Ketera

In the year 2000, a new company called Ketera was founded in Silicon Valley with a straightforward mission: to move corporate spend management to the cloud. It offered on-demand software that helped businesses control and analyze their purchasing, a model we now know as SaaS. The company gained traction, securing a significant $10 million funding round by 2003 from notable investors including Kleiner Perkins, Foundation Capital, and initial founder American Express. A key chapter in Ketera's story began in 2004, when Sanjay Swamy was tasked with building the company's India operations. Instead of creating a simple back office, Swamy recruited a top-tier engineering team in Bangalore that became a powerhouse of innovation. This team was so talented and entrepreneurial that it would later be dubbed the "Ketera mafia," with dozens of its members, including Veerendra Shivhare, leaving to launch their own successful startups. By 2010, Ketera had established itself as a key player in its niche. This success led to a significant event in the company's journey: its acquisition by Deem, a corporate travel and expense software provider, for an undisclosed sum in December of that year. While the Ketera brand was absorbed into Deem, its legacy continued through the numerous founders and companies that emerged from its influential Bangalore office.