Greetings from IIT Alumni Centre, Bengaluru (IITACB) Incubator Committee.
We are reaching out to invite you to participate in the Startups <> Investor Connect Programme 2.0, our virtual meetup that connects promising startups from across India with leading venture capitalists and angel investors, based at the heart of India’s startup ecosystem.
What is the Startups <> Investor Connect Programme?
It is a curated online forum where select early-stage startups get to pitch directly to top investors. Our aim is to provide exposure, feedback, and potential funding opportunities to campus-based innovators.
Startups <> Investor Connect Programme 2.0 Schedule (August 17 – December 14, 2026)
| Startups Application Deadline | Last date for considering for the current Cohort | Aug 17, 2026 |
| Announcement of Selected Startups | Review of Applications by Relevant Expert Panels (REP) and announcement | Aug 25, 2026 |
| First Cohort Meeting | Startups will pitch in front of all the Mentors, followed by Q&A session | Aug 29, 2026 |
| Midterm Review | Startups will pitch to showcase their progress on readiness and get needed help | Oct 12, 2026 |
| Pre-Live Pitching Meet | Startups will pitch to recalibrate their Pitching or get more support | Nov 24, 2026 |
| Live Pitch to Investors | Startups will pitch in front of investors followed by Q&A session | Dec 14, 2026 |
In addition to the above schedule, all selected startups will be required to complete a Weekly Progress Review. The review will help us understand each startup’s progress, gather feedback on mentor interactions, identify key challenges, and address issues proactively to ensure a valuable and productive experience throughout the programme.
Here’s what you and your startups should know:
- No fees to participate.
- No travel required; everything is conducted online.
- Time commitment:
- Cohort Meetings: Around 3-4 hours over 3 meetings viz. Cohort Kickoff Meeting, Midway Review and Pre-Live Pitching Meet, to practice and coaching.
- Live Pitch to Investors: 1 Online discussion in front of multiple investors at the end of the Cohort.
- Bespoke Mentor Meetings: 2-3 hours across 3 months per startups with their assigned Mentors throughout the cohort mutually coordinated by them as per the need and convenience of both parties.
- While Funding is technically NOT guaranteed, as funding decisions are subject to individual VC / HNI peers, we have seen that cohorts built round our ecosystem have been able to make great strides in their outreach than standard investors.
A quick look back at Cohort-1: It concluded on December 9, 2025, after a 6-month run:
- 41 startups applied for the programme.
- 12 startups were shortlisted for bespoke mentorship.
- 52 investor manuals were recorded on Demo Day (Investor Connect).
- All 12 startups were invited to 2-day visit to IITACB, with boarding and lodging.
- December 7, 2025 was full-day sessions on Entrepreneurship, VC mindset, Financial Ratios and Marketing.
- December 8, 2025 was a half-day visit to NSRCEL and 3M Innovation.
The emphasis throughout has been on readiness—not just pitching, but pitching well.
We request you to sign up for this programme and contribute to the overall success of it. Our team will screen and coach selected startups before the investor meet. We are building a strong pipeline of innovators, and we would love to include you in this initiative.
*Please feel free forward to those who genuinely need this mentorship.
We look forward to your active participation.