Venture Catalysts to foray into Pune to drive the innovation quotient of entrepreneurs in the city

Venture Catalysts, India’s no.1 integrated incubator, is leaving no stone unturned to raise the levels of innovation and foster entrepreneurship in the country. After its launch in the Orange city of Maharashtra- Nagpur- the largest integrated incubator has announced the commencement its operations in Pune on August 31, 2018.The event to be held at VCats Pune will see 100+ investors and major startup ecosystem players taking part in panel discussions and startup pitches to mark the VCats’ operational expansion into the city.

Mr. B.C Bhartia, Bhartia Group will deliver the keynote address post which, Mr. Manish Gandhi, Managing Partner, Venture Catalysts Pune and Dr. Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder and President, Venture Catalysts will present the welcome address. The launch will witness some enlightening contributions and perspectives of thought leaders at the event. The first panel discussion on Fostering Entrepreneurship in Tier 2(Angel Investments Decoded) will be moderated by CA Anuj Golecha – Co-founder of VCats and the session will feature prominent speakers such as Mr. Saurabh Rao, Mrs. Shweta Sharlini and Mr. Shivendra Chauhan – Reliance Jio. The second panel discussion, VC Investments in early-stage startups, will see RituMarya, Editor-in-Chief of Entrepreneur Magazine moderate the session. Panelists Gaurav Mehra, Amit Patni of Nirvana Ventures, Manish Singhla, Dr.Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, President, Venture Catalysts will share their vision on early-stage VC funding. After the enriching panel discussions, Q&A rounds will be held for the audience. Post the one-hour lunch break, IIM Calcutta alumnus, Lalit Menghani, the Founder of Home Capital will share his entrepreneurial journey with the audience. The last session- Speed Dating- will help offer a perfect opportunity for startups to network with investors.

Commenting on the launch, Manish Gandhi, Managing Partner, VCats Pune said, “Pune is one of the most prominent startup hubs in the country. Maharashtra CM, Devendra Fadnavis has proposed to make the city India’s number one destination for startups by 2020. This clearly signifies the potential for startups in Pune. Already, the city is well-known for a large number of startups in the fintech, edtech and healthtech space, along with manufacturing and IT companies. We are happy to have expanded in Pune and look forward to driving the continued success of the city’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

Dr Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, Co-Founder & President, Venture Catalysts said, “We have witnessed an efficient startup ecosystem developing in the city of Pune. Having recognized this trend and the potential of Pune, we decided to extend our services in the city. We want to further foster entrepreneurship and unlock the potential of inchoate business ventures in the city by offering networking and finance opportunities. We are highly pleased to announce the launch of our operations in the city, which is sure to pave the way for several successful startups here.”

Anuj Golecha, Co-Founder, Venture Catalysts said, “The city of Pune has exactly the right ecosystem to bring the entire community of existing angel investors together on a single platform. We look forward to creating a new set of angel investors from the existing HNIs and businessmen from the city. In addition to driving startup growth, our launch in Pune will enable the investor community to actively engage with the startup community in helping them grow and scale.”

The Pune launch is a part of VCats’ ongoing endeavour to facilitate business knowledge and technical acumen to entrepreneurs across the country. The launch of VCats in Pune is sure to further boost the startup ecosystem in the city and help all budding entrepreneurs grab the right opportunities along with mentorship and access to funds.