Discover the inspiring journey of Poonam Parihar, as featured by the Surrey Women Entrepreneurship Network (SWEN).

At Surrey Women Entrepreneurship Network (SWEN), we celebrate the vibrant and diverse perspectives of our incredible community. Recently, we had the pleasure of connecting with Poonam Parihair, a trailblazing founder making waves in the InfoSec sector. We sent her a questionnaire to dive into her inspiring journey and groundbreaking achievements.

SWEN: Can you tell us your name, your business name, and give us a short introduction to your background? 

Poonam: My name is Poonam Parihar, the startup is called bandarlog.dev  

I was working in technology sales in New York before I moved to the UK and started the company. I have spent over two decades working in the Networking domain, mostly on the East and West coasts of the USA and a few early years of my career in India. I have a master’s in information technology and executive education in Lean Startup Innovation from Harvard Business School. I also worked few years in research but dropped my PhD in favour of industry experience.  

SWEN: How did you first get involved with SWEN, and what has the experience meant to you? 

Poonam: I met Ekaterina Murzacheva from Surrey Business School last year in March when I was part of the SETSquared Partnership Surrey Incubator. She was starting SWEN mastermind Unicorns to begin a dialogue on women entrepreneurship, the challenges, and aspirations, and was very keen on bringing the knowledge and insights from the founders at all stages to the underrepresented. The purpose truly resonated with me, as I believe being part of early-stage startup is huge learning process and openly sharing experiences and my journey is one of the ways I can help new founders build confidence and navigate challenges because there are indeed many barriers, and we should all do what we can to pave the way for diverse leadership and create a more inclusive startup ecosystem.  

I believe it was brilliant efforts form Eka’s side to build the first cohort, and the agenda. I immensely enjoyed being part of the sessions and share the technical know-hows. I was slightly ahead on the curve, so it was a chance for me to both reflect on my experience and correct course and also share my knowledge of the process, and the support available to women. 

Poonam’s Professional Story 

SWEN: When did you start your business, and what inspired you to pursue your entrepreneurial path? 

Poonam: I started the business about three and a half years ago. As a technology professional I have been fortunate to have a span of experience working in different ecosystems from Americas to APAC, starting my career with a huge organization like Cisco to working with startups, in both back-end product development department to technology sales orgs which is lot more customer centric and requires understanding of business use cases and a problem-solving approach.  I believe this experience is what pushed me to take a risk and jump into the startup world.  I wanted to stay close to the domain of my own expertise and interest areas, which are next-gen technologies, so I created bandarlog.dev, which is focused on building network applications and services for the future.  

SWEN: Can you share a project, milestone, or achievement you’re particularly proud of? 

Poonam: We are still in the early stages, and as a solo founder starting a deep tech company in a brand-new technology landscape, every single win, big or small, has been significant for me, and I have celebrated them all. There have been important development milestones that I can’t discuss in detail right now, but perhaps the first grant funding win was particularly special because it provided the validation I needed. Since then, the road has seemed easier.

SWEN: What core themes or values drive your work? (e.g. Sustainability, AI, Inclusion, Community, Creativity, etc.) 

Poonam: As a technology startup founder, my work is driven most by innovation. I want to use technology creatively to solve real-world business problems and create a meaningful impact. A startup at the core is all about collaboration, continuous learning, and fostering spaces where diverse voices can thrive. Therefore, a community that’s inclusive and diverse, where every idea is heard, and opportunities are accessible to everyone, is extremely important to me.  

Sustainability is at the core of our value proposition, we’re committed to building green, energy-efficient network infrastructure. Our goal is to create scalable, eco-friendly solutions that drive innovation while reducing environmental impact. 

Reflections on her Entrepreneurial Journey 

SWEN: What are some of the challenges you’ve faced as a woman in business, and how have you navigated them? 

Poonam: The challenges and hurdles, whether they come from biases or low confidence level in women’s leadership abilities, are everywhere. For a woman deep tech founder, all these elements amplify to another level. There are credibility biases and limited access to networks and mentorship in the cutting-edge fields like Networking, AI and Quantum computing.  High-risk innovation startups also do not attract funding, as there are longer commercialisation cycles, and with a woman founder, it gets even worse. My goal has not been to focus on challenges and get demotivated at every rejection, but instead, build the credibility slowly through industry alliances, creating awareness and traction, and looking for non-traditional funding sources for me, the most important part of startup journey is what I am building and that it will create impact and if this process has been enjoyable and meaningful for me.  

SWEN: What’s one piece of advice you’d give to other women trying to grow or fund a business? globally? 

Poonam: My advice would be to believe in yourself, do your homework, and navigate with confidence. It’s very important to understand your growth trajectory, both in business and as a leader, and build a strong support network. This will help you make strategic decisions and secure the right opportunities. 

SWEN: How do you think women in business can better support each other locally or globally?  

Poonam: Other than sharing opportunities and knowledge, two crucial ways women can help each other are through investing within the circle and also amplifying their voices both locally and globally. Funding collaborations and helping them gain visibility can shift perceptions and help build a stronger, more inclusive, and equitable business landscape for female founders. 

Looking Ahead 

SWEN: Why should other women join the SWEN community? 

 Poonam: SWEN is building a dynamic community with purpose of providing business support and access to local ecosystem of founders and investors. The programs are designed to help women entrepreneurs expand their networks, improve their business skills, and increase their chances of securing funding and investments for growth. 

SWEN: What’s next for you on your entrepreneurial journey? 

Poonam: My focus is on building strategic R&D partnerships with corporations that understand our complex technology roadmap and can join our journey as we navigate through development timelines, secure funding, and achieve commercialisation. These partnerships are incredibly important for us to not just avail financial support but also industry expertise and market access. By collaborating with the right corporate partners, we can accelerate our path to market while maintaining the integrity of our innovative technology solutions. 

SWEN: Thank you, Poonam, for sharing your story with us.