I am absolutely thrilled to share about my enriching experience today at a founders' meet! I had the privilege of connecting with an extraordinary entrepreneur Stuti Ashok Gupta who not only made it onto Shark Tank (Season 2) but also shared profound insights into the world of business.

During our conversation, I learned so much, but two key takeaways stood out for me:
Focus on Customer Needs: The Shark Tank star emphasised the importance of deeply understanding customer needs and tailoring your product or service to meet those needs effectively. This customer-centric approach resonated deeply with me as I believe it's the cornerstone of sustainable business growth.

Persistence and Resilience: Hearing about the challenges faced and overcome on the journey to success was incredibly inspiring. It reinforced the vital role of persistence and resilience in entrepreneurship. The ability to persevere through setbacks and keep moving forward is truly what sets successful entrepreneurs apart. Wishing Amrutam Ayurveda good luck! Thanks to eChai Ventures and Netcore Cloud for conducting a wonderful event, it was really insightful and looking forward to more such events.

Feeling incredibly motivated and energised after today's discussion! Who else here is passionate about their journey and building something impactful from the ground up? Let's connect and inspire each other! Subhajit Mukherjee Yash Kashyap

Amazing catchup with some Amazing *Sharktank* D2C founders in Bengaluru !

Mayank B Nagori ( Good Gum) & Sumit Rastogi (Artinci)

eChai Ventures 🙌

Here's eChai's Startup Social Stories...

From the last meetup at GVFL Limited's swanky premise in Ahmedabad. A room full of energetic, curious and inspirational entrepreneurs...

This social happened to be one of the most interesting event I've been part of.

It was awesome meeting Kushagra Pandya, who is building vidyo.ai - an impressive AI based video editor & currently boasting of 2mn+ users. Deep insights & candid conversations.

It's heartening to see some interesting work happening in the area of AI, Web 3.0, Content & Marketing space from Ahmedabad.

Mitesh Shethwala's Currently is a promising real time social media startup making waves.

Swayam Raval is building AI driven influencer MarTech tool Admyre.Club.

Shreyans Panchal's YOMO is another promising tool to drive AI powered users insights.

Met Rohan Patel, who is building Ariso - an AI driven personal nutrition platform.

Bhavesh Patel has already revolutionized how social media marketing happens! His Brands.live is a global venture now.

Ekta Shah is building Biziverse - an enterprise ERP loved by thousands of organizations.

Meeting entrepreneurs from similar businesses always stirs interesting conversations. Met Viraj Rajani and Dipti Parmar - who are doing some really good stuff in area of digital marketing.

Always a pleasure meeting you, Chirag Panchal, Pankaj Bhimani and Amit Panchal.

Very fascinating to know about Tridhya Tech Limited by Gaurav Barot, doing some exceptional stuff in area of #Drone #Surveillance.

Loved chatting, Heet Sheth!

A big shoutout to Jatin Chaudhary for putting together this lineup of speakers. Thoroughly enjoyed!

I could not interact with some of the fellas.. but I'd love to catch up again. Rushabh Shah, Harsha Bhurani, Koumal Kalantry, Kush P. and ABHISHEK JAIN.

Thrilled to host Pratyush Rai Co-Founder of Merlin AI by Foyer, at eChai Ventures AI Meetup in Bengaluru today evening ! 

Join us for an engaging discussion. See you at Urban Vault HSR Layout 1515 from 6 pm to 8 pm! 

In the next 5-7 years, traditional video editing may become less common, transitioning instead towards SaaS-based solutions!!!

I gained this insight from Kushagra Pandya of vidyo.ai at eChai Ventures social this week.

As much vague as it looks, the deliberations on this and various other topics validated the statement. 

Interacting with founders from various sectors always makes you learn so much. This is the power of networking.

Now back to the video editing topic, here are some interesting insights:

- Video content creation is rapidly growing, currently comprising 65-70% The video format of content creation is inevitably growing at a rapid scale. As far as I can see, around 65-70% of the content being created today is video-format.

- Short form content is the way ahead for the marketers. The ever-decreasing attention span of the audience has been the case for success of TikTok, Instagram Reels, YouTube shorts and many others.

- At the same time, Podcasts has been an interesting marketing funnel for dissemination of information. These podcasts are generally long form in nature with a minimum of 30 minutes till 3-4 hours.

- Video editing of these podcasts to capture the viral elements and put it across in the form of reels and shorts has been the core. And companies like vidyo.ai have scaled it to the next level.

As we see the next change in technology, more and more of such business models will thrive and scale better.

eChai Ventures Jatin Chaudhary GVFL Limited Kushagra Pandya Tanmay Shanishchara Viraj Rajani Pankaj Bhimani Dr Mayank Patel, CFA Nishtha Gurnani Harsha Bhurani  Gaurav Barot Amit Panchal Bhavesh Patel Mitesh Shethwala Ekta Shah Koumal Kalantry ABHISHEK JAIN 

Meet the Founders who made it to Shark Tank! 💼 🌊

An initiative by Netcore for Startups to enable budding founders to get a sneak peek at how they transformed their pitches into success while navigating the entrepreneurial landscape

🎙 Featured Speakers:
🔹 Stuti Ashok Gupta, the visionary behind Amrutam
🔹 Mayank B Nagori, championing sustainability with Gud Gum | Plastic-free chewing gum
🔹 Sumit Rastogi, the creative genius driving Artinci’s journey

📅 Save the date: 19th April, Friday
🕧 Time: 6:30 PM IST
📍 Venue: Netcore Cloud, Bengaluru

This event, co-hosted by Netcore Cloud, eChai Ventures, and Headstart Network Foundation, promises an evening of genuine connections, actionable insights, and perhaps a few jaw-dropping untold stories!

Secure your spot now. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/gKW7ctDF

I am in mumbai this week.

Will also be speaking at eChai Mumbai Startup meetup. If anyone around can join here.
 
eChai Ventures Jatin Chaudhary Sharad Bansal Warmup Ventures

Free registration

Imagine gathering a few marketing experts in a room and guess what they do.

Probably an intellectual fight over who is more 'creative'. 😄

Well, that was not the case yesterday when we met at eChai Ventures - social at GVFL Limited office yesterday. A productive session conducted by forever smiling Jatin Chaudhary was more than a chai-biscuit gathering.

Very very helpful to learn insights, marketing hacks, AI driven marketing and business strategies. Truly, a #CoRise moment.

Folks, here's an open shoutout to everyone - happy to meet again in person, to discuss more than just hacks. 😎

Jaydip Parikh, Amit Panchal, 🚀Jignesh Thakkar, Nikita Lalwani, Arpan Shah, Parth Brahmbhatt, Himani Kankaria, Viraj Rajani, Ankit Agrawal, Anil Salvi 🍉, Sahil Shah, Tarjani Shah

Founders contemplate whom to approach for funding, while investors consider where to allocate their investments. When one should seek funding or refrain from it is an individual choice. There are no definitive answers to any questions; it's always subjective and often seasonal.

It was an enriching meetup eChai Ventures on very apt topic #funding - learning about this from the best Milapsinh Jadeja sir ,Umesh Uttamchandani sor @mihir joshi sir GVFL Limited , Dheeraj Bhojwani sir !!

Many congratulations to Jatin Chaudhary for completing 15 years to eChai Ventures journey and hosting the show!

Friends and family are typically the first investors in your vision, and early-stage startups often receive initial investments from them.

• Bootstrapping: Self-funding the startup with personal savings or revenue.

• Seed Funding: Initial capital from friends, family, or angel investors.

• Series A, B, C Funding: Increasing rounds of financing from venture capitalists as the company grows.

• Bridge Funding: Short-term financing to sustain operations between major funding rounds.

Pros of Funding:

• Accelerated growth potential.

• Access to expertise and networks of investors.

• Ability to scale operations rapidly.

Cons of Funding:

• Pressure to meet investor expectations.

• Dilution of equity.

Are you part of startup ecosystem?
And which stage you are into , bootstrapping, seed funding, more round of funds , Bridge funding or other??

I am just truly love the energy of all the founders !!

Pankaj Bhimani Ekta Shah Mitesh Shethwala Himani Kankaria Harshal Trivedi Yash Mehta Amit Panchal Nikita A Macquinn Harsha Bhurani Satya Mehta Novin Jaiswal Viraj Rajani Niraj Harlalka Bhavik Makwana Shreyans Panchal 

Wow, what an incredible time we had at the eChai Ventures Tallinn Startup Meetup! 🚀💡 We dove headfirst into the exciting world of startups, asking that age-old question: Do we need investors, or do they need us? It sparked some seriously thought-provoking discussions!

Sebastien Toupy and 🧙‍♂️ Erik Bhullar stole the show with their awesome insights, challenging our traditional views on early-stage startups. They showed us the magic of customer money and how it fuels sustainable growth. 💸💡

Navigating early-stage startups can feel like wandering through a maze, but fear not! Our speakers acted as trusty guides, leading us through the twists and turns of investment decisions. Every moment was packed with nuggets of wisdom! 🔍✨

Big shoutout to Kirke Leinatamm for steering the ship as our fantastic moderator, keeping the energy high and the conversations flowing. And huge thanks to all our amazing guests for bringing their brilliance to the table! 🙌🎉

Get ready for more excitement at Draper Startup House Tallinn! Innovation knows no bounds, and we're just getting started. Come join us as we shape the future of entrepreneurship together!

What a fabulous journey of @eChaiVentures from a local to a global brand based out of #Ahmedabad and connecting people & startups ! Echai has forged new relationships #echaicorise. 

Congrats @jatin10, Kunal &  echai team for nurturing the startup ecosystem when it was not a buzzword!  

Revamped, Redesigned, Reborn! 🚀

We're thrilled to unveil the new version of @allevents_in Event Discovery App during #AEFest.

Check out our video to see the exciting changes and get ready to experience events like never before! 📲✨

#StayHappening

 

We are collaborating with IIMA Ventures to host eChai's Startup Growth Meetup in Ahmedabad today (6th April, Saturday) at IIMA Ventures from 6 pm to 8 pm.

🎙️ Sandeep Patel (NEPRA - Let's Recycle)
🎙️Ankur Agarwal (Medkart Pharmacy)
🎙️ Udit Goenka (TinyCheque / FirstSales.io)
🎙️Ishit Jethwa (Ludic)

I'll be moderating this meetup.

We are collaborating with Draper Startup House to host eChai's Startup Growth Meetup in Bengaluru today (6th April, Saturday) at Draper Startup House Koramangala from 6 pm to 8 pm.

🎙️ Manish Maryada (Fello)
🎙️Aalap Sanghvi (Immersfy)

Free registration at eChai.Ventures 

We are collaborating with Pro Zero Carbon, CoKarma - Coworking Space and Ewoke Studio for Wudbox Climate Dialogue in Hyderabad today (6th April, Saturday) at CoKarma Hitec City from 6 pm to 8 pm.

🎙️Shruti Rawal (Ewoke Studio)
🎙️Rashi Agrawal (Banyan Nation)
🎙️Dashveer Singh (Maharaja Carpets India)
🎙️Sundeep Singh (C-Forth Energy)
🎙️Nikhil Somani (Somani Packaging)

It will be hosted by Charu Dhyani & Shantanu Sharma (Pro Zero Carbon & Wudbox)

Free registration at eChai.Ventures 

Couple of things I noticed during a conversation about sales strategies for #startups organised by eChai Ventures in partnership with GVFL Limited.

1. Most questions were around negotiation and pricing.
It is natural to think that the most difficult part of sales is getting the customer to agree on a price point. This is because that's what we as entrepreneurs hear most objections on. It is also because that is fairly relatable and happens to all sales folks.

But it is important to remember that whatever happens in the room (or video calls) is only 5% of the sales process. 95% of sales happens outside of negotiation and pricing.

Negotiation is just one of the stages.

Building a predictable, repeatable and scalable sales engine is significantly harder than handling negotiation. I'd strongly recommend focusing on the sales engine a lot more, a lot early.

2. People do not focus enough on building trust.
Trust is one of those very few things - takes a life-time to build but a moment to lose. Most folks did not realise how valuable proofs, cases and testimonials can be if used the right way and how quick it can make the sales process.

One of the recommendations is - early on, see if you can ride on trust built by someone else. If your #agency does not have enough clients yet, work with an existing agency as a sub-contractor. If your #product does not have enough users/customers yet, launch on marketplaces like AppSumo.

3. In an effort to show our expertise, we end up ripping apart the customer.
No one. Absolutely no one wants to be told they are wrong/incompetent over and over. The customer already realises that they have a problem to be solved and that is why they are there to have a conversation with you.

Once you establish in first few minutes of the conversation that you can help them fix that problem, stop pointing out their mistakes. Consider using cases and portfolio to showcase your value. Consider existing ROI calculations to convince them on the pricing.

4. No one likes being sold to.
But all of us love an interesting conversation. Ultimately, sales is just interesting conversations. Asking open ended questions to understand them better and sharing your experiences to show them who and what you and your company are.

Doing this as a genuine individual (neither as a sales person nor a strategy) has helped us significantly at both Clientjoy (Acquired by Synup) and at Momentum Ventures.

Strongly recommend treating prospects like a person. Not like a bag of money or a record in your #CRM.

Lastly, focus on the process. Everything else will fall into place.

Thank you Jatin for considering me to join in on this discussion with Vikas from Magenta Insights and Shrijay from LegalWiz.in. It was meaningful. Looking forward to the next one.

Had a great day at eChai Startup Demo Day pitching Impler.

Just 2 minutes of pitch and a few minutes of Q&A were enough to open doors for genuine pain points and insights.

The event was filled with many amazing people, fantastic startups, and interesting questions. Even the 12th grade does join and network with people.

Nice meeting with Kshitish Dixit, Mehul Shah, Maulik Domadia, Ravi Gandhi, and Viraj Zaveri

Special thanks to Jatin Chaudhary and eChai Ventures for an amazing opportunity.

eChai Ventures and Draper Startup House will be hosting the in-person 'Startup Open House in Tallinn' with founders and startup folks on 4th April, Thursday from 6 pm to 8 pm.

eChai Startup Socials are volunteer driven small gatherings with founders and startup folks happening all over the world.

Speakers:

Small Group. Candid Conversations. Startup Folks.

This meetup is free and open for all.

Venue: Draper Startup House, Pikk 7, 10123 Tallinn, Estonia Office 1, Second floor

Date & Time: 4th April, Thursday. 6 pm to 8 pm.

Free registration at eChai.Ventures

As the echoes of The Climate Party still resonate within the walls of CoKarma and the hearts of our vibrant community, we're excited to announce the next step in our collective journey towards sustainability: the Wudbox Climate Dialogue event! ♻️🗣️

Imagine a place where your ideas have the power to morph into actionable climate solutions. That's what we are all about! This dialogue is your platform to mingle with eco-warriors in our ecosystem! 🌱🤝

- Charu Dhyani - She's not just the Founder of Pro Zero Carbon; she's a beacon of hope, leading the charge towards a zero-carbon future! 🌟🌿

- Shantanu Sharma - As Co-Founder of Pro Zero Carbon, Shantanu is here to prove that sustainability and success go hand in hand. 💼♻️

- Shruti Rawal - The brain behind Ewoke Studio, Shruti is stitching the fabric of sustainability into every creation. 🧵🌏

- Dashveer Singh - Steering Maharaja Carpets India towards green horizons, Dashveer's journey is nothing short of inspiring. 🌿🔍

- Nikhil Somani - Nikhil is here with Somani Packaging to wrap the world in eco-friendly solutions. 📦🌍

- Rashi Agrawal - As the Director of Banyan Nation, Rashi is transforming the landscape of sustainability through innovative waste management. 💼🌱

- Sundeep Singh - Sundeep, the Executive Director at C-Forth Energy, electrifies the scene with cutting-edge energy solutions. ⚡🌐

Amidst the constant warnings of a heat wave in Telangana and rising temperatures, be there to be the change. Let's make our planet proud, together! 🌟👫

🗓️ 6th April 2024 6PM onwards
📍CoKarma, Hitech City

RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/eMpMUiaT

No professional epiphanies or LinkedIn gyaan today.

Just a bunch of folks that met through the Ahmedabad start up community and became good friends.

Thanks eChai Ventures for doing what you do best- connecting likeminded folks who sometimes just want to laugh over a good cup of chai.

Founders have lives, too 🙂

Arindam Sengupta Faraz Wadhwania Rushabh Shah Jatin Chaudhary EduFund

Last Saturday at MotionGility, we had the privilege of hosting two esteemed speakers, Mehul Shah, co-founder of Ivy Growth Associates, and Tushar Suhalka, founder of Regrip, along with Komal Chaturvedi.

The topic of discussion was "How to Secure Funding During a Recession," a subject that couldn't be more relevant in today's economic climate.

Both Mehul and Tushar shared their experiences in investing and securing funding.

One key takeaway was that having a solid business and a profitable cash flow can increase your chances of securing funding, even in a recession.

The event was a goldmine of knowledge for entrepreneurs, giving actionable tips and strategies to secure funding during tough times.

Thank you, Jatin Chaudhary and eChai Ventures for backing this insightful gathering!

Also, a special thanks to Narendra Govil Ji & Aman Jolly for presenting the Gift 🎁& Taponn card to Mr. Mehul, it was a pleasure having you here.

This post celebrates the incredible impact of #networking and the pivotal role eChai Ventures has played in expanding my knowledge and connections within the industry.

A special shout-out to Jatin Chaudhary, whose support was instrumental when I was navigating the beginnings of this vibrant ecosystem. The relationships forged through #eChai meetings have turned out to be not just valuable but transformative.

Witnessing Bull Agritech's growth has been a joy. The dedicated approach and profound industry insights of its founders, Hit Desai and Divyajeetsinh Chauhan, clearly set them apart and paved their path forward.

Heartfelt congratulations to the entire Bull Agritech team—here's to soaring to new heights and achieving even greater milestones.

A big thank you to Faraz Wadhwania for being part of this journey. Your involvement and connections have made the job a lot easier.

|Fundraising Alert|

I am humbled to share the news of the $100K fundraise of Bull Agritech as their Fundraising Advisor. Personally, this is the first instance of aiding a fundraiser as a consultant.


With the new infusion, Akassh P., Nilesh Bhalala, Jeet Shastri, Adishwar Jain and Shahin Patel have joined in on the capable.


The Backstory:

Thanks to our coffee connection, I met the founders of Bull Agritech Hit Desai and Divyajeetsinh Chauhan through Rushabh Shah of STIR Advisors with whom I met through Jatin Chaudhary of eChai Ventures. This was my first experience working with someone as an 

#investmentbanker to meet the capital requirements of a startup.

With our close engagement with the founders, we will continue to help them in their capital-raising journey.


About Bull Agritech:

📌 Bull Agritech aims to create India's largest #agricommodity #supplychain by leveraging technology and its network of farmers and commodity processors.

📌 BA facilitated trades worth 35 crores in 24 months. Over 6000 farmers chose BA for selling crops instead of local APMCs.

📌 After reporting a 200% YoY growth, the company aims to sustain a 25% MoM growth and expand in the less penetrated farmer financing market.


Special Shoutout:

We rooped in Khyati Jha from Spectrum Partners to manage the legal side of the transaction. It has now been 5+ deals with Khyati on the legal front in the last couple of years. Bunty Hudda from Hudda & Associates Company Secretaries LLP led the secretarial piece. Harshit Dave also worked as a supporting pillar for the deal.

I extend my heartiest congratulations and support to the Bull #agritech team in their journey to growth and success.

WE ARE NO DIFFERENT

Every #sharktank featured event I go to, they put us on a pedestal.

Last meeting organised by eChai Ventures for young and aspiring entrepreneurs, the first thing I did was change those high seats to seats the same as the others.

It relaxed the whole group and they felt inclusive immediately, of course, Ravi Mathur and Agnim Gupta were also game and three of us immediately became one with the group.

Three of us shared our journeys, visions, wins and most importantly our failures. It is absolutely crucial to understand that our success is only after a series of failures.And, we still have a long way to go.

So walk, fall, get up, relearn and this time RUN. It was such a successful moment when the listeners at the end came up to us and said that they felt we were as normal as them and if we could, so could they.

But, here’s a little secret. I too look up to some legendary entrepreneurs and it feels like they are different, but this was a sweet reminder that we can be whoever we want to be if we put in all our efforts.

So who do you want to be like? Do share your hero with me.

eChai Ventures social conversations are super fun and insightful theme was great "From Zero to Millions".

Thanks everyone for joining in Bhavesh Patel | Leena Parikh | Valay Parikh | Jatin Chaudhary | Bhavik Makwana | Nikita Lalwani | Pankaj Bhimani | Chirag Panchal  | Yug Dave

In the age of overselling and misselling, how do you truly drive sales?

An Incredible event hosted by eChai Ventures X GVFL Limited, delved into this very question: How to get early customers to scaling your sales.

Key Takeaways:

1. Listen & Ask the Right Questions: Allow your target customers to share their pain points. Avoid assumptions, and simply listen.

2. Don’t outsmart your customer.

3. Under Promise, Over Deliver:

It’s easier said than done. Making sales promises you can't keep damages your credibility in the long run.

4. Don’t sell to everyone.

If your customer is everyone then your customer is no one.

5. Invest in PR:

PR means Perception that drives Reality. Create Perception by investing in PR activity.

6. Base your research on facts, not assumptions.

7. Lead Magnets >> Money Magnets: Offer exceptional value through lead magnets to convert target customers into loyal fans.

Last not but least,

8. Find ways to collaborate with people:

Be the person that everyone wants to collaborate or be that person who collaborates with everyone, Read that again.

Thanks for sharing invaluable insights Jatin Chaudhary, Shrijay Sheth, Yash Shah , Vikas Mundhra, Kamal Bansal & Mihir Joshi.

Draper Startup House + eChai Ventures , moderated by Vishnu Chaitanya, is a powerhouse combination! 💥

Yesterday's discussion brought together the titans of the #HoReCa industry in Hyderabad, featuring brands like Ishtaa, Haashi , Euphoria Bakers, Drunken Monkey , churrolto, and Swiggy. 🍽️

The insights shared by these industry stars were nothing short of fascinating, especially for a marketing enthusiast like me. The moderator's questions and the engaging Q&A session kept us hooked for an event that stretched two hours beyond schedule! 🕒

From Koushik "Babu" Koganti's journey from the streets of the USA to Harvard and then to the bustling streets of Hyderabad, to Samrat Reddy transformation of Drunken Monkey from a brand to a lifestyle, each story resonated deeply with the entrepreneurial spirit. 🌟

Neehar Bisabathini from Churroltto captivated us with his eloquence and straightforward explanations, leaving us eagerly anticipating more of his wisdom in the future. Stay tuned! 🎤

Faisal Tayabali's journey with Euphoria, from corporate life to becoming the "Bald Brownie Baba," showcased the power of entrepreneurial freedom.

Sandeep Balasubramanian from Hashi shared his eureka moment and the enduring value of strong employee relationships during challenging times like the pandemic. 💡

And let's not forget Suharika Karri from Swiggy Hyderabad, whose insights on dark kitchens and boosting sales were nothing short of guru mantras for startups in the HoReCa industry. 🍕

I (and members of The D2C Folks) had the privilege of learning so much from the panelists at the D2C event by eChai Ventures and Netcore Cloud yesterday!

From Shivam Tiwari's inspiring story to Janvi Tiwari's unwavering dedication to her brand SOQO, and Vandita Tewari Kapoor's insightful strategies for Iyurved, every moment was enriching.

Waiting for more of these enlightening sessions!

Thank you Nanda Kumar, Mitul Aggarwal for this event!

Gorang Gupta | Nishanth Kumar | Manesh Jain | Prashant Prakash Dubey | Jatin Chaudhary

Contributing to streaming conversations around marketing in #Surat is a great delight and also the need of the hour. We've all witnessed events centering around startups, funding, finance, art, textile, auto, energy, and various other sectors but one pivotal factor "Marketing" still remains overshadowed & undervalued.

There's clear lack of education on marketing, both from the standpoint of brands and marketers themselves. It's time we marketeers collectively come together, uplift the significance of marketing in our ecosystem.

Let's ensure every voice in #Surat is equipped with ample knowledge and tools to harness the potential of marketing.

Glad eChai Ventures & Manoj Adwani is taking initiatives forging the culture of strong brand image!