Mahesh Muralidhar is the chief executive of Phase One Ventures, a New Zealand venture firm which supports and funds startups to grow and succeed. He mentors and invests into several startups in New Zealand and Australia. He is a board member in the Ministry of Awesome and is a prominent figure in New Zealand’s technology and startup ecosystem.
Before returning to New Zealand, Mahesh spent several years working in Tokyo, Mumbai and Kuala Lumpur, followed by a decade in Sydney, where he held C-suite positions at some of Australia’s most prominent tech startups.
Born in Kerala, India and having spent his early childhood in Singapore, Mahesh moved to New Zealand in the mid-90s to attend high school. He completed his schooling at Napier Boys’ High School before gaining a Bachelor of Science in Statistics and a Graduate Diploma in Arts from the University of Auckland. He also has an MBA from the University of New South Wales and a Post Graduate Diploma in Public Policy from the University of Auckland.
Mahesh lives in Mission Bay with his wife Praveena.
19 February 2026
Phase One Ventures chief executive Mahesh Muralidhar has been selected by local party members as National’s candidate in Tāmaki for the 2026 General Election. Mr Muralidhar...