Agenda:
eChai Demo Days are held every month in Ahmedabad.
It is a platform for promising startups from the community to present their ventures, get early feedback and engage with investors, enablers & the community.
eChai Startup Demo Day in Ahmedabad with GVFL
Meet the Speaker:
Meet the Speaker:
Meet the Host:
Top-rated questions will be asked live by the host during the event.
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Do you remember a pitch that completely surprised you—either in a good or bad way? What made it unforgettable?
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What’s a subtle red flag in founders that most investors miss, but you pay close attention to?
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What trends are you watching in deep tech or infra startups that most early-stage founders are still missing?
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What’s been your biggest lesson from a startup that didn’t work out despite initial promise?
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Can you walk us through a time you said ‘no’ to a startup and later regretted it?
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GVFL has been backing Indian startups for decades. What shift have you seen in the type of founders coming out of Gujarat specifically?
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How do you view bridge rounds and SAFE notes today? Are they being overused or misunderstood in India?
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You’ve also angel-invested outside of GVFL - how does your thinking change when it’s your personal money on the line?
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When you see a very early startup with just an idea and deck — what are your three non-negotiables before saying yes?
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With GVFL’s deep portfolio, how do you balance conviction in a founder versus market signals or data that might contradict your gut?
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What’s a founder you angel-backed who’s doing something truly unexpected with your capital?
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What’s one piece of fundraising advice you used to give, but don’t anymore?
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How do you see the current fundraising environment in 2025 shaping founder behaviors—especially when it comes to valuations?
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What’s the one thing you wish more founders understood about cap tables before coming into a meeting?
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Has there been a founder you backed who completely changed your thinking about a market or business model?
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What’s something about the Indian startup ecosystem that global investors still underestimate?
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At what point does a startup’s traction start to override market-size concerns in your investment thesis?
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If you had 2 minutes to coach your younger self just before your first investment pitch meeting, what would you say?
-
Have you ever had to deal with founder fallout in a funded company? How do you navigate the emotional and business sides of that?
-
When a founder is raising their first institutional round - what do most of them get wrong in how they approach VCs?
Do you remember a pitch that completely surprised you—either in a good or bad way? What made it unforgettable?
What’s a subtle red flag in founders that most investors miss, but you pay close attention to?
What trends are you watching in deep tech or infra startups that most early-stage founders are still missing?
What’s been your biggest lesson from a startup that didn’t work out despite initial promise?
Can you walk us through a time you said ‘no’ to a startup and later regretted it?
GVFL has been backing Indian startups for decades. What shift have you seen in the type of founders coming out of Gujarat specifically?
How do you view bridge rounds and SAFE notes today? Are they being overused or misunderstood in India?
You’ve also angel-invested outside of GVFL - how does your thinking change when it’s your personal money on the line?
When you see a very early startup with just an idea and deck — what are your three non-negotiables before saying yes?
With GVFL’s deep portfolio, how do you balance conviction in a founder versus market signals or data that might contradict your gut?
What’s a founder you angel-backed who’s doing something truly unexpected with your capital?
What’s one piece of fundraising advice you used to give, but don’t anymore?
How do you see the current fundraising environment in 2025 shaping founder behaviors—especially when it comes to valuations?
What’s the one thing you wish more founders understood about cap tables before coming into a meeting?
Has there been a founder you backed who completely changed your thinking about a market or business model?
What’s something about the Indian startup ecosystem that global investors still underestimate?
At what point does a startup’s traction start to override market-size concerns in your investment thesis?
If you had 2 minutes to coach your younger self just before your first investment pitch meeting, what would you say?
Have you ever had to deal with founder fallout in a funded company? How do you navigate the emotional and business sides of that?
When a founder is raising their first institutional round - what do most of them get wrong in how they approach VCs?
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The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"For me, eChai is a second home. I've been associated with it since the early days, when it was already setting a different tone for how startup communities could work. As a traditional business owner entering the new-age D2C space, eChai supported me in every direction. Over the years, it became my window to the startup world — and also gave me lifelong friends who continue to show up, for business and beyond."
Pankaj Bhimani
Founder, 58miles
“When we launched LegalWiz.in back in 2016, concept of procuring legal and compliance services through a digital commerce platform wasn't as prominent in India. eChai played a significant role in providing the early adopters, and building significant positioning in the startup fraternity. Overtime, eChai grew to be a massive network of like-minded entrepreneurs and extended that benefit to all the members in a true "co-rise" spirit. I personally love to attend eChai events, learn from subject matter experts who share relatable and actionable insights and experiences. For startup journeys, it is so important to be surrounded by people who can add relevance, perspective, and push you to do better. Most importantly a group of people where you aren't being judged about things going right or wrong, but be a motivational force that keeps you going, yet keeping you in check. eChai is that place for me!”
Shrijay Sheth
Founder at LegalWiz.in and Hire4Higher Consulting
"eChai has been a game-changer for Hungrito, providing us with invaluable connections, insights, and opportunities that have significantly fueled our growth. eChai has introduced us to a global network of entrepreneurs and experts, fueling our growth and opening doors to new opportunities from Ahmedabad to Dubai. The community has become like a second family to us, providing support, guidance, and valuable insights as startup entrepreneurs."
Sahil Shah
Founder- Hungrito & Netsavvies. Digital Marketing Evangelist
eChai Partner Brands
eChai Ventures partners with select brands as their growth partner - working together to explore new ideas, open doors, and build momentum across the startup ecosystem.