We are proud to serve schools across the nation. 

Today, with a wide network of 5,000 schools spread across 27 states and 250 cities, every member of Saarthi Pedagogy is committed to helping schools and students improve their learning outcomes.

 

eChai's Bengaluru SaaS meetup was held today w/ 

Sai Krishna

(Superblog) and 

Amit Chavan

(Vibtree) joining the panel.

List of featured participants at https://echai.ventures/events/bengaluru-saas-meetup-feb-16-2024

Let me tell you a story that seems almost too good to be true. My name is Bhavesh, and this journey starts with a simple meeting that felt like fate. In 2019, in Ahmedabad, at a networking event by Patel Business Network, I met another Bhavesh -

Bhavesh Korat

. We both believed in doing good for others, and that’s what brought us together.

We quickly realized we shared more than just a name; we had a common dream. So, in 2020, with a small team of six, we started Brands.live. Our goal was pretty straightforward: help small businesses in India make a name for themselves without breaking the bank.

The idea was to make branding simple and accessible. We wanted every small business owner to have the chance to tell their story, to stand out, and to grow. It felt like everything just clicked into place as we worked on this.

Now, looking back, it’s amazing to see how far we’ve come. We’ve faced challenges, sure, but our belief in our mission has kept us going. We're not just building a company; we're hoping to inspire a whole community of entrepreneurs.

Our roles also complement as

Bhavesh Korat

  manages the Tech, Finance, and sales, I manage Content and Marketing.

So, back in 2019, I just tagged along with a buddy of mine because he had this meeting about some Women 4.0 ML workshops happening across India. Honestly, I wasn't all that into it; just wanted a quick way to hitch a ride to LD BRTS and head home. But then, things took a turn.

We met this guy who was all pumped about organizing the event. They were chatting away about plans and execution, and there I was, just hanging. I had a bunch of ideas popping into my head, but I kept quiet. Then they shifted gears to talking about growing their community, and I couldn't help myself—I just blurted out my two cents on how design and branding could really make a difference. That's all I really knew back then.

Turns out, this sparked a whole new conversation, and before I knew it, I was deep in discussion with Tirth, who was running this Instagram community with over 18K followers. We met again the next day, and bam, we were on the same wavelength, dreaming big about starting our own thing in the ed-tech space, which was pretty fresh at the time. We quickly cooked up MAD—short for Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Data Science. Fast forward six months, we were teaching over 300 students and had made some good cash. But then, COVID hit, and everything just fell apart. We had our share of clashes and decided to call it quits.

Fast forward again, two years later, I hit Tirth up out of the blue, thinking we should give it another shot. This time we launched HYPR, aiming to shake up the ed-tech scene. But turns out, the timing was off; the market wasn't looking for another ed-tech player. So, we had to pivot from that too.

Now, we're onto something new called YOMO. 

YOMO is a user insights platform that enables product teams to build better customer-centric products by going beyond basic analytics. It's been quite the ride, from a random meetup to launching not one, but two startups, facing setbacks and still pushing forward. If you told me back in 2019 that tagging along for a ride would lead to all this, I'd have laughed. But here we are, proof that sometimes the smallest decisions can lead you to places you never imagined.

⁠I was associated with iBall Brand since 2001 and Vikalp joined in 2008 and we did lot of projects together for 11 years.

When I discussed about the idea of making a business intelligence software with Vikalp, he immediately came to Ahmedabad from Delhi to discuss about the next steps.

Our approach to defining co-founder roles was intuitive rather than structured. Vikalp naturally gravitated towards product management due to his deep tech background and passion. Our mutual understanding was that, regardless of our individual expertise areas, we would maintain an open dialogue, challenging and questioning each other's decisions. 

This dynamic allows us to progress collectively, guided by the strong conviction of the decision-maker in any given situation.

eChai's Startup Growth Networking Meetup in Ahmedabad is happening today evening at IIMA Ventures from 6 pm to 8 pm.

ft.

Zaiba Sarang

(iThink Logistics)

Bhavesh Patel

(Brands.live)

Aditya Shah

(Because)

Vishakha Shah

(Venus Logistics)

Sushil Agrawal

(Saarthi Pedagogy)

I'll be moderating this meetup.

Free registration at eChai.Ventures

We are hosting the Hiring AI Talent for Startups meetup in Bengaluru today evening at WeCP HQ, HSR Layout from 6 pm to 8 pm.

Abhishek Kaushik

(WeCP)

Shivam Tiwari

(John Jacobs - LensKart)

Shreyans Panchal

 (Yomo AI)

Free registration at eChai.Ventures

From the earlier eChai SaaS Social with founder friends from the city at MagentaInsights HQ.

Small Group. Candid Conversations. Startup Folks.

Great to catch up with many new founder friends from Ahmedabad.

Vikas Mundhra & Vikalp Somani (MagentaInsights)

Yash Shah (Clientjoy)

VIKASH RAJPUROHIT & Keshav Dhamecha (VastraApp)

Pankaj Bhimani (58Miles)

Kush Prajapati (Redicine)

Pratik Patel (Flo Mobility)

Himani Kankaria (Missive Digital)

Bhavik Makwana (ZenDevX)

Anuj Dalal (Zestard)

Mitesh Shethwala (Currently)

Harsha Bhurani (Hummingbird Consulting)

Jay Patel (Momentum Ventures)

Koumal Kalantry (Ankk Cares)

Swayam Raval (Admyre Club)

Nishi Jain (Vibes Good)

Niren Panchal (Brittman & Workex)

Foram Popat (HROne)

List of participants at https://echai.ventures/events/echai-saas-social-in-ahmedabad-feb-07-2024

We'll be hosting eChai's SaaS Social today evening in Ahmedabad.

Small Group. Candid Conversations. SaaS Folks.

We'll have parallel consumer business social also. Later on we'll have common gathering with both the groups.

More info at https://echai.ventures/events/echai-saas-social-in-ahmedabad-feb-07-2024

Notes from Startup Exits and M&A Forum

It’s important for both the companies - the company being acquired and the acquirer - to evaluate not just products, services and financials but also whether there is culture fit between the leadership and the team at large.

⁠Due Diligence can bring to light compliance issues as well some times and it is ok. As long as it does not show gross negligence or mis-representation in data, Due Diligence typically goes through.

Diligence at the time of acquisition and diligence at the time of fund-raising are quite different. At the time of acquisition, it is much more focused on team, technology, GTM channels and financials while diligence at the time of fund raising is mostly legal and financial with some attention to other aspects.

It’s difficult for startups to plan for an exit. The plan should be created to become valuable for customers - everything else typically follows.

Things to keep in mind during fundraising for early stage founders.

1. It is crucial to meticulously select a list of venture capitalists whose interests align with those of your company. This strategic alignment ensures that both parties are working towards common goals, thereby fostering a more fruitful and synergistic partnership.

2. View funding primarily as a catalyst for growth. Often, funds raised merely for the purpose of survival can lead a company into a detrimental cycle. Instead, focus on utilizing capital to accelerate development and expansion, thereby enhancing the company's long-term viability and success.

3. Be aware that certain aspects of your business may raise concerns or 'red flags' from an investor's perspective. It is imperative to continuously strengthen the 'green flags' or positive aspects of your venture. By reinforcing these strengths, you can effectively mitigate the impact of any potential red flags and present your business in a more favourable light to potential investors.

Things to keep in mind during fundraising for early stage founders.

There are no permanent ‘No’s. When an investor passed on your deal, ask for permission to keep them updated every quarter and then enrol them into a list to which you send out a quarterly update across your product, team and growth. You never know when interest in your startup might peak.

Fundraising is a full-time activity for 1 founder. Pitch to as many people as you can. Pitch, Ask for feedback, improve, repeat.

At early stages, valuation is more of an art than a science. Ultimately, when you are at the negotiating table - everything falls back to how desperate you are to raise and how convinced they are to invest in you.

Things to keep in mind during fundraising for early stage founders.

1) It is very important to know/understand when is the right time to raise funds. Don’t raise at the last minute else you won’t have any leverage.  Also consider there may be multiple ways to increase your company’s cash including debt options 

2) In the struggle between balancing funds and growing customers,  try to focus on growing customers using any means necessary.  Remember if there is growth, funds will follow. 

3) During the process of raising funds, anything could go wrong. Don’t rest just because you have a signed term sheet. It’s never over until the funds are in your bank account. 

4) Having some kind of leverage is the most important thing while raising funds.  

You can have leverage if,

a) your growth is strong 
b) multiple VCs are interested in putting money creating competitive situations 
c) founders have a history of building successful companies before

Heading to Dubai! 🌍✈️

All set for SaaSBoomi Qafila ‘24 -  a three-day exclusive initiative aimed at building an India-Middle East SaaS corridor.

At TechBridge Nation'24, we’re thrilled to showcase how Plutomen can be your strategic partner in XR-powered workforce transformation. The GCC market presents immense potential, and we’re eager to share insights on how Plutomen can contribute to the tech landscape in this region.

Join us from Jan 28th to Feb 6th in Dubai 📅!! Looking forward to connecting with industry leaders, innovators, and fellow enthusiasts. 🤝