Last Saturday at MotionGility, we had the privilege of hosting two esteemed speakers, Mehul Shah, co-founder of Ivy Growth Associates, and Tushar Suhalka, founder of Regrip, along with Komal Chaturvedi.

The topic of discussion was "How to Secure Funding During a Recession," a subject that couldn't be more relevant in today's economic climate.

Both Mehul and Tushar shared their experiences in investing and securing funding.

One key takeaway was that having a solid business and a profitable cash flow can increase your chances of securing funding, even in a recession.

The event was a goldmine of knowledge for entrepreneurs, giving actionable tips and strategies to secure funding during tough times.

Thank you, Jatin Chaudhary and eChai Ventures for backing this insightful gathering!

Also, a special thanks to Narendra Govil Ji & Aman Jolly for presenting the Gift 🎁& Taponn card to Mr. Mehul, it was a pleasure having you here.

This post celebrates the incredible impact of #networking and the pivotal role eChai Ventures has played in expanding my knowledge and connections within the industry.

A special shout-out to Jatin Chaudhary, whose support was instrumental when I was navigating the beginnings of this vibrant ecosystem. The relationships forged through #eChai meetings have turned out to be not just valuable but transformative.

Witnessing Bull Agritech's growth has been a joy. The dedicated approach and profound industry insights of its founders, Hit Desai and Divyajeetsinh Chauhan, clearly set them apart and paved their path forward.

Heartfelt congratulations to the entire Bull Agritech team—here's to soaring to new heights and achieving even greater milestones.

A big thank you to Faraz Wadhwania for being part of this journey. Your involvement and connections have made the job a lot easier.

|Fundraising Alert|

I am humbled to share the news of the $100K fundraise of Bull Agritech as their Fundraising Advisor. Personally, this is the first instance of aiding a fundraiser as a consultant.


With the new infusion, Akassh P., Nilesh Bhalala, Jeet Shastri, Adishwar Jain and Shahin Patel have joined in on the capable.


The Backstory:

Thanks to our coffee connection, I met the founders of Bull Agritech Hit Desai and Divyajeetsinh Chauhan through Rushabh Shah of STIR Advisors with whom I met through Jatin Chaudhary of eChai Ventures. This was my first experience working with someone as an 

#investmentbanker to meet the capital requirements of a startup.

With our close engagement with the founders, we will continue to help them in their capital-raising journey.


About Bull Agritech:

📌 Bull Agritech aims to create India's largest #agricommodity #supplychain by leveraging technology and its network of farmers and commodity processors.

📌 BA facilitated trades worth 35 crores in 24 months. Over 6000 farmers chose BA for selling crops instead of local APMCs.

📌 After reporting a 200% YoY growth, the company aims to sustain a 25% MoM growth and expand in the less penetrated farmer financing market.


Special Shoutout:

We rooped in Khyati Jha from Spectrum Partners to manage the legal side of the transaction. It has now been 5+ deals with Khyati on the legal front in the last couple of years. Bunty Hudda from Hudda & Associates Company Secretaries LLP led the secretarial piece. Harshit Dave also worked as a supporting pillar for the deal.

I extend my heartiest congratulations and support to the Bull #agritech team in their journey to growth and success.

WE ARE NO DIFFERENT

Every #sharktank featured event I go to, they put us on a pedestal.

Last meeting organised by eChai Ventures for young and aspiring entrepreneurs, the first thing I did was change those high seats to seats the same as the others.

It relaxed the whole group and they felt inclusive immediately, of course, Ravi Mathur and Agnim Gupta were also game and three of us immediately became one with the group.

Three of us shared our journeys, visions, wins and most importantly our failures. It is absolutely crucial to understand that our success is only after a series of failures.And, we still have a long way to go.

So walk, fall, get up, relearn and this time RUN. It was such a successful moment when the listeners at the end came up to us and said that they felt we were as normal as them and if we could, so could they.

But, here’s a little secret. I too look up to some legendary entrepreneurs and it feels like they are different, but this was a sweet reminder that we can be whoever we want to be if we put in all our efforts.

So who do you want to be like? Do share your hero with me.

eChai Ventures social conversations are super fun and insightful theme was great "From Zero to Millions".

Thanks everyone for joining in Bhavesh Patel | Leena Parikh | Valay Parikh | Jatin Chaudhary | Bhavik Makwana | Nikita Lalwani | Pankaj Bhimani | Chirag Panchal  | Yug Dave

In the age of overselling and misselling, how do you truly drive sales?

An Incredible event hosted by eChai Ventures X GVFL Limited, delved into this very question: How to get early customers to scaling your sales.

Key Takeaways:

1. Listen & Ask the Right Questions: Allow your target customers to share their pain points. Avoid assumptions, and simply listen.

2. Don’t outsmart your customer.

3. Under Promise, Over Deliver:

It’s easier said than done. Making sales promises you can't keep damages your credibility in the long run.

4. Don’t sell to everyone.

If your customer is everyone then your customer is no one.

5. Invest in PR:

PR means Perception that drives Reality. Create Perception by investing in PR activity.

6. Base your research on facts, not assumptions.

7. Lead Magnets >> Money Magnets: Offer exceptional value through lead magnets to convert target customers into loyal fans.

Last not but least,

8. Find ways to collaborate with people:

Be the person that everyone wants to collaborate or be that person who collaborates with everyone, Read that again.

Thanks for sharing invaluable insights Jatin Chaudhary, Shrijay Sheth, Yash Shah , Vikas Mundhra, Kamal Bansal & Mihir Joshi.

Draper Startup House + eChai Ventures , moderated by Vishnu Chaitanya, is a powerhouse combination! 💥

Yesterday's discussion brought together the titans of the #HoReCa industry in Hyderabad, featuring brands like Ishtaa, Haashi , Euphoria Bakers, Drunken Monkey , churrolto, and Swiggy. 🍽️

The insights shared by these industry stars were nothing short of fascinating, especially for a marketing enthusiast like me. The moderator's questions and the engaging Q&A session kept us hooked for an event that stretched two hours beyond schedule! 🕒

From Koushik "Babu" Koganti's journey from the streets of the USA to Harvard and then to the bustling streets of Hyderabad, to Samrat Reddy transformation of Drunken Monkey from a brand to a lifestyle, each story resonated deeply with the entrepreneurial spirit. 🌟

Neehar Bisabathini from Churroltto captivated us with his eloquence and straightforward explanations, leaving us eagerly anticipating more of his wisdom in the future. Stay tuned! 🎤

Faisal Tayabali's journey with Euphoria, from corporate life to becoming the "Bald Brownie Baba," showcased the power of entrepreneurial freedom.

Sandeep Balasubramanian from Hashi shared his eureka moment and the enduring value of strong employee relationships during challenging times like the pandemic. 💡

And let's not forget Suharika Karri from Swiggy Hyderabad, whose insights on dark kitchens and boosting sales were nothing short of guru mantras for startups in the HoReCa industry. 🍕

I (and members of The D2C Folks) had the privilege of learning so much from the panelists at the D2C event by eChai Ventures and Netcore Cloud yesterday!

From Shivam Tiwari's inspiring story to Janvi Tiwari's unwavering dedication to her brand SOQO, and Vandita Tewari Kapoor's insightful strategies for Iyurved, every moment was enriching.

Waiting for more of these enlightening sessions!

Thank you Nanda Kumar, Mitul Aggarwal for this event!

Gorang Gupta | Nishanth Kumar | Manesh Jain | Prashant Prakash Dubey | Jatin Chaudhary

Contributing to streaming conversations around marketing in #Surat is a great delight and also the need of the hour. We've all witnessed events centering around startups, funding, finance, art, textile, auto, energy, and various other sectors but one pivotal factor "Marketing" still remains overshadowed & undervalued.

There's clear lack of education on marketing, both from the standpoint of brands and marketers themselves. It's time we marketeers collectively come together, uplift the significance of marketing in our ecosystem.

Let's ensure every voice in #Surat is equipped with ample knowledge and tools to harness the potential of marketing.

Glad eChai Ventures & Manoj Adwani is taking initiatives forging the culture of strong brand image!

Had an amazing time attending the event last Saturday evening hosted by eChai Ventures and LOGICWIND 🚀 It was an incredible opportunity to connect with amazing founders, exchange ideas, and gain insights into the latest trends shaping our industry.

The panel (Saurabh Pacheriwal,Hardik Dawar, Anushi Shah,Meghna Kherajani,Roshan Chaudhari,Radhika Agarwal) shared some valuable insights for new startup founders:

🔍 To establish client connections and nurture them, keep the approach very personalized based on the client. This results in better client conversion and retention.

📞 Quick responses to client queries play a major role in client satisfaction. It's not just about great numbers and results; it's about being attentive and responsive.

💼 As a founder, having an authoritative or strong point of view of what you bring to the table and what results you can help achieve is crucial.

🚀 Confused about when to start marketing for your product? The answer: even before the product hits the market. Start by sharing free resources and insights for your target audience to identify the first adopters for your product.

Thanks to Manoj Adwani for making this event possible. It was an enriching experience, and I'm excited to be part of more such upcoming events.

Thank you for joining us as I hosted the eChai Ventures Marketing Summit at Urban Vault, HSR!

My key takeaways:

Sharuti Mittal: Paying more attention to the labels on our foods is crucial.

Ajitesh Shankar Das: Working closely with the product folks enables in targeting the ideal customer profile.

Parasar Sarma: Talking to the customer is everyone's job. Stories that stay with us exist there.

Aquibur Rahman: There's immense value in talking to your customers on why are they coming to you and how can you serve them better.

Thank you for making this gathering happen, Jatin Chaudhary!

To HSR, With Love ❤️
Your Cheerleader from HSRisHome

We host eChai's two parallel startup meetups in Bengaluru every Saturday evening, one in Koramangala and the other in HSR Layout. 

Feel free to join whenever you happen to be in Bengaluru and nearby these areas.

Join me on March 16 at 6 PM IST at Urban Vault for a conversation about marketing along with Parasar Sarma, Sharuti Mittal and Ajitesh Shankar Das.

Hosted by Radhika Mohta for eChai Ventures.

RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gdzcTjRp

The eChai Ventures AI Social was a truly great experience.Yesterday, I had a pleasant time discussing various AI topics. The conversation with folks was enlightening, and I learned more about AI applications. Thank you, Jatin Chaudhary and GVFL Limited, for hosting such a wonderful social gathering.

Where do we all use AI nowadays? Be it in presentations, content creation, scanning interviews, job searches, education, on LinkedIn, reviewing documents, scanning documents, in e-commerce businesses using photography, or applying it to other skills.

The discussion on fantastic use cases was enlightening; there's a saying that a lot can happen over a cup of tea. Such great discussions are not always about showcasing who we are but often about understanding where the world is heading. The interaction with a few folks was great, and I'm looking forward to meeting and connecting with you again soon.

The discussion of AI's beautiful use cases across various domains—be it driving AI Nisarg Pandya, AI-driven interviews Vinit B Yadav, the education sector Niraj Harlalka, or the creation of mobile apps through AI—highlights its transformative power and versatility.

Nowadays, we often see blogs and posts from AI, and you can feel the difference between personally written and AI-generated content. It was also noted that sites using AI-generated content will be penalized, and the day may come when you have to credit your article as being generated by AI as thoroughly pointed out by Dipti Parmar.

Great mission of Ekta Shah founder of Biziverse is to empower Indian MSMEs to become world-class. Also discussion with VIKASH RAJPUROHIT founder of VastraApp, which is Vertical SaaS for the Textile Industry, was truly fruitful.

The clever integration of personal website visibility in the background during a concise two-line pitch adds a personalized touch that blends professional presentation .The commendable speed at which these tasks are executed is truly impressive Jatin Chaudhary.

In In the world of finance, as a qualified CA and CISA-certified professional, I look forward to more such use cases in the field, but along with ensuring data privacy and personal privacy. So, to conclude, AI is a companion, and we should use it wisely, not blindly. It can never replace humans but definitely saves time.

Notes from eChai AI Social at GVFL:

Curious about what went down at the eChai Startup Social with GVFL on March 14, 2024? Get ready to dive into a whirlwind of insights and takeaways straight from our participants themselves.

Mitesh Shethwala

, Founder, Currently 

Aditya Shah

, Founder, Because 

Shalin Parikh

, Founder, Entigrity

Nikita A Macquinn

 

Jimish Kapadia

 

Tarjani Shah

 

We use various tools in our office for graphics, images, and presentations, including ChatGPT-4 and its plugins and DALL-E, as well as Microsoft Copilot. We also utilize software that leverages AI in the backend for tasks like GST reconciliation. 

I recently shared a use case and a story titled "A Tale of Technology: AI's Impact on GST" on LinkedIn. You can find it here: https://l1nk.dev/Esd6Z.

See all those consumer products behind us. What if I told you that all these can be created using AI?

Imagine a world where products are no longer solely developed based on intuition and market research, but rather a world where AI becomes the driving force behind the creation of consumer packaged products. This idea is not a distant dream but a reality taking shape as we speak and Ai Palette is at the forefront of it.

To further this vision, we are excited to announce our latest funding round of 5.8 Million USD by partnering with Tin Men Capital and with continued support of Exfinity Venture Partners and pi Ventures.

At Ai Palette, we are passionate about leveraging the power of Generative AI to transform the traditional CPG Industry and drive innovation. With this recent investment, we are poised to take our disruptive technology to new heights and expand our reach into exciting new verticals.

🌟 Entering the Beauty and Personal Care Sector: Building on our success in disrupting traditional CPG markets in F&B, we are thrilled to announce our expansion into the dynamic world of Beauty and Personal Care. This move represents a strategic leap forward as we continue to push boundaries and deliver cutting-edge solutions to meet evolving consumer needs.

💡 Transforming the Industry with AI: Our proprietary Generative AI technology enables us to create unique, data-driven insights and develop personalized products that resonate with consumers on a deeper level. By harnessing the power of AI, we are unlocking new possibilities in product development, marketing, and customer engagement, setting new standards for innovation within the industry.

As we embark on this exciting new chapter, we remain committed to our vision of shaping the future of the CPG landscape on a global scale. With our innovative approach and strategic partnerships, we are well-positioned to drive meaningful change and create value for consumers, brands, and investors alike.

Thank You to all our well-wishers and supporters: None of this would be possible without the unwavering support of our customers, investors, and dedicated Paletteers. We are immensely grateful for your belief in our vision and your commitment to our success.

Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to disrupt and innovate in the CPG industry! Together, we are shaping the future of consumer goods with AI-driven solutions that inspire, delight, and transform.

When you strive, you arrive. 

I am back from SaaSBoomi Annual 2024, held in Chennai 😎

🔹Not long ago, Chennai struggled to attract Investors.

🔹Fast forward to 7th Mar 2024 - Investors from all over globe flew to Chennai, eager to see what SaaS Founders are building and offer them help, guidance and capital

Visionaries like Girish Mathrubootham and Avinash Raghava reinstate the thought - Think Big, and everything becomes possible

Huge shout out to Team SaasBoomi and all the volunteers for putting up such a incredible event 🙌