32-year-old Pankhuri Shrivastava's sudden death left a void in the startup world. Who was she?
The startup world is mourning the untimely demise of a young entrepreneur, Pankhuri Shrivastava. The entrepreneur died due to a cardiac arrest in Bengaluru on December 24. She was only 32 years old.
With profound grief and sorrow, we regret to inform the sad demise of our beloved CEO, Pankhuri Shrivastava. We lost her on 24th December 2021 due to a sudden cardiac arrest. May her soul obtain Sadgati. Om Shanti.@pankhuri16
— Pankhuri (@askpankhuri) December 27, 2021
Shrivastava was the founder and CEO of a women-focused social media app called 'Pankhuri'. She was also the founder of Grabhouse, India’s home rental startup which was sold to Quikr in 2016. Her current estimated net worth was $1 million.
Since her demise, netizens have poured in their condolences for the 32-year-old entrepreneur. Some were distraught over the apparent ‘trend’ of youngsters passing away due to cardiac arrest.
I can't believe Pankhuri is no more with us. RIP Pankhuri, you have a very profound impact on my journey so far.
— Nitesh Dubey (@NiteshAjitDubey) December 26, 2021
Rest in power Pankhuri. We entrepreneurs go through so much. this hustle culture needs to be questioned for a good. https://t.co/dci3i0tBmo
— Himanshu Arora (@HimanshuArora_) December 28, 2021
But who was Pankhuri Shrivastava?
1. PANKHURI’S LAST TWEET
Just a day before her death, Pankhuri Shrivastava had put out a tweet about the new-age challenges of recruitment.
Is it just me or has it become really hard to evaluate a candidate's potential in 1 hour interview. All seem to have read the same articles, know the same hacks from companies that are doing well & almost talk the same language! Are ref checks the only way?
— Pankhuri Shrivastava (@pankhuri16) December 23, 2021
The entrepreneur was quite active on Twitter, updating her followers on what was happening at Pankhuri and in her work life.
Couldn't really believe this.Just a few weeks back, she agreed for a talk with our team.All our team members were impressed by her beaming energy and innovative ideas.And today she's no more.You'll be missed Pankhuri. RIP
— Siddharth Dialani (@siddharth_iitm) December 27, 2021
2. THE JHANSI KI RANI
People who had met Pankhuri Shrivastava or had worked with the entrepreneur shared their shock and sadness over the news of her death. Vani Kola, the founder of Kalaari Capital, whose venture had backed Grabhouse when it launched in 2013, said that it was a tragic loss to the startup ecosystem.
1/ Yesterday it came as a shock to me when I found out that @pankhuri16 is no more. I remember her as a vivacious bright woman full of ideas and full of life. She was confident. That was something you noticed about her immediately.
— Vani Kola (@VaniKola) December 26, 2021
Kola recalled meeting Shrivastava and remembered her as a bright young woman full of ideas and confidence. Shrivastava hailed from Jhansi, and Kola said she embodied the spirit of Jhansi Ki Rani. She was also incredibly happy for opening an office in Jhansi and giving hundreds of girls the opportunity to make their own identity. Several other venture capitalists who had worked with Pankhuri shared their condolences.
Breaks our heart to share that we lost someone from our Surge family. @pankhuri16 was so vibrant…incredibly smart & full of life. We’re going to feel her loss very deeply. Our deepest condolences to her family, friends & colleagues. We will miss you very much Pankhuri.
— Surge (@_surgeahead) December 26, 2021
Farewell dear Pankhuri. You will remain an inspiration. The woman with the balls to name a startup after herself.
— IQ wala Anand Lunia (@anandlunia) December 27, 2021
3. INSPIRED MANY, LOVED BEING HANDS-ON AT WORK
Pankhuri Shrivastava was only about 24 when she founded Grabhouse, and at the age of 27, she had successfully sold it to Quickr for reportedly $10 million. Netizens wrote how they were inspired by her achievements.
OMG, Pankhuri was my inspiration , and feel extremely sad after hearing this.?
— Dusky_Ramya (@duskyramya) December 28, 2021
Pankhuri Shrivastava during the early years of Grabhouse said that she often got involved in the recruitment process because she loved to know the people who were coming on board her company. She once described herself as a spontaneous person, who loved to sing, dance, swim, read and write.
4. LIFE BEFORE STARTUPS
Pankhuri Shrivastava was an engineering graduate in computer science from Rajiv Gandhi Technical University, Bhopal. However, she took a different route in her career after her graduation. Shrivastava in an interview had said she had gotten into a college for an MBA program and also had a job offer from an IT company.
But she left it all behind and took on a fellowship at an NGO, Teach for India, in Mumbai. This was her first job, which was completely different from her line of study. Shrivastava also revealed that her parents were shocked by her choices and were a bit apprehensive.
It was during her life in Mumbai when she got the idea for Grabhouse. Shrivastava said she faced a lot of struggles finding a good house in Mumbai, which led her to make a solution for her problem after finishing her fellowship.
Shrivastava did not come from a family of businesspersons. She said she was the first entrepreneur in her family, and one of the keys to succeeding was the confidence with which she put forth her ideas.
It was only December 2, 2020 when Shrivastava had posted about her wedding. She got married at Hotel Raj Mahal The Palace Orchha in Madhya Pradesh. She had posted about her one-year marriage anniversary on Instagram just days before her demise.
View this post on Instagram
5. DEBATE ON SOCIAL MEDIA
From LinkedIn to Twitter, netizens couldn’t help but mourn Pankhuri Shrivastava’s demise at such a young age due to cardiac arrest. A few claimed that youngsters are increasingly suffering from cardiac ailments due to work-related stress, lifestyle brought on by the pandemic, and even mental health issues.
Shrivastava’s company made a formal statement on social media platforms to end speculation over her death.