It was a great privilege to host and coordinate the Bengaluru Startup Meetup, organized by eChai at Urban Vault in Bangalore. 💫
A special highlight was our main speaker, Manesh Jain (Founder and CEO of many startups such as FloMobility, MockBank & Sourceweb), who shared his incredible journey, the challenges he faced, and valuable insights from his experiences with multiple startups. 👏
With a vibrant crowd of around 50 participants, including established entrepreneurs, early-stage founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs, the event was a fantastic opportunity to connect, share experiences, and build meaningful relationships within the startup ecosystem.
The energy in the room was inspiring, and I’m confident that every attendee walked away with fresh ideas and motivation to create successful ventures that contribute to a better world.
It was my pleasure to host the eChai Ventures’s startup openhouse in Bangalore yesterday!😊🌟
Huge thank you to Jatin Chaudhary for the opportunity and to all the participants in the echai community for enaging with each other so positively and making extremely helpful contributions!!
For anyone in Bangalore, this event happens every Sunday at Draper Startup House, Koramangala!!
Please check their website to find relevant events in your city!
Our journey to revolutionize the 100-year-old market research industry is now going to reach millions of people 🌎
When Somsubhra and I started the Ai Palette journey six years ago, the vision was clear: a future where AI powers the market research in the CPG industry and makes research faster, smarter, and more accessible. Fast forward to today, being recognized for disrupting such a legacy space is both humbling and exhilarating.
This recognition isn’t just about our technology – it’s a testament to the incredible team of Paletteers behind it, the clients who believed in our vision, and the investors who invested in us.
📈 From a small café in Singapore to scaling across 6 continents, our mission has always been about driving innovation and delivering real value. This feature is a reminder that with the right focus and determination, bold ideas can reshape industries.
Thank you to CNBC and Enterprise Singapore for spotlighting our work in the EDGE Series. Thanks to Conor Delahunty for being an early adopter of AI technology and supporting us since the early days.
Here’s to challenging the status quo and building the future, one insight at a time 💯
🚀 Thrilled to Have Been a Speaker at the “Product Growth Playbook” by eChai Ventures!
I had the incredible opportunity to join the amazing event hosted by eChai Ventures, where I shared the stage with Kush P. and Darshan Suthar to discuss some of the most critical aspects of product management.
We dived into: - Getting started with AI as a Product Manager - Defining Product-Market Fit (PMF) and frameworks to achieve it - Common mistakes and how to carefully avoid them - Tips for PMs working at a startup competing with industry incumbents
A huge thank you to the organizers especially Jatin Chaudhary and the host for creating such a vibrant platform to exchange knowledge and experiences and to everyone who made the time to attend.
Looking forward to many more such thoughtful conversations!
Last Saturday, I had the privilege of moderating a stellar panel on Bootstrapping at Draper Startup House in collaboration with eChai Ventures – and it was truly a session to remember.
I was thrilled to host some of the most inspiring and talented founders:
Amal Mishra, Co-founder of Urban Vault, who shared his remarkable journey of bootstrapping to 57 managed workspaces in Bangalore. His story of overcoming asset-heavy challenges by leveraging his furnishing business showed us the power of strategic thinking.
Vikas Bardia, CFA, Co-founder of Shoffr, captivated the audience with how he led one of India’s first customer-led funding rounds, raising $1.1M from 110 customers! He bootstrapped to 57 cars, and post-funding, has now scaled to 110 cars. His insights on maintaining a bootstrapped mentality while growing were incredibly valuable. As he put it, “The service inside the car is broken, not the app.”
Jeevan Gnanam, from Sri Lanka’s Hatch Works – one of Asia’s top coworking spaces – and co-founder of SpectrifyAI, shared key insights on scaling businesses while managing multiple ventures. His focus on hiring champions who help you grow was a game changer.
Rishav Agarwal, founder of Picxele™ and angel investor in 60 startups (including Zypp electric & Crib), gave a masterclass on what angel investors look for in founders and the red flags to avoid.
Despite the rain, we had a full house with 82+ attendees – a testament to the energy and passion of the startup community.
Don't miss out! This Saturday, we’re back with an amazing VC panel to dive into fundraising strategies and expert insights from the best in the game.
Absolutely elated to share that FloMobility has been granted its first patent, filed in 2021, granted in 2024.. a small win in our journey to build "Vision based Autonomy" for outdoor environments. Few more to go, as we build our #constructionrobotics portfolio..
🦄 Thank you for joining us in the eChai Ventures gathering on 'Building Startup Teams and Company Culture' at Urban Vault HSR, Bengaluru! 🚀
Sharing glimpses -
🌸 Ankita Shree is the Managing Director at Mamacoco Hospitality and runs the restaurant Moglu on St. Mark's Road, Bengaluru with her husband Kiran Narayanan, PhD. "My heart was not in bureaucracy and my partner needed a co-founder. So I moved out of my role as an IRS Officer and moved in to the startup world as a co-founder at a deep tech startup", she says. She strongly believes that Kiran has a gift for food and flavours. Moglu is Kiran's nickname! Their golden rule to hiring is to have people with an attitude to learn and grow. She loves the word 'nurture' because it captures everything she does beautifully. Some of the hardest decisions have included shutting down a Quick Service Restaurant - Matka Junction, and moving from a veg only offering to one that will serves veg and non veg, starting mid-September. People aren't willing to pay a premium for good vegetarian food, as yet. "Food and flavours have no boundaries. We create them', she sums up. She highly recommends reading Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman.
🌸 Jaitee Wazalwar 🐉 is the co-founder at Credfino which enables transformational growth for accounting/tax firms through remote staffing and consulting. She believes her highs and lows. revolve around the people she works with, in their victories and setbacks. While building the startup, a lot of disruption happens when moving from one stage to another. They recently let go of a big client that contributed to 45% of their business, while retaining all the people who worked on it. This was hard but needed for the company's growth. Having worked in the manufacturing industry in a previous avatar, she recalls how people would want to talk a man instead of her. One of her female founder mentor shared the hack she used by 'hiring a guy for 15K monthly' so that the suppliers could talk to a guy. Her book recommendations include Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You by John Warrillow, and Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business by Gino Wickman.
🌸 Nida Sahar is the founder Nife Labs which is Interconnecting Cloud & Edge Infrastructure to help customers deploy, manage and scale applications anytime anywhere. Her brand name has a backstory that's as beautiful as her poetry. Nickel and Ferris form the core of the earth and they'd like to be the core of your cloud, hence Ni + Fe is Nife! She has been a fan of checklist and games ever since she was a teenager. As she gamifies and plans the next set of moves for herself and her startup, she continues to remain inspired by the poem 'On his blindness' by John Milton. She strongly believes in independence and creating a way to achieve what people would like to do and grow. She recommends reading The Startup Owner's Manual: The Step-By-Step Guide for Building a Great Company by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf.
Building Startup Teams and Company Culture: Insights from Industry Leaders 🚀
Today, I had the pleasure of attending an inspiring event organized by eChai Ventures in collaboration with Urban Vault, focused on one of the most crucial aspects of any startup—building effective teams and fostering a strong company culture. 🌱
The event was beautifully hosted by Radhika Mohta, who brought so much positivity with her million-dollar smile. 😊 The panel featured three incredible leaders:
Ankita Shree: Managing Director of Mamacoco Hospitality Pvt Ltd and an Isha Hatha Yoga Teacher at Isha Foundation, who shared her unique perspective on balancing business with mindfulness. 🧘♀️
Jaitee Wazalwar 🐉: Founder of Incredence and Co-Founder of Credfino, who emphasized the importance of resilience and adaptability in team building. 💪
Nida Sahar: Founder of Nife, who discussed the role of innovation and trust in cultivating a thriving company culture. 🌟
Each of these leaders brought their own experiences and insights, making it a truly enriching session. I walked away with valuable lessons on how to lead with intention, build cohesive teams, and create a culture that not only drives success but also nurtures growth. 💡
Kudos to eChai Ventures for organizing such a wonderful event! 👏
We often hear VCs saying location doesn't matter for startups. But if that's true, why don't we see more VC firms based in states like Madhya Pradesh?
How many venture capital firms can you name in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, or Jharkhand?
The numbers are disappointingly low and this disparity creates a significant disconnect.
While we preach that great ideas can come from anywhere, the capital and networks essential to nurture these ideas remain overwhelmingly concentrated in a few metro cities.
But things are changing and I recently witnessed this firsthand at an exceptional event in Gwalior organized by Fluid Ventures.
It brought together some of the most innovative thinkers and leaders in India's startup community, all under one roof.
The event was not just another startup gathering. It’s a reminder that innovation isn't limited to big cities. It's happening right here in smaller towns as well.
Experiencing this in my hometown hits me very differently.
It's one thing to read about change, but to experience it is entirely different. And I'm grateful I could contribute as a speaker, host, founder, and even gifting partner through Amrutam .
A huge thanks to the support and encouragement of Shmt. Priyadarshini Raje Scindia at the Gwalior Palace. It wouldn’t have come to life without your vision to make Gwalior grow and prosper.
A special thank you to Amit Singal and Rakhee Singal for spearheading this initiative in our city. For thinking about start-up ecosystems and building them in Tier 2 cities.
Let’s continue to work towards a more inclusive startup ecosystem across all of India.
Our first-ever "Anybody Can AI Socials - Product Manager Edition" was a blast! We brought together brilliant minds from across industries, all eager to infuse AI magic into their products. The room buzzed with interactive discussions, groundbreaking ideas, and the shared excitement of shaping the future of tech.
From AI newbies to seasoned PMs, everyone left inspired and armed with practical knowledge to revolutionize their workflows. Who knew learning about AI could be this fun?
Missed out? Don't worry - this is just the beginning! Stay tuned for more Anybody Can AI Socials. Because in this AI revolution, everybody's invited to the party! 🎉🤖
All organisations aspire for customer-centricity as a culture but Amazon embraces it in everything that they do from A to Z.
Recently finished reading "Working Backwards" - a book written by former Amazon executives Colin Bryar and Bill Carr that offers insights, stories and secrets from inside Amazon. One of the frameworks that I got quite intrigued by was Amazon's unique approach to product development and innovation, known as "working backwards."
At its core, "working backwards" involves starting with the customer and working backwards to create the product. Instead of beginning with an idea and hoping customers will like it, Amazon reverses the process:
1. They imagine the finished product from the customer's perspective 2. Draft an internal press release announcing the product 3. Rigorously scrutinize and refine the concept 4. Only then begin development
This approach ensures that every product or service is truly customer-centric from inception. Sure, Amazon has had product failures but this forces teams to clearly articulate the customer benefit before investing significant resources and thus, saving time and money.
What impresses me most about this method is how it aligns entire organizations around customer needs rather than internal goals or competitor actions. It's a powerful reminder that in business, starting with the end user in mind can lead to breakthrough innovations.
I haven’t been in touch with Silicon Valley SFO in the last decade, primarily because I had nothing to do. Or rather, I got caught up in long bootstrapping cashflow woes.
Then I was building everything for India. To become 2nd largest player in event experience & entertainment ticketing in India. Up to 2015.
In US:
Yes, much later, I did win big customers like TiE, Harvard business school entrepreneur network and a bunch of others to serve ExplaraX, but, with hundreds of fantastic friends and colleagues, I could never 10x from my network, that is changing definitely now in 2024 and then 2025 onwards, thanks to AI initiatives we are sketching Foundership - Web3 & AI Accelerator VC
As a part of B2B Yatra, we're looking to screen our documentary to thousands of colleges in India!
The Goal? To inspire students in colleges across India to either build, or join B2B Startups as Interns, Full Timers.
And, here comes Anto, the super energetic soul - One of the few meetings I've had in quite some time where you lose the track of time! :)
Anto built Under 25 Universe for the last 11 years, to empower and celebrate hundreds of thousands of young people by giving them a voice and a space to connect, learn, and grow.
Under25 has it's wings spread across 4000 colleges in India, and aspires to be the largest platform for students where they can freely express themselves, connect with like-minded peers, and pursue their passions. Crazy!
MR Rangaswami Thanks for the connect, you're a rockstar! ❤️
🦄 Thank you for joining us in the eChai Ventures Product Growth meetup at Urban Vault Headquarters in HSR, Bengaluru! 🚀
Glimpses -
Aditya Agrawal is a product leader at Cuemath. He left no stone unturned to remind all of us in the room about our math marks and tuition classes from school days! There are over 4,000 tutors on the platform, largely women who consider Cuemath to be a source of income and identity. He believes that the two most important deliverables for a product manager are the value to the customer and the viability to the business. He recommends reading 'Escaping the Build Trap: How Effective Product Management Creates Real Value' by Melissa Perri. Shout out to Amal Mishra for the warm welcome extended to his college senior 😊
Ashish Singh is not just a product leader at Paytm, he is also certified to climb the Mount Everest! He shared titbits from his days at Swiggy sprinkled with buzzwords like customer lifetime value, churn score, priority support and the icing on the cake - customer satisfaction score which witnessed a massive jump during his tenure. He believes that 70% of product management is identifying the right problem and knowing when to solve it. His go-to book recommendations include 'The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact' by Chip Heath, and 'Principles: Life and Work' by Ray Dalio.
Madhurita M. is a product leader at Meesho, a board games enthusiast, F1 fan and a globe trotter who has been to 35+ countries! She shared insights from building her favourite products and activating people on return. She believes it's important to understand your customer really well at the n-th level. The skill to ask the right questions to know what they truly want is critical. This will ensure that the need for iterations and pivots drastically reduces. Whether you are looking to break in to product or get better at it, what gets you anywhere is curiosity! Go through apps from start to finish. Think through why someone would add these features and how that impacts your experience.
Sameer Mandge is a product leader at GoKwik. Recalling his days from Amazon, he says when Amazon launched in India, the default check out option was COD. They went through a journey of introducing changes for the new users and the existing users to eventually reduce COD. While Cash On Delivery is a growth lever, they aimed at reducing it owing to higher return to origin, frequency of purchase and more reasons. Return To Origin is an important step as it adds to merchant cost and operations to bring the undelivered orders back. He believes that customer keeps evolving and so do their needs. It's important to do your customer research well and put a clear persona to your user. He recommends reading 'The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business' by Charles Duhigg and 'The Mom Test: How to talk to customers & learn if your business is a good idea when everyone is lying to you' by Rob Fitzpatrick.
When I first signed up for the Hero's Program, I thought it was all about startups. Boy, was I wrong. This experience isn’t just about launching ventures; it’s about discovering the hero within, pushing your limits, and thriving in the face of challenges. 💪
Picture this: 130 kilometers of walking and hiking in just four days, mixed with swimming, rowing, and running. Survival week, curated by US Navy SEALs, was a true test of grit, blood, sweat, and yes, tears. This journey was designed to build not just physical endurance, but the mental toughness to tackle any challenge with enthusiasm, energy, and a healthy dose of fun! 🎉
I’m beyond grateful to have been part of this once-in-a-lifetime experience, alongside 110 heroes from 37 countries. Draper University isn’t about being spoon-fed; it’s about being thrown into the deep end (sometimes literally, like treasure-hunting in San Mateo at 4 AM and jumping into a freezing pool in the early morning!) and getting the job done. The spontaneity of pitching to Tim Draper while strolling through the streets of #SanMateo or sleeping under the stars in Northern California Wilderness pushed me beyond my comfort zone in the best possible way. 🌟
Anshul and I first met in 2012 on the first day of our engineering journey at UPES. Over the past 12 years, we have shared an extraordinary journey, working together on everything from class assignments and projects to significant entrepreneurial ventures. Every step of the way, we've found immense joy in our collaboration.
Our last day of college marked a temporary parting as we pursued jobs in Bengaluru, but deep down, we both knew that our paths would soon converge again. In 2017, we reunited to co-found our first blockchain company. Together, we immersed ourselves in the intricate world of entrepreneurship, learning invaluable lessons along the way. Even after closing that chapter, there was never a doubt that we would continue our journey together.
Launching our second venture, Cognecto, was a natural progression for us. Through all the successes and setbacks, Anshul and I have always stood by each other, turning challenges into opportunities and dreams into reality. The bond we share has made this adventure incredibly rewarding. Our journey is far from over, and I am deeply grateful for the friendship and partnership that has made it all possible. Together, we look forward to many more years of innovation and collaboration.
Provider of AI-powered sensor-based solutions for construction equipment monitoring. We offer monitoring services through AI or ML-powered sensor devices connected with the equipment integrated with the cloud that provides real-time status updates to all the stakeholders.
If you are fundraising in 2024, then you should read this post.
Recently attended a startup event "Fundraising for Startups" as a panelist. As the only startup founder among the VC panelists, it was interesting to hear their perspectives and provide my own. The event was organized by HSBC in collaboration with eChai Ventures.
1. Dry powder money is still there and startups with clear vision and execution are getting funded. 2. The time for due diligence has increased and therefore, having enough runway is important before fundraising. 3. AI as a use case is certainly a favorite area but not the only one attracting funding. 4. College degrees are not that pertinent anymore as long as you have a solid business understanding and team (Lots of non-IIT and non-IIM founders are emerging) - alumni network may open doors but won’t convert only on basis of college.
Money flows where the innovation is and India now has the 3rd largest startup ecosystem in the world. In Q1 2024, Indian startups raised a total of $2 billion fund and added three unicorns to its fleet in 2024 so far - fintech SaaS Perfios, Bhavish Aggarwal's AI venture Krutrim and Logistics startup Porter. While overall investor sentiment has been cautious, the funding winter scenario is a bit milder than expected as the growth of the Indian economy encourages investment in new ventures.
Overall, lots of new learnings with old and familiar faces. Thanks to Jatin for bringing us all together to share our learnings and network with fellow founders, investors, and industry leaders. Looking forward to more such events in the future.
I had an amazing time speaking at the recent D2C Day event organized by eChai Ventures It was an honor to be part of such a dynamic and inspiring gathering.
The energy in the room was electric, and the level of talent and curiosity in the audience made me optimistic about where India's digital ecosystem is heading.
Sharing my journey with Minicult.in, from starting in my nephew's room to a Brand, was truly exciting for me. We also had a fantastic Q&A session, answering many insightful questions from the audience.
A huge shoutout to Jatin Chaudhary for organizing such a fantastic event and to eChai Ventures for being the perfect event partner and Nanda Kumar for hosting the panel and keeping the conversation dynamic and engaging!
It was wonderful to share the panel with Inderjeet Kaur Indy ↗️. Your insights were invaluable!
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.
💗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!!
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]
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.
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.
