The past few months are likely to go down in history as a time when Indian startups emerged stronger after proving their mettle against a challenge like COVID-19. Amidst such testing circumstances, these startups were seen innovating at scale to not just cater to fast evolving consumer demand, but also to drive impact with technology. From facilitating testing for COVID-19 to contact tracing to sanitisation and vaccinations, startups were an integral part of India’s fight against the virus.
At the same time, their success and resilience didn’t go noticed as fund houses and venture capitalists lined up to invest in these ventures. According to YourStory research, Indian startup funding touched $10.15 billion in H1 2021 — exceeding the $9.94 billion raised in the whole of last year. The amount was raised across 543 deals from around 1,020 active investors in the ecosystem.
Understanding startups’ potential to fuel change across industries, Ankur Capital has been an active stakeholder of the startup ecosystem by supporting early-stage ventures in their growth journeys. Established in 2014, the venture capitalist fund not just provides startups with flexible capital, but also helps them connect with industry leaders to build better business models and get guidance.
Supporting startups in their growth journeys
Its portfolio acceleration team and venture advisors also help startup founders unlock their full potential with their extensive experience and insights. Under their guidance, these startup founders can attract the right kind of talent, streamline their operational processes, fine-tune their strategies and innovate at scale.
Last year, the VC firm launched Ankur Capital Dialogues — a monthly webinar that brings industry experts and leaders together to discuss how technology could drive change in different fields like climate change and the aquaculture value chain. These conversations highlighted the role technology has been playing to solve societal problems and the way forward.
As part of the initiative, Ankur Capital will be hosting the ‘India Pitch Fest’— a phygital networking and pitching event — to provide early-stage startups a chance to scale and bring their innovative ideas to life.
With over 1 billion Indians vaccinated against COVID-19 and people adjusting to the new normal, the world is gradually warming up to hybrid or phygital events. India Pitch Fest will be a hybrid event and will give startup founders from across the country a chance to pitch their ideas to some of the biggest names of the Indian startup ecosystem.
What’s in store for startups
The registration window closes on October 26, 2021 and the shortlisted startups will be announced on October 27, 2021. The selected startups will get to pitch their ideas in Bengaluru, New Delhi and Mumbai at physical events on the 28th and virtually on October 29, 2021. It’s being supported by other VC players in the ecosystem such as Anicut Capital, Eximius Ventures, Samyakth Capital, Java Capital and Upsparks. The Technology Partner is AWS and the Ecosystem Partner is HeadStart.
“At Ankur Capital, we have always valued opportunities to interact with entrepreneurs in the ecosystem. We have tried to give back to the community through mentoring early-stage startups with our partner incubators, hosting open office hours in different locations or supporting industry bodies that form a bridge between corporates and startups. COVID-19 has changed how we need to serve the startup community. While it has allowed our expert speakers to be available to a wider audience through Ankur Capital Dialogues, the deeper interactions from in-person pitch events have not been replicated that well online,” says Shiva Shanker, VP, Ankur Capital.
Shiva believes that the India Pitch Fest represents an opportunity to bring founders and investors together again, to not just allow for more meaningful interactions but also to lead acceleration of startups and support their growth. “We look forward to the first edition of India Pitch Fest later this month and hosting more such events going forward,” he adds.
India Pitch Fest is open for early-stage startups from all sectors that are working on innovative solutions and ideas and, aim to disrupt the way consumers, industries and businesses operate.
If you’re a part of a startup that’s looking for an opportunity to scale, then don’t miss this chance to fast-track your growth journey. The last date to apply is October 26, 2021. For more details about India Pitch Fest, visit: https://t.co/S1vLwbTCip?amp=1
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