# Nihal Mehta

> Nihal Mehta is a serial entrepreneur turned seed-stage venture capitalist and Co-Founder & General Partner at ENIAC Ventures, one of New York's leading seed funds. Known as the 'Human Rolodex,' Mehta has backed early investments in Uber, Airbnb, AdMob (acquired by Google), and SwiftKey (acquired by Microsoft) while building a reputation as a founder-first investor who connects people without keeping score. He founded Pitch & Run NYC, a community blending startup pitches with morning runs, and hosts the Human Unicorn Podcast. A UPenn dual-degree graduate who once filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in his 20s, Mehta channels that hard-won empathy into backing the next generation of founders through ENIAC's $160M sixth fund.

- **Role:** Co-Founder & General Partner at ENIAC Ventures
- **Organizations:** ENIAC Ventures, Pitch & Run NYC, Project Ahimsa, Human Unicorn Podcast
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BA in Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, BSE in Computer Science, University of Pennsylvania
- **Known for:** Co-Founded ENIAC Ventures, raising six funds including a $160M Fund VI, Early angel investor in Uber, Airbnb, and AdMob (acquired by Google), Sold ipsh! to Omnicom in 2005, one of the first mobile marketing agency exits

## Career timeline

- **1998** — Summer internship at Microsoft - his only traditional job
- **1999** — Co-founded philly2nite.com, one of his first startups, from his senior-year house in Philadelphia
- **2001** — Founded ipsh!, one of the first full-service mobile marketing agencies
- **2001** — Founded buzzd (later LocalResponse), a real-time city guide based on social check-ins
- **2005** — Sold ipsh! to Omnicom (NYSE: OMC), funding his transition to investing
- **2009** — Co-founded ENIAC Ventures with a $1.6M seed fund; early angel investments in Uber, Airbnb, AdMob
- **2012** — Named BusinessInsider's '25 People Every New Founder Should Meet in New York Tech'
- **2013** — Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-Finalist
- **2019** — Founded Pitch & Run NYC, blending startup pitching with morning runs at Chelsea Piers
- **2020** — Led ENIAC's commitment to book 375+ meetings with Black founders; helped launch Help Main Street during COVID-19
- **2024** — Raised ENIAC Fund VI at $160M; latest investment in Buildstock (February 2024)
- **2024** — Launched Human Unicorn Podcast featuring visionary founders

## Achievements

- Co-Founded ENIAC Ventures, raising six funds including a $160M Fund VI
- Early angel investor in Uber, Airbnb, and AdMob (acquired by Google)
- Sold ipsh! to Omnicom in 2005, one of the first mobile marketing agency exits
- Grew LocalResponse revenues 2,153% in three years, making Inc. 5000's Fastest Growing Companies
- Founded Pitch & Run NYC, now with hundreds of members across NYC, Denver, LA, and Austin
- Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Semi-Finalist (2013)
- BusinessWeek named him 'M-Commerce Baron' (2006)
- AdAge's Top 20 Marketers in Their 20s (2005)
- Co-founded Project Ahimsa, providing scholarships to disadvantaged youth in India
- 92 total angel investments including SwiftKey (acquired by Microsoft) and Attentive

## Latest updates

- **2024-02** — Made latest investment in Buildstock through ENIAC Ventures
- **2024-01** — Launched Human Unicorn Podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart, and Audible
- **2024-01** — ENIAC Ventures Fund VI closed at $160M
- **2023-12** — Pitch & Run NYC expanded to Denver, Los Angeles, Austin, and pop-up runs at major conferences

## Links

- Website: https://www.eniac.vc/team
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nihalmehta
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/nihalmehta
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nihal/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/djnihal/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nihal-mehta
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-04-22