๐—”๐—ป๐—ธ๐—ถ๐˜ ๐—ฆ๐—ต๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐˜€ ๐—™๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—œ๐—ป๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ด๐—ต๐˜๐˜€ ๐—ฎ๐˜ ๐——๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ฝ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ ๐—จ๐—ป๐—ถ๐˜ƒ๐—ฒ๐—ฟ๐˜€๐—ถ๐˜๐˜†

During his recent visit to the US, Ankit Kedia was invited to join an insightful panel at "๐—™๐˜‚๐—ป๐—ฑ๐—ฟ๐—ฎ๐—ถ๐˜€๐—ถ๐—ป๐—ด ๐—ณ๐—ผ๐—ฟ ๐—ฆ๐˜๐—ฎ๐—ฟ๐˜-๐˜‚๐—ฝ๐˜€: ๐—•๐—ฎ๐˜† ๐—”๐—ฟ๐—ฒ๐—ฎ ๐—˜๐—ฑ๐—ถ๐˜๐—ถ๐—ผ๐—ป," held on Monday earlier this week at Draper University, San Mateo.

The event, which drew a diverse audience of over 45 ๐™–๐™ฉ๐™ฉ๐™š๐™ฃ๐™™๐™š๐™š๐™จ ๐™›๐™ง๐™ค๐™ข 20 ๐™™๐™ž๐™›๐™›๐™š๐™ง๐™š๐™ฃ๐™ฉ ๐™˜๐™ค๐™ช๐™ฃ๐™ฉ๐™ง๐™ž๐™š๐™จ, featured a dynamic conversation between investors and founders, providing invaluable insights into the intricacies of fundraising.

Hosted by eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House, the event featured a dynamic panel conversation with investors and founders, offering valuable insights into the complexities of fundraising. Ankit and fellow speakers Abhishek Kaushik, WeCP and Abhinav Das shared their Entrepreneurial experiences and success stories to guide start-ups on their fundraising journeys.

Closing the event with a networking session, Ankit engaged in meaningful conversations with a diverse array of start-ups and founders.

Events such as this play a crucial role in fostering connections, knowledge exchange, and collaborative growth across international boundaries, empowering entrepreneurs in driving their ventures forward.

Draper Startup House | eChai Ventures | Draper University | Nivin Joseph



The eChai Effect - In Their Words

"eChai isnโ€™t just a startup community โ€ฆ itโ€™s a mindset .ย eChai has been one of the most impactful communities in my entrepreneurial journey. Itโ€™s been a turning point . In a world where building something can often feel isolating, eChai gave me a sense of belonging. Iโ€™ve found mentors, collaborators, and friends here โ€” people who genuinely want to see you succeed.ย Itโ€™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. Iโ€™ll always be grateful for the way eChai creates spaces where founders donโ€™t just grow businesses โ€” they grow together."
Koumal Kalantry - Founder, Bignano Ventures
Koumal Kalantry
Founder, Bignano Ventures
โ€œYou donโ€™t plan to build a company via eChai. You just keep showing up โ€ฆ and one day, you realize you did.โ€ Iโ€™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, weโ€™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 โ€” our venture builder โ€” eChai continues to fuel our mission: co-creating a shared future. eChai isnโ€™t just a startup network. Itโ€™s a trust network. And for business builders like me, that makes all the difference."
Utpal Vaishnav - Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts โ€ข Angel Investor + LP
Utpal Vaishnav
Founder @ Upsquare & House of Starts โ€ข Angel Investor + LP
"At DevX.Work, weโ€™ve greatly benefited from our association with eChai. Their events and networking forums have connected us with high-potential startups, ecosystem leaders, and innovation-driven professionals โ€” many of whom have become valuable partners, collaborators, and even clients.ย What stands out most is the openness and accessibility of the community โ€” whether you're an early-stage founder or an experienced entrepreneur, eChai provides a welcoming space to learn, collaborate, and grow.ย It's more than just a network โ€” it's a catalyst for real, collaborative growth. Weโ€™re proud to be part of the eChai community. Highly recommended for any organization aiming to grow within the startup space."
Umesh Uttamchandani - Co-Founder, DevX
Umesh Uttamchandani
Co-Founder, DevX

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