Nikunj Thakkar - Founder, UpSurge Ventures

Nikunj Thakkar

Founder, UpSurge Ventures

I’m Nikunj Thakkar, the founder of UpSurge Ventures, where we help entrepreneurs transform their ideas into powerful products with fast, high-quality MVPs. We specialize in turning vision into reality through smart development and strategic validation.

Having built and exited startups myself, I know the pain points firsthand—limited budgets, tight timelines, and the constant pressure to validate your idea before scaling. That’s why at UpSurge Ventures, we’ve built a system that focuses on:

🔹 Rapid Prototyping & Full-Stack Development – We don’t just build; we iterate fast. From wireframes to working products, we deliver at startup speed.

🔹 Scalable Architecture – We design systems that grow with your user base, ensuring that your MVP isn’t just a throwaway prototype but a foundation to scale.

🔹 User-Centric Validation – We help you launch early, learn fast, and pivot quickly based on real-world feedback.

Why UpSurge Ventures?

We’re a team of ex-founders and seasoned techies who’ve been in the trenches. We understand the urgency of building the right product with the right features. We don’t just code; we collaborate, bringing strategic insights that go beyond tech.

Who Do We Work With?

❇️ First-time founders who need a reliable tech partner to bring their vision to life.
❇️ Established startups looking to pivot or add new product lines.
❇️ Corporate innovators aiming to test new ideas without disrupting their main business.

Our Philosophy:

We believe in building smart, launching fast, and validating in the real world. We focus on solving real problems rather than building bloated features. Your “small” startup isn’t a weakness; it’s your superpower—agility, focus, and speed are your competitive advantages.

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Founders and startup folks who joined past eChai startup events
Upcoming events in Bengaluru
Jul
12
Sat
Bengaluru Startup Meetup
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
17 slots booked
Mrinal Rai - Co Founder & CPO, Intugine Avinash Pinto - Product Manager venkat VR - Founder-ThinkCA Saumya Agrawal - Founder & CEO, TechDefenders Consulting Avni Agrawal - Software engineer, Mathworks Aakash Gorai - Software Engineer 1, JPMC SRINIVASA V - Operations manager Yogeshwaran Muralidharan - Managing Director, YM Automation Private Limited Prem Pamulaparthi - R & D Engineer ,sciencutsav educational pvt lmtd Anish Baheti - Train My Brain ivan uthup - Founder - Hemodos Pharmaceuticals Rohit Kumar Singh - AI Software Engineer @ Intel Suraj Nambiar - CEO Snapit Ai Priyanka Khairnar - Sr Manager , Morgan Stanley Jade .N - User Experience Lead at Persistent systems Palak Bera - ML Enginner
Jul
12
Sat
Workplace Wellbeing & Culture Building: Conversations with Founders and People Leaders
Bengaluru
Urban Vault Headquarters
6:00pm — 08:00pm
13 slots booked
Penchala Tharun 🚀 - Founder, Wanderfly.in Ishita Kashyap - Marketer, Urban Vault Sriram P - OS HRS India Private Limited Mohammed Kamal - Business Development Manager Kush Prajapati - Founder, Redicine Medsol Harsha Bhurani - Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group Koumal Kalantry - Founder, Bignano Ventures Kumar Manish - Founder, Communicate Karo & UrbanVoices.in | Communication & Social Media Strategist Priyanka Khairnar - Sr Manager , Morgan Stanley Pankaj Bhimani - Founder, 58miles Vishal Narendra - Inventor, BounceOn Inc Anish Baheti - Train My Brain
Jul
13
Sun
eChai's Startup Open House in Bengaluru
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
11:00am — 01:00pm
5 slots booked
Soumya Ranjan - Ux Lead, CNB Swathi BKL - Founder Revanur it services and solutions opc pvt ltd Akash U N - AEH, Accenture
Jul
19
Sat
Bengaluru Startup Meetup
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Jul
26
Sat
eChai Startup Demo Day in Bengaluru: July Edition
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
28 slots booked
Aditya Salunkhe - Founder, Adiha.One shashank bhardwaj - Digital Marketing Manager, Algates Insurance Abhishek Jagatap AJ - Entrepreneur Amit Mohan - Founder & Product Manager, Expenses Manager Deepak Prabakar - Founder, Polama Sonam Nayak - Founder, Sapient & Savage Marketing Solutions Sarthak Gupta - Investment Banking Analyst, Wells Fargo Junaid Khan - Senior Sales Business Development Manager Soma Sekher - Founder Anirudh Madhava Rao Gopinath - Standard Chartered Bank Afreed AJ - branch manager Xpressbees Akshay Chikkodi - Butterfly Mayur Kasal - Kasalfarms Anish RM - Investment analyst, GSF India Pramod Patil - Brushtrek.com
Aug
02
Sat
eChai Women Founders Initiative in Bengaluru: August Edition
Bengaluru
Urban Vault Headquarters
6:00pm — 08:00pm
2 slots booked
BINDU SUNDHARAN - Founder - ScaleHatch Solutions (OPC) Pvt Ltd.,
Aug
30
Sat
eChai Startup Demo Day in Bengaluru: August Edition
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
5 slots booked
Parimmal Modii - Founder Soma Sekher - Founder Afreed AJ - branch manager Xpressbees Anish RM - Investment analyst, GSF India Jade .N - User Experience Lead at Persistent systems
Sep
06
Sat
eChai Women Founders Initiative in Bengaluru: September Edition
Bengaluru
Urban Vault Headquarters
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Sep
27
Sat
eChai Startup Demo Day in Bengaluru: September Edition
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Oct
04
Sat
eChai Women Founders Initiative in Bengaluru: October Edition
Bengaluru
Urban Vault Headquarters
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Oct
25
Sat
eChai Startup Demo Day in Bengaluru: October Edition
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Nov
01
Sat
eChai Women Founders Initiative in Bengaluru: November Edition
Bengaluru
Urban Vault Headquarters
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Nov
29
Sat
eChai Startup Demo Day in Bengaluru: November Edition
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Dec
06
Sat
eChai Women Founders Initiative in Bengaluru: December Edition
Bengaluru
Urban Vault Headquarters
6:00pm — 08:00pm
Dec
27
Sat
eChai Startup Demo Day in Bengaluru: December Edition
Bengaluru
Draper Startup House Koramangala
6:00pm — 08:00pm
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The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"At DevX.Work, we’ve greatly benefited from our association with eChai. Their events and networking forums have connected us with high-potential startups, ecosystem leaders, and innovation-driven professionals — many of whom have become valuable partners, collaborators, and even clients. What stands out most is the openness and accessibility of the community — whether you're an early-stage founder or an experienced entrepreneur, eChai provides a welcoming space to learn, collaborate, and grow. It's more than just a network — it's a catalyst for real, collaborative growth. We’re proud to be part of the eChai community. Highly recommended for any organization aiming to grow within the startup space."
Umesh Uttamchandani - Co-Founder, DevX
Umesh Uttamchandani
Co-Founder, DevX
"eChai has played a truly pivotal role in HummingBird’s journey — even before Day Zero. From ideation to establishment and into growth, it’s been a constant source of support. It connected me with incredible people who’ve become more than just friends. One of the biggest reasons I chose to stay in Ahmedabad is because of the eChai community. It has shaped my growth — both personally and professionally — in ways that are hard to articulate. Honestly, words fall short when I try to express what eChai means to me. I’m deeply thankful and forever grateful to eChai for being such an integral part of my journey."
Harsha Bhurani - Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
Harsha Bhurani
Founder, HummingBird Consulting Group
"We found eChai to be a force multiplier throughout our startup journey. Through it, we connected with folks from DevX, Allevents, Plutomen, and more - many of whom became friends of IndiaBizForSale.com and even part of our clientele."
Bhavin S Bhagat - Co-founder of Indiabizforsale and IBGrid, TiE Ahmedabad President
Bhavin S Bhagat
Co-founder of Indiabizforsale and IBGrid, TiE Ahmedabad President

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