StartupTN – Villgro Accelerator Graduation Ceremony at Tamil Nadu Startup Fest 2023
Chennai: Startup graduates from the StartupTN – Villgro Accelerator Cohort showcased their products and services at StartupTN’s ‘TamilNadu Startup Thiruvizha 2023’, the first annual mega event of the Government of Tamil Nadu’s nodal agency for Startups and Innovation. The two-day event to celebrate Startups and Entrepreneurship at CODISSIA Trade Fair, Coimbatore, on August 19 & 20, 2023, showcased 450+ stalls, predominantly by Startups and ecosystem enablers, and 60+ speakers, attracting more than 15,000 participants and delegates.
Villgro took the opportunity to honour and showcase all 22 Startups from the StartupTN – Villgro Accelerator Cohort. The Startups included pioneering ventures such as DbyT Dynamics Mobility Solutions, Ariviya Deep Tech, Freshrooms Lifesciences, Keerai Kadai Ventures, Transity, Samudhyoga Waste Chakra, Paraclete Image Labs, Infinite Inland Farmers, Green Delight Innovations, Arola, Yaadhum, Raatai, D2D Angaadi, Thiruvalluvar Tailoring Centre, and EETA. They had received 40+ mentoring sessions, 15+ diagnostic panels, 10+ investor meetings and more.
StartupTN introduced TANSEED 3.0, the 3rd edition of Tamil Nadu Startup Seed Grant Fund – their flagship grant program last year, to support early-stage financing requirements of Startups to fill the gap in fund requirements for research & innovations with a grant of Rs. 10 lakhs each. StartupTN collaborated with Villgro, a social enterprise incubator, to identify and nurture emerging businesses in the Agriculture, Climate Action, and Livelihood sectors through this accelerator program. Post 9 startups getting INR 10L each funding through TANSEED 3.0, Villgro provided additional funding of INR 96L to 2 startups, while 2 other startups raised INR 1.44cr of follow-on funding.
Villgro provided mentoring, industry networking and partnerships support to the startups through boot camps, 1-on-1 mentoring sessions and pan-India networking events. Villgro also guided Startups with valuable support, encompassing comprehensive portfolio management, expert mentorship, and hands-on assistance in critical areas such as product design, validation, testing, and establishing go-to-market partnerships. On successful completion of the accelerator programme, the Startups were presented at the Tamil Nadu Startup Thiruvizha 2023, a high-impact platform to showcase their ideas to investors and mentors and network with potential investors.
“We were delighted to witness the resounding success of the Tamil Nadu Startup Fest, which served as a testament to our dedicated efforts in fostering innovation. The collaboration between StartupTN and Villgro greatly enriched the startup ecosystem, evident through the impactful output of the StartupTN – Villgro Accelerator program. The startups funded through the program are working diligently on innovating, developing, or enhancing products and processes with the potential to generate employment, create social impact, and foster wealth. This collaboration undoubtedly played a pivotal role in advancing our objective of propelling economic growth and nurturing a dynamic startup ecosystem in Tamil Nadu”, said Mr. Sivarajah Ramanathan, StartupTN Mission Director & CEO.
Mr. Srinivas Ramanujam, CEO of Villgro, said, “We are honoured to have collaborated with the Tamil Nadu Government through StartupTN, which exemplifies our shared dedication to nurturing social innovation and Startup growth. Tamil Nadu Startup Thiruvizha provided an invaluable platform to connect Startups with potential investors and stakeholders. This collaboration underscores our commitment to fostering a thriving ecosystem that empowers startups to drive positive change and economic progress.”