Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu to be the Chief Guest at IIT Mandi Catalyst’s Himalayan Startup Trek 2023 on September 30, 2023
Indian Institute of Technology Mandi’s Technology Business Incubator, Catalyst, is hosting the seventh edition of its annual flagship event, Himalayan Startup Trek (HST), from 29th September to 1st October 2023, in association with the Department of Science and Technology (Climate Change and Clean Energy Division), Govt. of India. The Himachal Pradesh Department of Industries’ HP Center for Entrepreneurship Development is also supporting the event.
Sh. Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu, Hon’ble Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh, will grace the Himalayan Startup Trek 2023 as the Chief Guest on 30th September 2023.
IIT Mandi Catalyst has been hosting ‘Himalayan Startup Trek (HST)’ for the last seven years. The word ‘Himalayan’ stands for Catalyst’s commitment to enabling environmentally conscious solutions and ‘Startup Trek’ symbolises the ardent startup journey of budding startup founders.
The seventh edition of HST is expecting approximately 500 attendees, including over 100 startups from across the country, around 25 representatives from top Venture Capitalists (VCs) and Angel Investors, as well as about 25 prominent mentors and senior government officials.
A plethora of events for the startup community and student will be organised during event including:
● Startup Grand Challenge: The main event at HST wherein the startups, innovators, and aspiring entrepreneurs from across the country will pitch their innovative ideas in front of the panel. For this year’s Grand Challenge, more than 500 startups & innovators submitted their path breaking ideas. Out of which the top 60 shortlisted ideas will be pitching in person under three below mentioned themes:
○ Theme 1: The New Age Alliance – Human Computer Interaction
○ Theme 2: The Foothill Innovators Challenge – Build For Himalayas
○ Theme 3: The Habitable World Challenge – Environment & Sustainability
Each thematic area has prize money of up to Rs 3 lakhs to be distributed between the top 3 start-ups in the given theme. Top start-ups will be provided incubation support and opportunity to access funding schemes up to Rs 50 lakhs.
● Hackathons Organised in Association with E-Cell IIT Mandi
BYOB – The BYOB (Build Your Own Business) is a creative and interactive online business idea challenge designed to empower students to conceptualise and develop their own business ideas.
CFG – The CFG (Code for Good) is an online coding challenge which revolves around coding based solutions for the pre-released problem statements that align with the core thematic areas of HST 2023.
● Investor’s Den: Startups who are seeking further funding support will have the chance to pitch their ventures to a panel of seasoned investors, offering a golden opportunity to secure vital capital.
Around 30 representatives from top Venture Capitalists (VCs) and Angel Investors with the likes of Mumbai angels, Peak Ventures, Faad Network, Fluid Ventures, Unicorn Ventures, Startup XSEED, Real Time Angel Fund, Hyderabad Angels, Inflection Point Ventures, The Marwari Angels, Goa angel network & Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA) confirmed their presence at the event.
Mentor Clinics: This unique opportunity will connect startups participating in HST with experienced mentors for one-on-one sessions, enabling in-depth discussions about their business ideas and invaluable feedback. During these sessions, each startup will have the privilege of spending around half an hour with a panel of seasoned investors or mentors to seek guidance and insights.
● Master Classes: Supported by industry giants like Google, participants can attend master classes that delve into the latest trends, technologies, and strategies shaping the startup world.
● Startup Showcase:
Startups will have a dedicated exhibition to showcase their groundbreaking ideas, transformative products, and cutting-edge business models.
Speaking about HST 2023, Dr Puran Singh, Faculty In-charge, and Director of Incubation, IIT Mandi Catalyst, said, “I look forward to meeting several startup founders coming for HST 2023, who are eager to benefit from the ecosystem at the Indian Institute of Technology, Mandi. I look forward to meeting in person, our champion mentors – the soul of incubation programs at Catalyst.”
See more about HST 2023 on: https://www.iitmandicatalyst.in/hst2023/
