Latest eChai Startup Feed
Oizom, a leader in the Environmental Monitoring domain, is hiring a Hardware Lead to join our innovative team in Ahmedabad! If you're passionate about embedded systems, IoT, and making a real impact on the environment, this could be the perfect role for you.

📍 Location: Ahmedabad, India (In-Office) 

Don't miss this chance to be part of a team that's driving change through technology!
... and it's a wrap for SGx5 🙌

Couple of months back, we had the graduation for SGx5 cohort in Goa. SGx is a 16 week pay-it-forward program by SaaSBoomi where founders of early stage 
#saas companies go through growth acceleration with mentors and wingmates who have been through the curve.

About a year ago, Anupama and I had the good fortune of being part of the SGx4 cohort for Clientjoy (Acquired by Synup). Our learnings were crisp, clear and actionable.

They helped us with improving our account activations, getting a handle on our ICP and focusing on the right metrics. I also witnessed them helping my batchmates with their US GTM, going about category creation and setting up sales processes.

If you are a SaaS company doing $500K to $1.5M in ARR, link to apply to SGx6 is in the first comment.

Here's what you can expect if you are selected:
- Goal setting and weekly check-ins for your GTM
- Sat morning calls to hold you accountable every week
- Play-books on things you think you already know but you don't - like SEO, outbound, PPC etc
- 2 founders who will work with you and get their hands dirty, and most valuable of all
- Genuine community that also happens to be the world's largest pay-it-forward community for SaaS.

In SGx5, I had the opportunity to work with Saurabh from PMaps along with Abhishek from WeCP | We Create Problems and Mrigank from PeopleStrong. It was extremely meaningful.

A big hug for all SGx5 cohort companies - Parin from Reelo, Akash from Pibit.ai, Priyank from UrSpayce, Paul from Two Minute Reports | GoX.ai, Ayush from Adbrew and Manoj from SOCLY.io.

And ofcourse, can't forget the mentors & wingmates Dhruvil, Pallav, Sachin, Shruti, Vengat, Abhi, Ankit, Kalyan, Sakshi, Deepti, Rahul, Naman, Sudheer, Vaibhav, Utkarsh and Aastha.

Looking forward to learning via teaching in SGx6 👊
With over 20 years of experience in the food and grocery retail business, I’ve realized that the industry can become more viable and popular by focusing on a few key areas. Now is the time to share these insights and offer guidance to a broader audience, particularly by connecting with small retailers beyond our franchise network.

In this series of videos/reels, I’ve discussed these topics in detail, including retail consumer insights, essential dos and don’ts in the food and grocery sector, and the emerging trends and role of technology in making food and grocery retail more effective.
There’s something truly special about hosting eChai Ventures Social meetups on the AllEvents terrace. With a stunning view and a relaxed, welcoming vibe, it’s the perfect setting to unwind and connect with fellow entrepreneurs.

These gatherings are agenda-free, allowing ideas to flow naturally. Conversations range from the latest AI trends and innovative marketing strategies to the challenges of running a business. The insights shared are always refreshing, and the atmosphere on the terrace adds an extra layer of inspiration.

It’s always a pleasure to welcome our eChai friends to AllEvents. The combination of great company, stimulating discussions, and that unbeatable terrace vibe makes each meetup memorable. Looking forward to many more inspiring evenings ahead.

Syed Nadeem Jafri
Jatin Chaudhary
Hardika Patoliya
Kumar Manish
Pankaj Bhimani
Jaydip Parikh 
I'm thrilled to share that I recently attended the eChai Ventures Meet-up at DevX Vadodara. It was an incredible opportunity to delve into the world of creating a D2C brand.

During the session, we had an insightful session with Swati Vakharia. She shared her journey candidly, offering many valuable takeaways for fellow entrepreneurs.

Key highlights included:

- Her Shark Tank Journey
- Strategies to prevent third-party suppliers from selling her formulations.
- Balancing work and family life while being an Mother.
- Importance of Creating an amazing work culture within her company.
- Effective marketing on Instagram and Meta for her target group.
- Leveraging the Amazon marketplace alongside Myntra, Nykaa, and Tira.

A special thanks to our host Deeti Dave and Jatin Chaudhary for their efforts in making this session possible. I'm looking forward to attending more such events.
it's a mind opener to know about a lot of new ideas and startup working to change the way the people use services or products.

eChai Ventures great show.
Meet Vaishvi Bansal , a former founder of StarYup Ventures, turned investor and now serving as a Portfolio Manager at Marwari Catalysts

Marwari Catalysts is an accelerator program that invests in early-stage startups.
They first provide mentorship for 3 months and then invest in the startups, offering guidance across all segments of the business.

🌟 Favorite Startup: Cloud Kitchen Prasadam 🌟
She shared that one of her favourite startups is a cloud kitchen that prepares Prasad and sends it directly to customers' homes.

📌 Tips for Aspiring Founders:

1. Do Your Research: Vaishvi advises founders to thoroughly research and approach venture capitalists who specifically invest in their sector. Understanding the investor’s focus area can significantly increase your chances of securing funding

2. Tailor Your Pitch: When preparing to pitch, it’s crucial to tailor your presentation to the specific requirements of the investor.
A personalized pitch demonstrates that you’ve done your homework and are serious about your venture.

📚 Vaishvi's Recommendations:
• Atomic Habits by James Clear: Vaishvi highly recommends this book, which has been instrumental in her journey. It teaches how small, consistent actions can lead to significant impact over time—valuable advice for any founder

Inc42 Media Newsletter: Stay updated on the latest startup trends, news, and insights by subscribing to this newsletter.

Upon being asked what she enjoys most, Vaishvi shares that she enjoyed her time as a founder more than as an investor. Why? Because as a founder, you get to build everything from scratch—a process she finds incredibly exciting.

Reach out to Vaishvi Bansal if you are looking for investment for Startups.

Key Takeaways from Vaishvi Bansal:
✅ Enjoy the startup journey and embrace the challenges of building from scratch.
✅ Research and approach investors who align with your sector.
✅ Customize your pitch to match the investor's specific interests and requirements.
✅ Consistency is key—small habits can create big impacts.

I would like to thanks Vaishvi Bansal and other panelist Aditi Sinha and Ashna Agarwal for sharing their insights and tips for the investment.

A special thanks to eChai Ventures , Draper Startup House , and the amazing co-hosts Radhika Mohta , and moderator Mansi Baheti, Nivin Joseph , and Tanya mary for organizing such an insightful event.

P.S. Feel free to reach out to me, Bhavik Gupta and follow Startups Manch, if you’re interested in startups, funding, finding innovative ideas, or exploring new opportunities.
Amazing sharing an open conversation on "Basics Of Startup Fundraising" with Samson, Angad, Nivin, and all the incredible folks who joined us at Draper Startup House.

Housefull event! Wonderful engagement!

Thank you Jatin (eChai Ventures) and Nivin (Draper Startup House) for putting this together.
eChai Ventures is in 10 different countries at the moment.

It was good to see 50+ people show up on a Saturday morning.

Jatin Chaudhary is a master networker.

Pratyush Rai has done a solid in getting traction for Merlin AI.

Abhishek Kaushik, WeCP has been at it for the last 8 years and they've a beautiful office in HSR.

Thanks for having me.
💗Founders, Techies, Creators and Marketers - all under one roof one evening!! What an amazing turnout it was... 💯at Draper Startup House organised by eChai Ventures!!

Yes, and we all bonded over one common interest - #MarketingStrategy!

After all, who doesn't want it?? And doesn't get excited about it??

Right from #SteveJobs to an Aman Gupta!! And that's exactly what Penchala Tharun 🚀, the dynamic host made us do - think, ask, grill, imagine, visualize, find answers and have some serious fun.

As an experienced #BrandMarketer, it was always on my list to:

1. Quash doubts about Marketing for Startups - especially in Tech domain.
2. Clear misconceptions around Budgeting for Marketing
3. Guide them on how to go about GTM.
4. How to crack the Sales/Investor Pitch or Presentation.
5. And last but most important, the DON'Ts!
💗
I did try my best to address these in the short span of time that we had. If you still have any queries, please feel free to DM or write to: [email protected]

Special thanks to Jatin Chaudhary and Nivin Joseph to make this happen. 
At Momentum91, we've been hard at work understanding AI and their use-cases for mid-market and large firms. Late last week, I had the opportunity to share everything we've learnt so far with eChai Ventures at GVFL Limited.

Here are some notes:

👉 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐭
Other people also have AI. A lot of folks are building on top of AI and so there is increased competition in almost every vertical. Every niche software has like 3 bootstrapped competitors who are going to market via SEO. Also, product differentiators are difficult to communicate in the age of low attention spans. If you are starting distribution today, it needs a thorough re-imagination.

👉 𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐍𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰/𝐖𝐞𝐚𝐤 𝐀𝐈
Instead of building systems that are kind of smarter at doing a lot of things, you might want to consider building multiple and separate systems that are very smart at doing a few things extremely well. Enterprises/companies will separately pay for solving specific problem areas and addressing their use-cases. The game is depth, not breadth.

👉 𝐍𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐈 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬
Companies like ClickUp and Notion have done an amazing job at bringing AI within their products. But they are still not AI native. They were conceptualised when AI was not around. They have fit AI retrospectively. There is a large opportunity for building Native AI experiences. Platforms and products that are conceptualised from ground-up in the age of AI. An example of this is a project management system where I can assign tasks to both humans and agents. It will demand a lot of capital and ingenuity but it can be done. Here's a good question to ask: What other 'systems of records' exist that can be made AI native?

👉 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚
AI will solve for analysis, predictions, pattern recognition etc. Most firms do not have accurate data. If you can figure out a way for a business to collect accurate data about their prospects, customers, employees, products, sales, etc - using AI, you can do anything and everything. Figure out a way as to how you will solve for collection, storage and organisation of accurate data.

There were a few other things that we discussed.

👉 Co-pilot and Autopilots
👉 AI wrappers
👉 AI & Funding
👉 Verticalising LLMs
👉 AI Safety
👉 Real-life implementations of AI by companies we have not heard about

This conversation was meant to be a starting point for folks thinking about building in the AI space. It was by no means exhaustive - but sort of a summary of all the research Harsh, Jay, Koushikram and I have been doing for the past few months.

If you want the deck, let me know in the comments and I'll send it over 😇

Thank you Jatin for the opportunity.

Until next time :)
That was a blast! On Saturday, I spoke at Draper Startup House x eChai Ventures with Rinky Pandey about:

- How to choose startup ideas
- How to pick the right channels
- How to build repeatable customer acquisition funnels

Rinky helped these budding entrepreneurs with insights on fundraising,
and what VCs look for, in founders.

1 hour of heavy rain from Whitefield to Koramangala,
made me feel it'd be an empty house.

Instead, the turnout was amazing!

Thanks to Mansi Baheti & Jatin Chaudhary for putting this together :) 
✨ eChai's AI Meetup in Bengaluru with WeCP 💫

What a Success!!! eChai Ventures🎉

Thank you, Everyone, Anirudh Narayan and Pratyush Rai  for giving terrific insights and sharing all the know-how 💛

And Jatin Chaudhary for being a fabulous host!

We're glad everyone could make it and help drive the future of AI together!



VCs at Draper Startup House 🐢🐇🚀

Last week at Draper Startup House Bangalore, we had some seriously awesome VCs drop by:
- Shantanu Sharma from Pivot VC
- Pranav Sanghvi from Merak Ventures
- Ashna Agarwal from Jungle Ventures
- Vaishvi Bansal from Marwari Catalysts
- Aditi Sinha from IndiaQuotient

Our resident entrepreneurs got to pitch their hearts out, and the feedback they received was pure gold. The energy was unreal!

But it wasn’t just about funding. What made this week extra special were the amazing backstories these VCs shared—from an Airforce veteran turned VC, to a DJ turned VC, to a super young college grad already making waves in the venture world. These stories were pure inspiration, especially for anyone thinking about starting their journey in VC.

We also hosted two panel events with these incredible VCs, attracting nearly 200+ attendees! It was a blast and a huge success for our community.

Special thanks to Jatin Chaudhary and Radhika Mohta for making this happen—you both are rockstars! 🌟

If you’re a VC and passing through Bangalore, DM us—we’d love to host you at Draper Startup House, Bangalore!

Karan Bahadur Vikram Bharati Mansi Baheti Tanya Mary Deepika Palreddy Sai Chaitanya Kokku Vignesh S eChai Ventures



Innovative D2C Strategies Unveiled at 🛍 D2C Bangalore Mixer!

Our recent meetup at Netcore's Bangalore office with D2C pioneers from SOQO, Iyurved#JohnJacobs (Lenskart.com) lit the way for mastering the digital-first brand journey. ✨

Key takeaways from the panelists:
🌱 Janvi Tiwari - showcased strategies for niche product success through strong community engagement, setting a blueprint for brands that truly connect.

💡 Vandita Tewari - explored the rising ROAS challenge, offering insights on smart customer acquisition and distribution efficiency.

📈 Shivam Tiwari - mastered the art of scaling campaigns within large brands. It's about balancing reach and relevance to cut through the noise.

These leaders prove that strategic growth, community engagement, and smart decisions drive D2C success. 🎯

An experience co-hosted by Netcore Cloud & eChai Ventures, huge shoutout to Jatin Chaudhary for the exceptional curation.

Kudos to Mitul & Sharath for making the event a success! 🙌

Kalpit, Avadhoot, Mahesh

At the Raksha Bandhan celebration hosted by Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav MPIDC RO-Bhopal MSME-TECHNOLOGY DEVELOPMENT CENTRE (PPDCAGRA) at Minto Hall, where 800 incredible women entrepreneurs gathered, SOQO had the honor of being showcased as one of Bhopal’s marquee startups.

Amidst the festivities, a lady found herself in a tricky spot—without access to period products at such a high-profile event. Don’t be surprised this is a stark reality at ALL PLACES not just here but also 5 star hotels, schools, museum or any public place for that matter.

In her moment of need, SOQO stepped in with our leakproof undies literally meant to save the day for unexpected leaks including sogginess from pee, periods, discharge or sweat proving that we’re here to make a difference in real-life situations. 🌟 so glad this picture also made it to peoplessamachar 🥰✨
Learning & Growing Through Meet-ups 🌱

I attended several meet-ups organized by eChai Ventures, and it was such a cool experience. As a teenager who's just starting out in the world of startups and AI, getting the chance to meet new people and hear their stories was eye-opening.

Every conversation helped me see things from different angles and broadened my perspective. Networking isn’t just for seasoned professionals it's for anyone who's eager to learn, share ideas, and grow.

I'm grateful for these opportunities to connect with others who are as passionate as I am about innovation and creativity. Thank you eChai Ventures & Jatin Chaudhary for creating such a welcoming space for young minds to explore and engage!
I took a break from my usual grind to host a marketing event with eChai Ventures, and it reminded me why stepping out of your comfort zone can be so rewarding.

As the founder of Vinaayak Digital my days are packed with helping Businesses with their marketing and media needs.

But occasionally, I get to dive into something different – like hosting events. And let me tell you, I absolutely love it!

This particular event was special for me. I had the pleasure of engaging with two incredible founders Vedant Sarda & Mitesh L Thakker and a dynamic audience. The energy in the room was fantastic, and the discussions were both insightful and inspiring.

Hosting events allows me to step away from my daily tasks, connect with amazing people, and learn new things. 

It’s a refreshing change and a great reminder that it’s essential to make time for things you enjoy, even when life gets busy.

This experience reinforced a valuable lesson: don’t be afraid to try new things and follow your passions. Balancing work with what you love can bring a lot of joy and fulfillment.

So, whether you’re deep into your professional life or exploring a new hobby, embrace those opportunities that make you happy. They can be incredibly rewarding.
From a small idea to a global powerhouse: Netcore's journey is the stuff of startup dreams! 🚀

Born in the dot-com era, Netcore Cloud started just like any #startup of today.

Now, we support 6500+ brands connect with their customers better.

While we started as a messaging solution back in 1997, we didn't stop there.

We've expanded into #email, #SMS, #WhatsApp, push notifications, and more, becoming a global, bootstrapped market leader in customer engagement.

Our story resonates with every #founder's aspirations.

That's why, for the past year, we've been building Netcore for Startups – our initiative to help #B2C startups scale, just like we did.

The results?
🚀 100+ startups supported
🚀 50+ partners onboarded
🚀 Countless growth stories created

We've hosted events, collaborated with partners, and engaged deeply with the startup ecosystem to understand what truly drives growth.

Now, we're thrilled to officially launch Netcore for Startups on 
#LinkedIn!

Here's how we're powering the next generation of B2C innovators:
💻 Up to $30,000 in product credits
🧠 Expert mentorship from industry leaders
🤝 A powerful network of partners and peers

Whether you're gearing up for your next big leap or fine-tuning your growth engine, we've got your back every step of the way.

Ready to write your own success story? Apply Now in the comments!

Follow along for insights, success stories, and more as we continue to elevate the B2C startup ecosystem.

Apply at https://netcorecloud.com/startup-program/
Missed sharing this earlier but wanted to express my gratitude for being part of the vibrant eChai Ventures startup meet in Mumbai on 13th July!

The eChai community is renowned for bringing together innovative minds and fostering a spirit of collaboration and entrepreneurship.

It was great meeting fellow innovators and learning about the latest trends.

Special thanks to the organizers for curating such a fantastic event. Looking forward to attending the next one soon.

Abhinav Jain (AJ) I Almonds Ai | Apurv Abhay Modi | Sunil Batta 
I recently attended an incredible AI product showcase event at the LOGICWIND, powered by the eChai Ventures community. The event was a fantastic opportunity to see firsthand the innovative AI solutions being developed by brilliant minds in the tech industry.

I would like to give a special mention to two standout products that left a lasting impression:

1. AI Ingredient Scanner by WebOsmotic Private Limited: This tool scans the nutrients of packaged foods and classifies them as vegan or not. It’s a game-changer for health-conscious consumers and those with dietary restrictions (Being a Jain myself this product would help many overseas Jain people and not only Jain but other community people who are strictly following a vegan diet )Kudos to the team for developing such a practical and beneficial AI solution!

2. Legal advisory AI assistant by Counselvise : This AI assistant acts as a legal advisor, guiding users with references to real-world court cases. It’s an invaluable tool for both legal professionals and the general public seeking legal advice.

Also a fun and innovative AI application of narad.io | Intranet company to integrate AI model that generates a quiz based on the company policies and legal documents and testing out knowledge base of employees is a win-win implementation for both company and employees .


Thank you to LOGICWIND and eChai Ventures for organizing such a stellar event, and to all the participants for sharing their visionary products. Looking forward to more such enlightening and engaging events in the future!

🚀 I am sure you missed this in #Mumbai..
.
I was honored to have been the speaker along with Rajendra Lora at the recent eChai Ventures community meetup at DevX, Andheri

🌟 Moderated by Shubham Dumbre, I shared my raw startup journey and it was an absolute thrill, especially with such an inspiring audience of young founders and top voice like Dr. Hashim Adil 🏆, including many incredible female leaders like Aanchal Verma🏆 students, and passionate professionals.

From practical startup-building advice to insights on hiring and achieving the extraordinary, our session was a heartwarming exchange of knowledge and motivation.

Remembering the words of Eleanor Roosevelt, "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams."

Let's keep 'sailing' and 'scaling' together!

🚨 PMs from Bangalore >>> Got something for you ! 🌟

🤖 Have you ever thought about how AI would impact your career? I did and after talking to some 100+ AI Leaders in the last couple of months, I’m thrilled to share a unique opportunity with all of you via Anybody Can AI ( by Lyzr AI) 🚀

💭 Imagine a day where you’re immersed in all things AI, surrounded by fellow Product Managers who are just as eager to learn and grow. That’s exactly what we’re planning, and I can’t wait for you to join us at the 1st Edition of Anybody Can AI #Socials

👀 Here’s a sneak peek at what’s in store:

👨‍🎓👩‍🎓Phenomenal Speakers : I’m super excited about our lineup! We’ve got Debasmita Das from the founding team : product & growth of Pipeshift AI (YC S24) and Siddhant Goswami, the co-founder of none other than 100xEngineers.

🤝They’re not just experts; they’re passionate about sharing their knowledge, democratising AI for #NonDevelopers and got incredible insights on integrating AI into product management.

🎙️But it’s not just about listening to talks. It’s about having the real talk and engage in discussion about the "future of work". Whether you’re new to AI, haven’t yet started your AI journey or already pretty much some good experience - we have something in store for everyone. 

🏋️‍♀️🏋️‍♂️ This event will help you navigate the ever-evolving landscape of AI in product management and supercharge growth no matter where you’re in your AI journey. 

🎯 And here’s a fun twist: We’re #HIRING at Lyzr AI! This could be your golden ticket to landing that job and working w a team that has cracked $2M ARR in revenue in last 7 months.

🎫 We’re keeping it exclusive, so we’re looking for Product Managers with at least 2 years of experience. This isn’t just another networking meetup—it’s a game-changer.

So, are you ready to elevate your career with the power of AI? Let’s make it happen together. 🚀

📅 Save the date and get ready for an unforgettable experience!

See you there! 💡

<<Registration link in comments >>

Special shoutout to Urban Vault, eChai Ventures & The Product Folks for partnering up for this one. You folks have always been special 🙌 
Had a fantastic time at the Product Social hosted by eChai Ventures last weekend! It was enlightening to engage with fellow product enthusiasts and exchange insights.

A big shoutout to the Jatin Chaudhary for organizing this and Radhika Mohta and Sushil Kumar being such fantastic hosts.

Palak Nandi Darshan Suthar Penchala Tharun 🚀 Swati Awasthi Maitri H. Modi
eChai Partner Brands

eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner, helping them expand market reach, drive revenue growth, amplify brand visibility, and strengthen hiring efforts.

About eChai Ventures

eChai Ventures is a global startup network connecting entrepreneurs through local meetups in 20+ cities worldwide, enabling cross-border collaborations via startup panels, demo days, cricket, and pickleball leagues.

Make the most of eChai Ventures network:

  1. Complete Your eChai Profile It's key for others to discover you.
  2. Join eChai's Startup Meetups: Register for relevant eChai events happening across cities. Each event will have specific instructions on how to join.
  3. Discover Startup Folks: Explore and connect with other participants.
  4. Stay Updated: Follow the eChai feed for the latest updates from our community.
  5. Explore eChai Partner Brands: Check out our partner brands and how they can support you.
  6. Showcase Your Startup: Get opportunities to present your startup.
  7. Get Involved: Engage more and get a chance to volunteer or host meetups.
  8. Attend Global Events: Participate in events across different cities and countries.
  9. Find Collaborators: Discover co-founders, collaborators, talent, and business opportunities.
  10. Build Friendships: Make meaningful connections with fellow startup enthusiasts.

Join the meetups that interest you and start making the most of the community.

If you have any questions or need assistance, feel free to reach out at [email protected].