Manu Sharma is a Vice President at OCA Ventures, where he focuses on early-stage investing across enterprise software, fintech, and emerging AI-driven markets. Prior to OCA, he invested at Tusk Venture Partners and was a founding team member at Dallas Venture Capital, where he helped back and support enterprise technology companies. He brings a blend of investing, company-building, and operating experience, with a particular interest in businesses operating at the intersection of technology, regulation, and large real-world industries. Manu earned his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his BBA from Texas A&M University.

Could you explain more about what you do in your roles at EVCA?
At EVCA, I help build community among emerging investors, especially in New York. A big part of that is organizing events that bring people together in more genuine settings; whether that’s dinners with GPs or something more fun and unexpected like a boxing class for investors. My goal is to create spaces where people can build real relationships and learn from each other.

What made you interested in taking a leadership role at EVCA?
I was interested in EVCA because venture can feel pretty opaque early in your career, and community really matters. I wanted to help build a stronger network for people at the pre-partner level, not just for idea-sharing, but for mentorship, support, and career development. It also felt like a meaningful way to give back to an industry where so much learning comes from other people.

What is your most contrarian view on an existing or emerging technology trend?
I think one of the most compelling AI opportunities is in the physical world (areas like energy, manufacturing, and supply chain) not just in enterprise software. These sectors are being reshaped by big macro trends like labor shortages, reshoring, and infrastructure strain, which makes the need for better technology especially urgent. I also think they tend to be less crowded and more reasonably priced from an investing perspective. They’re harder to build and sell in, but that complexity can create as sustainable moat over time.