Kiran Mani
About Kiran Mani
Kiran Mani is based in Mumbai. Crunchbase lists him as Managing Director, Asia Pacific & Japan at OpenAI, a role that began in June 2026. His LinkedIn posts say he started at OpenAI to lead the region.
Before OpenAI he was Chief Executive Officer of Digital at JioStar, according to Crunchbase. He wrote on LinkedIn that he was part of the founding team of JioHotstar and led it for three years. He also lists earlier time at Ogilvy, IBM and Google. Crunchbase says he previously chaired the Digital Entertainment Committee at IAMAI and attended IBS Hyderabad.
In a LinkedIn post he wrote that he served on Grab's board for eight years.
Crunchbase shows one personal investment for Kiran Mani, with one portfolio company. No fund, syndicate or angel group is listed, and no check size has been published. Crunchbase shows his investor profile as an individual investor.
Kiran Mani is listed as an investor in the OptimizeGEO.ai seed round. The Lounge deals desk records it as a Seed round of $80M in October 2026. Crunchbase dates the round to October 1, 2026 and says OptimizeGEO.ai raised it from Better Capital and 19 other investors. Crunchbase does not show the amount publicly.
Separately, he has publicly promoted OpenAI for Startups programs in the region. One example is an eight-week program for 10 Thai startups, which includes CARIVA and Curico. These are OpenAI programs, not personal investments.
Kiran Mani has not published a stated thesis, preferred stage, sector list or check size. The one recorded investment is a seed-stage AI company. His day job covers AI adoption across Asia Pacific and Japan, so APAC context is relevant to him. Founders should not assume it is an investing focus. Any pitch to him as an angel should be treated as separate from his work at OpenAI.
- OptimizeGEO.ai: AI company that raised a seed round in October 2026 from Better Capital and 19 other investors, per Crunchbase. Kiran Mani is listed as an investor.
Investing activity
Kiran Mani appears in 1 AI deal tracked by the Lounge deals desk, rounds totalling $80M. The rounds are mostly Seed, with a median round size of $80M. The most recent is OptimizeGEO.ai (Seed, $80M, Oct 2026).
Kiran Mani most often invests alongside Young Capital, Michael Kassan, Mauria Finley and Gulshan Verma, and the companies they back on Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Kiran Mani
Is Kiran Mani an angel investor?
Crunchbase lists him as an individual investor with one personal investment, in OptimizeGEO.ai. He has not published a broader angel track record.
What does Kiran Mani do at OpenAI?
He is Managing Director for Asia Pacific and Japan, a role Crunchbase dates to June 2026. He previously led digital at JioStar.
What AI startups has Kiran Mani invested in?
The only recorded investment is OptimizeGEO.ai's seed round, announced in October 2026.
What check size does Kiran Mani write?
His check size is not public. Crunchbase does not show his amount for the OptimizeGEO.ai round.
What stage and sectors does Kiran Mani back?
There is no public statement of his focus. His one recorded investment is a seed-stage AI company.
How can founders contact Kiran Mani?
His public profile is on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/kiranmani. No personal site or X account was found.
What AI companies has Kiran Mani invested in?
Kiran Mani's AI investments include OptimizeGEO.ai. The 1 round on Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
What stage does Kiran Mani invest at?
In the rounds tracked on Lounge, Kiran Mani has invested at Seed, with a median round of $80M.
Who does Kiran Mani co-invest with?
Kiran Mani's most frequent co-investors on Lounge are Young Capital (1 deal), Michael Kassan (1 deal), Mauria Finley (1 deal), Gulshan Verma (1 deal) and FalconX (1 deal).
How can founders reach Kiran Mani?
Founders on Lounge can see Kiran Mani's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Kiran Mani to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.