🇸🇬 #Singapore in peak bustle on a Thursday!

HEX's TENTH Singapore cohort of founders took the stage and pitched their businesses yesterday evening. One of the memorable demos was EduKate, promoting STEM education for girls through dolls 👧🏼♀️Pleasant surprise to bump into Remi and Benedict who were the judges, and hella proud of Jaclyn Benstead and Shirley Pham who led this program and made it epic!

Worlds colliding 🌏💥 when Jodie meets Mihaela meets HEX! The startup ecosystem welcomes everyone – innovators from all walks🚶🏼‍♀️🚶🏻‍♂️🚶 (for context: Jodie is an excellent UX researcher/designer and Mihaela is working on her phD in financial inclusion + 

I missed Accelerating Asia Ventures's demo day this week and the FOMO got to me 😢 but I'm truly glad that everyone passes through the Draper Startup House HQ whenever they're in town... (👋🏽 hi Amra 🥲)

Paying for beer in Singapore with #India rupees 🍻💰 I'm grateful for this fellow globetrotting buddy Ibrahim who recently passed through Hyderabad, and exchanging notes and insights on the city!

It's been an epic two weeks in Singapore; I'm happy to be home! ...If you think I'm taking off soon, you guessed right 😉

🔜 NEXT STOP #HYDERABAD 🔥🚀

I'll be around for a month(ish), excited to CONNECT with the entrepreneurs, founders, investors, operators, and the startup community and learn from everyone 🤩 

ASK: Who should I meet / grab chai with? 👀

The eChai Effect - In Their Words

“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
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts • Angel Investor + LP
"eChai isn’t just a startup community … it’s a mindset . eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. It’s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. I’ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here — people who genuinely want to see you succeed. It’s a space where ideas are challenged, actions are celebrated, and founders grow not just in scale, but in clarity and confidence. From late-night ideas to early-morning pitches, this community has quietly but powerfully shaped the way I build, think, and dream. I’ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders don’t just grow businesses — they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry - Founder, Bignano Ventures
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
"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

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.