Sharda Balaji, the visionary behind NovoJuris Legal, established the firm in 2008 with a focus on serving technology-driven emerging companies. Over the past decade, NovoJuris has cultivated partnerships with over a thousand businesses, including high-profile unicorns, and facilitated numerous successful exits. Sharda’s leadership has propelled NovoJuris to prominence, earning recognition across diverse practice areas and expanding its footprint to the United States with NovoJuris Legal LLC.
Passionate about the confluence of law, technology, investments, and rapid business growth, Sharda is actively involved in various roles. She is an angel investor, a limited partner in alternative investment funds, a partner at a venture studio, and serves on the boards of multiple companies. Additionally, Sharda contributes her expertise as an advisor to numerous technology firms and has played key roles in organizations such as TIE Bangalore, where she chaired the Special Interest Group for Women Entrepreneurs and led trade delegations between India and Israel.
Prior to founding NovoJuris, Sharda gained extensive experience working with prominent Indian conglomerates and multinational corporations for nearly 12 years. Her tenure included handling diverse legal matters such as IPOs, cross-border transactions, mergers, acquisitions, and intellectual property rights. Notably, she held leadership positions at Intel, overseeing operations in South Asia, and at Puravanakara Projects, where she played a pivotal role in raising significant capital through IPOs. Sharda’s contributions to the Manipal Group spanned various sectors, including education, healthcare, real estate, and brand valuations.
Beyond her professional endeavors, Sharda is deeply committed to empowering women in business, exemplified by her chairmanship of TIE’s Special Interest Group for Women Entrepreneurs and her trusteeship at ‘Baalemane,’ a home for orphan girls in India.
Sharda’s academic background includes qualifications as a Lawyer and Company Secretary, supplemented by a diploma in Intellectual Property Rights from the National Law School of India, Bangalore, and advanced certification in Copyrights from the World Intellectual Property Organization.
