Maanasi joined NEA in 2024 as an Associate on the Technology Investing Team focused on early-stage investments across various sectors. Previously, she was an Investment Banking Analyst at Morgan Stanley where she worked with infrastructure, vertical SaaS, fintech, and other enterprise software companies. Maanasi graduated from the University of Pennsylvania with an MS in Computer Science and a BS in Finance from The Wharton School.
What part of your personality makes you well-suited for venture?
Venture reminds me of what I loved the most about college; my college classes were both broad and deep. They satisfied almost every layer of curiosity I had about tech innovation—everything from how enterprise value is created, to what code is required to get there. I feel the same way about early-stage investing. I spend some days mapping out large industry theses, and others deep in documentation or connecting all the dots in between.
What are you most passionate about when it comes to your work?
Building a scaled, transformational company is deeply complex and I am grateful for the opportunity to partner with startups as they navigate the company-building journey. One of my favorite projects while working in investment banking involved daily collaboration with a now public software company—helping them model from scratch and think through their contracts, customer cohorts, business segments, and long-term financial metrics. I’m excited to continue helping founders and startup teams work through their unique challenges.
How would you describe the team at NEA?
The NEA team is full of investors who are deceivingly humble. Every investor here has unique superpowers, paired with passion and a collaborative spirit that fuels a culture of teamwork and excellence. I learn from my colleagues every day.
What resonates with you regarding NEA’s partnerships with founders?
NEA establishes strong, committed relationships with its founders. We will support founders through their best and worst times alike, and will be deeply invested in enabling their success. These are the relationship attributes I prioritize in my personal life, and look forward to prioritizing as an NEA investor.
I aim for founders to view me as committed—to understanding the vision, to getting in the weeds, to helping the team think through hard problems and do whatever I can to support the team.
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““If you’re the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong room.” It’s a great reminder to keep growing, learning, and pushing yourself out of your comfort zone.”
