Vinay Singh, co-founder and partner at Fireside Ventures, is set to step down from the consumer-focused venture capital firm as he looks to explore opportunities in agentic commerce, an emerging area at the intersection of artificial intelligence and online shopping. The leadership transition marks a significant development for one of India's prominent consumer-focused investment firms, which manages approximately $650 million in assets across four funds.
In a statement, Fireside Ventures said Singh would transition out of the firm. The VC firm has not yet announced a successor or disclosed a timeline for the transition.
Singh said his next chapter would focus on understanding how AI-powered agents could change consumer behaviour and the future of commerce.
"As AI reshapes commerce faster than most of us expected, I want to spend more time exploring the frontiers of agentic commerce and its implications for the future of consumption," Singh said.
Who Is Vinay Singh? The Fireside Ventures Co-founder
An alumnus of the Indian Institute of Management Bangalore (IIM-B), Vinay Singh brings nearly two decades of professional experience across consumer businesses, technology and entrepreneurship.
He began his career at Hindustan Unilever, where he worked in marketing and brand management. He later held roles at BankBazaar and McKinsey & Company, gaining experience in digital marketing and business transformation.
Before entering venture capital, Singh also founded Stepni, a car servicing platform that was subsequently acquired by Quikr.
In 2017, he joined hands with Kanwaljit Singh, Kannan Sitaram and Dipanjan Basu to establish Fireside Ventures. The firm focused on backing early-stage consumer brands across food and beverages, beauty and personal care, health and wellness, lifestyle and other consumer categories.
Over the years, Fireside has backed companies including Mamaearth, boAt, The Sleep Company, Slurrp Farm, Pilgrim, Gynoveda and Vahdam India.
Fireside Ventures Manages $650 Mn Across Four Funds
The leadership transition comes after a significant fundraise for Fireside Ventures.
In December 2025, the firm closed its fourth investment fund at ₹2,265 crore, equivalent to approximately $253 million. The latest fund brought its total assets under management to around ₹5,300 crore, or $650 million, across four funds.
Its investor base includes global institutions, sovereign wealth funds, university endowments and Indian family offices. Investors include Abu Dhabi Investment Authority (ADIA), Investment Corporation of Dubai (ICD), HarbourVest, Fidelity International, Sharrp Ventures and Emami.
Fireside's investment strategy has centred on identifying emerging consumer brands early and supporting them through product development, distribution, marketing and expansion.
A Wider Shift in India's Venture Capital Industry
Singh's planned departure comes amid a series of senior-level exits across India's venture capital ecosystem.
Earlier in 2026, Ashish Agrawal, Ishaan Mittal and Tejeshwi Sharma left Peak XV Partners to establish Mettle Capital.
Similarly, former L Catterton partner Anjana Sasidharan stepped down to launch Asthrum Capital. Former Peak XV executives Shailesh Lakhani, Harshjit Sethi and Mayank Porwal have also launched Ambition Capital and are looking to raise $250 million for their first fund.
Singh's interest in agentic commerce also reflects a broader shift in how investors are looking at AI's impact on consumer businesses. AI agents could increasingly influence how people discover products, compare prices and complete purchases, potentially changing the relationship between brands and consumers.
For Fireside Ventures, the immediate priority will be managing the leadership transition while continuing to deploy capital across its portfolio. For Singh, the move signals an interest in exploring how AI could reshape the next generation of consumer businesses.
