Startup community mourns demise of 32-year-old Pankhuri, Grabhouse founder Pankhuri Shrivastava

Founder of rental startup Grabhouse and Pankhuri, the women-focused social platform, Pankhuri Shrivastava, recently passed away on December 24. The serial entrepreneur was 32 years old.

Her demise was mourned by several prominent names in the Indian startup community. Vani Kola, founder of Kalaari Capital, wrote in a tweet on Sunday (December 26), “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. Her demise is a loss for our startup ecosystem. We lost a bright and young founder, but I know her legacy will live on. It was truly a privilege to know Pankhuri.”

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

“My heart reaches out to her family at this untimely tragedy,” she added.

Ranjan Anandan, Managing Director of Sequoia India tweeted, “Deeply saddened and shocked by this sudden loss. Pankhuri was so full of life, ideas and passion and had missionary zeal. We loved having Pankhuri in our Surge family and we will miss you so dearly. Thoughts and prayers are with her family in this very difficult time.”

Pankhuri Shrivastava had founded rental startup Grabhouse which was sold to online classifieds company Quikr in a cash and equity deal in 2016. The 32-year-old serial entrepreneur is credited for creating a brand `Pankhuri` for women members to socialise.

Pankhuri graduated with an engineering degree from RGTU in Bhopal. She also taught in municipal schools in Mumbai under the fellowship programme of Teach for India.