Samir is a serial entrepreneur who brings a strong mix of entrepreneurial passion and deep knowledge of the SME lending space. He started SMEcorner, a new age Fintech lender, that helps SMEs in India meet their working capital needs. Samir brings 33 years of experience from leading companies such as Citibank, HDFC Bank, Barclays Bank, and Equifax. Samir is an avid runner (he has completed 50+ marathons and half marathons to date) and an animal lover.
Samir is a Chartered Accountant from the Institute of Chartered Accountant of India and a Cost Accountant from the Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of India
Siddharth Parekh is the Co-founder and Senior Partner at Paragon Partners, a leading India-focused mid-market private equity firm. He has over 17 years’ work experience across the US, UK, and India, a majority of which involved investing in emerging markets.
Prior to co-founding Paragon Partners, Sid served as a Principal in the Mumbai office of Actis, a leading emerging markets private equity fund with a growing portfolio of investments in Asia, Africa, and Latin America with an AUM of over $6 billion. Sid joined Actis’ London office in 2008 and focused primarily on the Financial Services industry. He completed 6 investments across a number of sectors and geographies, managed 8 companies in Actis' Indian portfolio, and executed 6 exits. Sid has also been an active participant in the angel network in India, having invested in a number of start-ups engaged in the financial technology and health & fitness sectors.
Prior to Actis, Sid was an Investment Analyst at the International Finance Corporation based in Washington D.C. focusing on investing in the Global Manufacturing & Services sectors and also spent 2 years as a Consultant at the Boston Consulting Group in New York.
He has an MBA and Master’s degree in International Affairs from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s degree in Finance and Management from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
