Melissa Frakman

Melissa Frakman is an investor and global market strategist. She is CEO & Founding Partner of EMVC, a venture capital firm investing at the intersection of digital infrastructure, commerce, and AI-enabled financial systems, with India as both a laboratory and launchpad for global innovation. Her portfolio companies now serve more than 250 million individuals and small businesses, giving her a ground-level view into how emerging markets are shaping the next era of global finance and technology.

Before founding EMVC, Melissa spearheaded over $1 billion in Asia investments, market strategy, and partnerships for Fortune 500 companies and high-growth startups, with deep expertise building cross-border products across AI, financial services, payments, and consumer brands. Her executive career includes serving as Vice President at Zomato ahead of its landmark IPO, Senior Director at Albright Stonebridge Group, and Financial Services Director of the US-India Business Council at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Melissa began her career working with microfinance institutions, an experience that shaped her lasting commitment to financial inclusion and still informs her investment thesis today. She has since advised market-defining companies including Amazon, Uber, Principal Financial, and Remitly ahead of its 2021 IPO, and speaks on digital economy topics at institutions including the G20, World Bank, the Milken Institute and Harvard Business School.

Melissa’s contributions to global digital innovation were recognized with "Fintech Person of the Year 2024" at India's Global Fintech Awards, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. She is also a recipient of the FT Innovation Awards, Colin Powell Leadership Fellowship, Ward Medal for Economics, and the Global Women in Fintech Powerlist.
Her insights have been featured in the Washington Post, Financial Times, Forbes, Global Finance Magazine, NASDAQ, and the New York Times.

Melissa advises leadership teams on navigating the innovation ecosystems reshaping global commerce bringing two decades of cross-border experience to bear on the decisions that matter most in the connected era.