Asha Jadeja
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Asha Jadeja (Motwani) | |
|---|---|
| Born | Asha Jadeja |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Education | B.Sc., M.Sc. – Civil Engineering and Urban Planning |
| Alma mater | University of Southern California University of California, Berkeley |
| Occupation(s) | Venture capitalist, philanthropist |
| Known for | Early-stage tech investments, Motwani Jadeja Foundation |
| Spouse | Rajeev Motwani (deceased) |
| Children | 2 |
Asha Jadeja is an Indian-American venture capitalist and philanthropist based in the United States. She is the founder of the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation.[1][2][3] Jadeja is also known for supporting programs related to entrepreneurship, education, and academic exchange between the United States and India.[4][5][6]
Early Life and Education
[edit]Jadeja completed undergraduate and graduate studies in civil engineering and urban planning at the University of Southern California.[7]
Career
[edit]Venture Capital and Investing
[edit]Jadeja began her career in venture investing alongside her husband, the late Rajeev Motwani, a professor of computer science at Stanford University.[8][9] The couple was reportedly among the early investors in Google, where Motwani served as an academic mentor to the company’s founders.[10] Following his death in 2009, Jadeja continued to invest in early-stage startups. Her portfolio has included companies such as PayPal, Pinterest, AppDynamics, Meraki, and Mimosa.[11]
In 2000, Jadeja and Motwani co-founded Dot Edu Ventures, an early-stage venture fund focused on technology companies, particularly those affiliated with Stanford University.[12][13]
Philanthropy
[edit]Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation
[edit]In 2012, Jadeja established the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation (MJF), a nonprofit organization based in Palo Alto, California. The foundation supports initiatives in entrepreneurship, academic research, and technology education. Programs supported by MJF include:[14][15][16][17]
- Rajeev Circle Fellowship – A mentorship program for entrepreneurs from South Asia.[18]
- MakerFest India – An innovation event modeled after Maker Faire and focused on youth and grassroots creators.[19]
- FabLab CEPT – A digital fabrication lab established at CEPT University in Ahmedabad, India.[20]
Academic Collaborations
[edit]In July 2025, Jadeja helped launch the Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies (MJIAS) at O.P. Jindal Global University. According to media reports, the institute was created to promote research, policy dialogue, and academic exchange between India and the United States.[21][22]
Earlier, the foundation made a gift to support the 21st Century India Center at the University of California, San Diego, aimed at promoting U.S.–India academic collaboration.[23][24][25]
Other Initiatives
[edit]Jadeja has also supported programs related to cultural diplomacy. In 2021, she partnered with UC Berkeley and the Kochi-Muziris Biennale on an initiative to support Indian representation at international art events such as the Venice Biennale.[26]
Personal Life
[edit]Jadeja was married to Rajeev Motwani until his death in 2009. The couple had two children. She is based in Palo Alto, California.[27]
References
[edit]- ^ "Impact Investing & Scaling Social Ventures in South Asia | Stanford Humanities Center". shc.stanford.edu. 2014-05-27. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Menon, Rashmi (2018-04-26). "16 yrs on, Asha Jadeja Motwani regrets not having invested in Facebook". The Economic Times. ISSN 0013-0389. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "ASHA a ray of hope for Indian startups - BusinessToday". Business Today. 2020-01-24. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Manu, Meera (2017-01-05). "Where angel' dares to tread | Where angel' dares to tread". www.deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Ranipeta, Shilpa S. (2017-12-01). "Prominent Silicon Valley investor Asha Jadeja to invest aggressively in Indian startups". The News Minute. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "India on the global stage: Motwani Jadeja Foundation unveils global India dialogues at World Economic Forum in Davos 2024 - BusinessToday". Business Today. 2024-01-03. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Asha Jadeja Motwani, Founder, Jadeja Motwani Foundation, Investor & Philanthropist". India Today. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Nair, Vandana (2023-04-03). "The Immortal Soul Behind Google Search | AIM". Analytics India Magazine. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Rajeev Motwani, Guide in the Creation of Google, Dies at 47 (Published 2009)". 2009-06-11. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ Staff, A. O. L. (2025-07-23). "Why this early Google investor is funding think tanks in the U.S. and India". www.aol.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Brady, Diane. "With China now an adversary, this early Google investor wants the U.S. to bet on India instead". Fortune. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Lofty valuations push founders to try harder: Angel investor Asha Jadeja Motwani". Techcircle. 2019-01-09. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Motwani Jadeja Foundation Launches Fellowship To Elevate India's Social Impact Leaders Globally". The CSR Universe. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Correspondent, D. C. (2025-07-21). "Indian Varsity Launches American Studies Centre in New York to Push India-US Ties". www.deccanchronicle.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "JD and Usha Vance hosted by Indian-origin venture capitalist in Silicon Valley". The Times of India. 2025-05-29. ISSN 0971-8257. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Amplifying Voices of Social Innovators: TheCSRUniverse Interview with Asha Jadeja, Founder of MJF, and Deval Sanghavi, Co-founder & Partner at Dasra". The CSR Universe. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ www.ETCISO.in. "Motwani Jadeja Foundation facilitates 10 Indian leaders at WEF, Davos". ETCISO.in. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "Asha Jadeja Announces Rajeev Circle History Scholars Program". May 19, 2022.
{{cite news}}:|first=missing|last=(help) - ^ Dash, Sanchita (2018-01-08). "One of Google's Early Investors, Asha Motwani Urges Indians to Take a Leaf Out of Their History | Entrepreneur". Entrepreneur. Archived from the original on 2025-03-16. Retrieved 2025-07-29.
- ^ "Ahmedabad-born Silicon valley investor to mentor 'Maker Fest' editions in Lahore, Kathmandu". The Indian Express. 2017-01-07. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Bench, Bar & (2025-06-30). "JGU establishes Motwani Jadeja Institute for American Studies". Bar and Bench - Indian Legal news. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Age, Asian (2025-07-21). "Indian varsity launches American Studies centre in New York to push India-US ties". www.asianage.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "CNAS Launches New Initiative with Support from the Motwani Jadeja Family Foundation on "Realizing the Potential of the U.S.-India Strategic Partnership"". CNAS. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ "21st Century India Center Receives Significant Philanthropic Gift". today.ucsd.edu. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
- ^ Correspondent, D. C. (2019-11-08). "Global success of Indian start-ups to be celebrated at TiE Global Summit 2019 | Global success of Indian start-ups to be celebrated at TiE Global Summit 2019". www.asianage.com. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ Nov 28, Bangalore Mirror Bureau / Updated; 2016; Ist, 01:00. "Brand new day". Bangalore Mirror. Retrieved 2025-07-28.
{{cite web}}:|last2=has numeric name (help)CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ "US Vice-President-elect JD Vance's picture with wife's Indian family goes viral, Internet loves it - CNBC TV18". CNBCTV18. 2024-12-03. Retrieved 2025-07-28.