Kanwal Rekhi left India for the US in 1967 with just $8 in his pocket and worked washing dishes to fund his education. Decades later, he became one of the early Indian-American entrepreneurs to take a venture-backed technology company public on Nasdaq. But Rekhi's legacy extends beyond building a successful business. Through entrepreneurship networks, venture capital and mentorship, he helped create opportunities for a generation of founders in Silicon Valley.
Rekhi's journey took him from engineering to building technology companies and backing startups, helping establish a stronger presence for Indian entrepreneurs in the US technology ecosystem.
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From Rawalpindi to IIT Bombay
Born in 1945 in Rawalpindi, now in Pakistan, Rekhi came to India during Partition. He graduated in electrical engineering from IIT Bombay in 1967 before moving to the US to pursue further studies at Michigan Technological University. According to his website, he arrived with just $8 under India's foreign exchange restrictions at the time.
In an interview published on his website, Rekhi recalled washing dishes at a restaurant to support himself while studying. He completed his master's degree in electrical engineering in 1969.
From engineering to a Nasdaq listing
Rekhi initially worked as an engineer at technology companies. After setbacks in his career, he turned towards entrepreneurship and co-founded Excelan in 1982.
The company specialised in networking technology based on Ethernet and TCP/IP, which became essential to modern computer networks. Excelan went public on Nasdaq in 1987. According to Rekhi's website, he became the first Indian-American founder and CEO to take a venture-backed company public on the exchange.
Excelan later merged with Novell, where Rekhi served as an executive and chief technology officer.
Building a network for entrepreneurs
Rekhi's work later expanded from building companies to helping others establish theirs. He co-founded The IndUS Entrepreneurs (TiE), a global network aimed at promoting entrepreneurship through mentorship, networking and access to business opportunities.
He also co-founded Inventus Capital Partners, a venture capital firm that invests in startups. Through these initiatives, Rekhi helped connect founders with investors, experienced entrepreneurs and the wider technology ecosystem.
His career reflects a broader contribution to Silicon Valley: not only demonstrating that Indian-origin founders could build and scale technology businesses, but also helping create networks through which others could follow.
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