defining companies including Amazon, Uber, Principal Financial, and Remitly (IPO 2021), and shares her expertise as a guest lecturer on digital economy topics at institutions including Harvard Business School, Cornell University, Columbia Business School and Indian Institute of Management-Bangalore. Melissa's contributions to global digital innovation were celebrated with the prestigious "Fintech Person of the Year 2024" honor at India's Global Fintech Awards—the industry's definitive gathering that was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and drew over 100,000 professionals. She is also a recipient of the FT Innovation Asia Awards, Colin Powell Leadership Fellowship, and the Global Women in Fintech Powerlist. Her insights have been featured in leading publications including the Washington Post, Financial Times, Forbes, Times of India, NASDAQ Trade Talks, and the New York Times. With more than 20 years in India, Melissa has built a reputation as a visionary who bridges innovation ecosystems across continents, championing digital transformation that fundamentally reshapes commerce and business operations in the new connected era. INVESTMENT PITCHES / MEDIA INQUIRIES: hello@em.vc