eChai Startup Demo Day in Ahmedabad with GVFL

Happened on May 29, Thursday, 2025
6:30pm — 08:30pm (GMT+05:30)
GVFL
92 slots booked.
Meet the Speaker:
Top-rated questions will be asked live by the host during the event.
  • 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?
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.

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The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"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
Sahil Shah
Founder- Hungrito & Netsavvies. Digital Marketing Evangelist
"eChai has been a game changer in my journey. It connected me with real people, real support and real opportunities. From building HMMBiz to launching Mindalcove, eChai has played a key role at every step. Grateful to be part of a community that truly believes in growing together."
Hardik Manwani - CTO, Mind Alcove
Hardik Manwani
CTO, Mind Alcove
"I have evolved from role of Community Builder to Startup Consultant to Startup Ecosystem Enabler to Angel Investor and now launching a Venture Studio and eChai has been a catalyst in my overall journey as Startup Evangelist since 13 years."
Mehul Shah - Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth
Mehul Shah
Co-Founder at Counselvise & Ivy Growth

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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.