Pitch Den - Navi Mumbai's biggest pitching event creates waves in the startup ecosystem

VMPL
New Delhi [India], February 3: There are plenty of pitching events being held around the country today, but few attract the interest of investors, founders, and budding entrepreneurs alike. Pitch Den was one such event that left a lasting impression and created a dent in the entire startup ecosystem.
Conducted on 18th January 2025, Pitch Den's inaugural event was Navi Mumbai's first ever pitching event of this magnitude. Close to 300 startups applied, from which 11 made the cut to pitch to a panel of 5 renowned Venture Capitalists in the presence of 200+ attendees. The panel included Ankul Maheshwari - Founder of CENSIE Capital Partners, Abhimanyu Londhe - Founder of Abhi Incubation Fund, Rishabh Raj - Senior Analyst at Unicorn India Ventures, Gaurav Mehta - an Angel Investor, and Sriram Ganesh Sastrigal - Director of Venture Capital and Investments at Magnivia Ventures.
"What I really liked about the event was the different format and the kind of companies that participated," quoted Ankul Maheshwari. Abhimanyu Londhe added, "Pitch Den was one such event where I had 10 new things to learn from - how you are going to put across expectations and how one needs to meet those expectations."
Out of eleven, three startups won a Den Deal:
1. CGreen - a platform revolutionizing small-ticket collections and financial inclusion through technology-driven solutions by leveraging AI, ML, and Voice AI.
2. Dr. Mantra - a no-surgery solution for kidney stones and piles which helps people get rid of lifestyle diseases using affordable, ayurvedic principles.
3. MolVerse Pvt. Ltd. - a unique technology accelerating Molecular Discoveries to address critical challenges in healthcare, scientific equity, and research reliability by transforming structural biology workflows.
Attendees, including entrepreneurs who couldn't be part of the on-stage selections, not only could connect with the panelists but also with other angel investors and VCs invited to the event, at an exclusive networking arena.
Adding further depth, Brazilian investor Anna Pula Debiazi Vicente of Leonora Venture joined the event online, addressing participants, investors, and visitors via the LED screen. She congratulated the organizers and encouraged founders to approach her venture capital firm to realize their innovations and ambitions in Brazil.
"Pitch Den introduced a fresh take on spot pitching along with a diverse portfolio of startups which stood out for me," commented Gaurav Mehta.
Organised by Navi Mumbai Startup Community and Co-Sponsored by KEKA HRMS, along with associate sponsors including IDFC Bank, Finite, Scale Sauce, and Funding Ventures, Pitch Den was particularly appreciated by one and all for its unique format and immaculate execution.
Rishabh Raj was quoted saying, "I believe the flow was really good. We always wanted someone to come up with this initiative in Navi Mumbai." Sriram Sastrigal shared his view as "Our focus is on deep-tech investments, and Pitch Den has been a very good event for us to start with."
The event organizers include Mr. Chirag Thakker - Founder of Navi Mumbai Startup Community and Consultant in business strategy and scaling, Shardul Gayal - Brand and Marketing Strategist, Aryan Kumar - Founder of Korslet, MVP Specialist, Sushil Alme - Founder of Alme Matter and Girija Chatty and Anu Rao - Founders of Salt for Cooking and emcees of Pitch Den event alongside Sushil Alme.
"The Pitch Den is just the beginning of our mission to create a platform for startups. Our vision is to make Navi Mumbai a thriving hub of innovation," said Chirag Thakker, Founder - Navi Mumbai Startup Community.
Chirag Thakker, Shardul Gayal, and Aryan Kumar work together to consult founders on solving practical and fundamental issues concerning their startups through their respective domains of expertise, making them pitch-ready. To get in touch, email Chirag Thakker at chirag@lateralhr.in
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