Shankar is the managing director and head of the Samsung Catalyst Fund (SCF), Samsung Electronics’ early-stage venture capital investment fund focused on core technology areas including smart machines, internet of things, smart health, deep learning/AI, cloud infrastructure and device level technologies.

Previously, Shankar was part of the founding team at Panorama Capital and has been an active venture investor for 15 years at Panorama Capital and JP Morgan Partners. He has held various engineering, business development and management roles at Applied Materials, Inc., and has been granted eight patents as the primary inventor. He also serves on the Advisory Board at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Santa Clara University, and has served as a director or observer on the boards of over ten companies.

Shankar holds a Bachelor of Technology degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), India, an MS in Materials Science from Arizona State University, and an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.