Everyone wants a silver bullet for building the next unicorn or a million-dollar start up but creating one would take time, consistent efforts, and funds. A repeated question often asked by a startup is –“how can we get funded right away?.”
Well, you can try your luck gaining the attention of potential investors, apply for numerous grants and fellowships or opt for VC funding. Another option is to attend pitching events. These events would be adrenaline-fuelled with good food and speaker sessions. But beware to chose the right one.
At times you may not stand a chance to even introduce your idea. Questions to ponder are- do they really give you a slot to pitch? Is it an event that has actual investors and no open audience, so that you are comfortable to reveal your idea? Some events go beyond the usual trajectories to find the most promising and fundable startups in India.
Amrita TBI PitchFest is such a unique initiative by Amrita TBI supported by Govt. of India and
Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham awhere the total seed investment outlay up to USD 200,000.
Hear what Shri Amitabh Kant, former CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India has to say
"Amrita TBI is the rarest of the rare among the various startup incubators in India,” said Shri Amitabh Kant. CEO, NITI Aayog,
Government of India."
No wonder, in 2017, Amrita TBI won the National Award for the Best Startup Incubator in India that was conferred by the President of India.
The past editions of Amrita TBI PitchFest were much celebrated by startups and it received massive support from startups, investors, partners, experts, and enthusiasts. Amrita TBI PitchFest 2017 was inaugurated by Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog, Government of India through video conference. The event culminates every year with the top applicants competing on the final day to walk away with various opportunities and funding options. It provides an unparalleled opportunity for startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to qualify for seed funding.
The notable winners of past editions include Miqasa Home Automation, Discover Dollar, Yellow Messenger, Cookifi etc.
1) Yellow Messenger: An AI-based chatbot platform raised $4 million in VC investment in 2019.
Investors were LightSpeed Ventures, Phanindra Sama, Kunal Bahl, etc.
2) MiQasa Automation: IoT based smart home automation was acquired for $1 million USD by Sachin Tendulkar backed Smarttron with the objective of taking the products across South East Asia and making it a multimillion-dollar business.
3) Preksh Innovations: An AR/VR startup that came in the #2 position at K Startup Grand Challenge, Seoul, competing against 2400 startups across 124 countries.
4) Discover Dollar: A SAPPHIRE Orlando winner who won a large order (sales of over $1 millionUSD) from a top global retailer. Solving pricing inconsistencies and hence lost revenue between vendor and retailer.
5) Cookifi: One of the top startups in the food sector. They have built an AI-based platform that automates the entire process from order taking, procurement, delivery and presentation to optimize operations. Every month the startup caters around 100-120 orders.
The first step is to introspect if you have a quality idea or product/service in hand supported by technology. Pro tip: you should apply if you want to showcase your ideas, qualify to receive a total seed investment up to USD 200,000 and get incubation space at Amrita TBI.
Yes, you heard it right! All in one go.
Wait that’s not all. All non-finalists also stand a chance to avail best services including access to co-working spaces, legal support, multi-disciplinary labs, eligibility for govt-funded grants and fellowships like NIDHI PRAYAS, NIDHI EIR, etc. from Amrita TBI. Now that you have reached so far, here is what you need to know for the pitch day. Click here to know how you can benefit from the program and apply for PitchFest.
Gear up for Amrita TBI PitchFest. Let your ideas flourish!
Amrita TBI provides infrastructure and incubation services at low cost across three cities- Bengaluru, Coimbatore, and Kollam. The startups can also opt to be a virtual incubatee and can operate from anywhere in India. Amrita TBI will complete the required due-diligence on the finalists and provide seed investments for qualified startups.
Amrita TBI (www.amritatbi.com) is a non-profit startup incubator supported by DST, Govt. of India and Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Amrita TBI funds, mentors and nurtures ideas, startups and entrepreneurs. We have incubated 151 startups and mentored 400+ startup ideas. Startups have raised over Rs. 45 Crore in investments and filed 46+ patents.