More about Arpit Agarwal
I have been actively involved with promotion of startups since 2006, my first brush with it being at the first BarCamp in Bangalore. I later joined hands with fellow campers to start Headstart Network, today India's leading early stage entrepreneurs' network with over 20 city chapters.
I got introduced to the power of taking academic research to market as an MBA student at IIT Bombay which led the start of Academic Ventures, a consulting firm in technology commercialization space. Before Blume, I worked with TLabs, the accelerator program of Times Internet, as its second employee and discovered the joy of working closely with early stage startups.
At Blume, I lead science-led and hardware investments, particularly keen at proposals from Biotech, CleanTech, Energy, Electic Vehicles, Robotics and Electronics sectors. Companies I manage include Cashify, MechMocha, Tricog, MilkBasket, Spinny, Unocoin, BeatO, RailYatri, Mettl and E2E Networks.
I got introduced to the power of taking academic research to market as an MBA student at IIT Bombay which led the start of Academic Ventures, a consulting firm in technology commercialization space. Before Blume, I worked with TLabs, the accelerator program of Times Internet, as its second employee and discovered the joy of working closely with early stage startups.
At Blume, I lead science-led and hardware investments, particularly keen at proposals from Biotech, CleanTech, Energy, Electic Vehicles, Robotics and Electronics sectors. Companies I manage include Cashify, MechMocha, Tricog, MilkBasket, Spinny, Unocoin, BeatO, RailYatri, Mettl and E2E Networks.
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Founders and startup folks who joined past eChai startup events
The eChai Effect - In Their Words
"I attended my first eChai event 3 yrs back, and no one knew me in the market. Over the next three years, eChai didn’t only help me with knowledge or networking, but it gave me an identity from being unknown to now being recognized by a group of inspirational entrepreneurs connected with eChai, who have been gracious enough to acknowledge me and Digipple."
Viraj Rajani
Co-Founder, Digipple
“You don’t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up … and one day, you realize you did.” I’ve known Jatin since 2012, when I was still deciding what kind of second innings I wanted to play as an entrepreneur. Over the years, through events, chai breaks, intros, and seemingly small conversations, eChai helped shape not just Upsquare but also refined the lens through which we see collaboration. At Upsquare, we’ve hired talent, met partners, discovered co-investors, and built lifelong friendships. One of our joint ventures exists today only because a casual eChai memory sparked a deeper trust. Now, as we build House of Starts — our venture builder — eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isn’t just a startup network. It’s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
"From late-night brainstorming over chai to early morning founder calls, eChai has been more than just a network for me; it’s been home base for ideas, impact, and inspiration. What started as a simple meetup years ago turned into a powerful movement, connecting founders, creators, and dreamers. I’ve had the privilege of seeing startups find product-market fit, marketers (like me) find unexpected collaborations, and most importantly, people finding their tribe. संगच्छध्वं संवदध्वं – Let us move together, speak together. It’s not just a verse from the Rigveda — it’s how Jatin and the entire eChai community truly operate. We don’t just network, we grow together. Forever grateful to be a part of the eChai Effect.
Jaydip Parikh
Chief Everything Officer at Tej SolPro
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.
