Tag: tech startups in India

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Technology

Tech Startups To Get Major Boost As India and Singapore Ink Pact To Usher an Entrepreneurial Ecosystem

Tech Startups in India (Photo Credits: Pexels)

New Delhi, April 24: India and Singapore have inked a pact to boost the startup ecosystem and encourage start-ups to take advantage of the Singapore-India trade and technology corridor. Under the pact, the Singapore Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SICCI) and Start-up Incubation and Innovation Centre (SIIC) of IIT-Kanpur have come together to provide a gateway of opportunities to tech-based start-ups. This would help these startups to usher a circular economy and an entrepreneurial ecosystem.

India is today the third largest start-up ecosystem in the world, with over 45,000 start-ups in various stages. In 2014, only four start-ups in India were in the Unicorn club. According to a report by PTI, the SICCI-SIIC conducted the first in a series of cross-border collaborations on Friday under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on March 10, 2021.

Here’s how the pact between India and Singapore would help tech start-ups:

  1. The two institutions are collaborating to identify young, indigenous talent to provide them with an array of incubation services.
  2. A joint statement said that this one-of-its-kind association will provide start-ups in Singapore and India a competitive edge in the global market.
  3. With an array of services, both SICCI and SIIC will promote homegrown and international initiatives operating in the technology domain with mentorship and access to capital.
  4. To galvanise their efforts towards promoting indigenous innovation, SICCI-SIIC Launchpad Competition – SICCI-SIIC INNOVATION LAUNCHPAD – held a start-up pitch competition on a virtual platform.
  5. Nine pre-selected contestants – five from Singapore and four from India – pitched their ideas to the judges.

Prof Amitabha Bandyopadhyay, in-charge of Innovation and Incubation at IIT Kanpur, said that LaunchPad 2021 is the first of many upcoming endeavours that marks the beginning of an unseen era in the incubation ecosystem. “SIIC and SICCI have come together to develop a symbiotic relationship to benefit indigenous innovations in our respective countries,” he said.

“As we open our doors for their startups to explore the Indian market, and vice versa, we bring in a plethora of opportunities for all stakeholders. We are delighted to support tech-based businesses that are sustainable, ensure value-addition, and provide local employment opportunities,” he added.

Meanwhile, SICCI Chairman Dr T Chandroo said with SIIC, we plan to provide a well-deserved launchpad to our start-ups and those in India to create well-established global brands that thrive on excellence, innovation, and ingenuity. It was with this expectation that the Prime Minister of India launched the ‘Startup India’ initiative in January 2016.

 

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Startup

Tech Startups in India Report Nearly 10% Growth in 2020 Despite COVID-19 Pandemic, Over 1,600 Tech Startups Added in a Year: Nasscom

Tech Startups in India (Photo Credits: Pexels)

New Delhi, January 8: Tech startups in India have witnessed a steady growth in 2020 with over 1,600 tech start-ups and a record number of 12 additional unicorns added in a single year. i.e. in 2020. This is the highest ever in a single calendar year. The tech start-up base in the country witnessed a steady growth at a scale of 8-10 per cent (year-on-year), Nasscom said. According to the annual report by Nasscom in partnership with a global management and strategy consulting firm Zinnov, nearly 14 percent of total investments in 2020 were in deep-tech start-ups, up from 11 per cent in 2019. The report said that further, 87 percent of all deep-tech investments were in AI/ML start-ups and seed-stage funding in 2020 recovered to more than 90 percent of 2019 levels.

Debjani Ghosh, President, Nasscom said with the continued addition of new start-ups, booming unicorns and increased adoption of deep-tech, the ecosystem shows an even more promising future. The report informed that despite a lower number of total start-up deals in 2020, seed-stage investments are recovering at a good pace as investor activity at lower ticket sizes has increased.  “Early and Late-stage investments are also recovering steadily. An increase in median deal size is further underscoring investor confidence and a willingness to take big bets,” the report added.

The Nasscom annual report further added saying that the sectors with COVID-19 tailwinds such as EdTech, BFSI, AgriTech, Gaming, etc., are witnessing a steady increase in first time funding, up from 29 percent in 2019 to 42 percent in 2020, garnering a 14 percent growth in absolute numbers. It added that the investor sentiment is also recovering with the second half of 2020 funding up by two times over the first half. “2021 will be the ‘Decade of Collaboration’ where entrepreneurs engaging more with not just their peers but also with the government, corporates, and the manufacturing ecosystem, will catapult India’s dreams of becoming a trillion-dollar economy,” said Pari Natarajan, CEO, Zinnov.

The report said 2021 promises a return to normalcy for the Indian tech start-up ecosystem. In terms of total unicorns, India is on track to have a 50-plus strong Unicorn club in 2021. Remote working continues to see significant adoption amongst tech start-ups, with around 30-35 percent offering remote roles and 15-20 percent companies having committed to remote work culture, as per NASSCOM tech start-up survey. “Deep-tech and new start-up hubs will continue to grow at 40-45 percent CAGR. While the investments in 2020 were significantly lower than in 2019, recovery in deal pace and investments is expected to return to 2019 levels, if not exceed in 2021,” the report noted.

Categories
Startup

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Creates Platform to Engage With Tech Startups in India, Here Are Details About Digital Catalyst Program And How to Apply

Hewlett Packard Enterprise (Photo Credits: Company website)

Bangalore, August 26: Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) has created a platform to engage with tech startups in India. HPE has launched the HPE Digital Catalyst Program in partnership with angel investing platform LetsVenture. The objective is to support, innovate and identify the next generation of digital disruptors in the Indian startup ecosystem.

As part of this program, HPE will work with a selected cohort of eight enterprise-focused, growth-stage startups along three tracks – technology, go-to-market, and investment. With more than 50,000 startups, India is believed to have the third-largest startup ecosystem in the world.

“COVID-19 has acted as a catalyst in accelerating digital transformation around the world,” said Som Satsangi, managing director, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, India “At HPE, we have always been a believer in the power of partner ecosystems in driving innovation.

Here’s how to apply for the program: 

Click on the link: letsventure.com

The applications are now open and the last date for submission is September 18, 2020.

October 1, 2020, is the announcement of the cohort.

October 5, is the launch of the program.

Mid of January 2021 is the showcase and wrap up of the program

How will the startups benefit?

Startups participating in the program will receive support from HPE teams including technology mentoring by HPE’s distinguished technologists, market validation and mentoring with HPE’s sales leaders. The disruptive startups aligned with HPE’s strategy will also have the opportunity to pitch to the HPE Pathfinder program for funding.