From Endowments to Deeptech: IvyCap Ventures Sparks High-Impact Dialogues in Bengaluru
The Bengaluru Leaders Meet, hosted by IvyCap Ventures, brought together a lineup of thought leaders, entrepreneurs, and institutional heads for a day of high-impact conversations centered around innovation, endowment building, and the future of India’s startup and investment landscape.
Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO of Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), who spoke about unlocking India’s deeptech potential. He emphasized the unique opportunity India has to become a global leader in this space, given the nation’s abundant talent pool and increasing support from both public and private stakeholders.
The first panel discussion, moderated by Anju Gupta, Partner, IvyCap Ventures, focused on “Empowering Endowments Through Alumni Engagement,” and provided an insightful overview of endowment funds and their long-term benefits to educational institutions. Professor Ashok Misra emphasized that alumni are the most critical stakeholders in building robust endowment systems. Professor Rishikesha Krishnan reflected on how IIMs are engaging alumni differently from IITs. Vikram Gupta, Founder and Managing Partner, IvyCap Ventures, shared IvyCap’s pioneering role in building India's first institutional endowment model in partnership with IIT Delhi.
The second panel, titled “From Vision to Venture: Inside the Minds of Future-First Founders,” moderated by Ashish Wadhwani, Co-Founder and Managing Partner, IvyCap Ventures, highlighted the exponential growth of India’s startup ecosystem and the critical role of technology in translating ideas into scalable businesses. Gaurav Singh Kushwaha shared BlueStone’s journey from a digital-first jewelry brand to an omnichannel player, underscoring the role of technology in building operational efficiency and consumer trust. Rajneesh Raman of Celcius Logistics Solutions Pvt Ltd spoke about the challenges of launching India’s only integrated cold-chain logistics platform, noting how tech integration helped reduce wastage and streamline the fragmented sector. Laina Emmanuel from BrainSightAI offered a powerful narrative about early struggles in commercializing brain-mapping technologies for early diagnosis of neurological disorders. She emphasized the persistence and learning discipline needed to continue despite financial uncertainty. Chaitanya Dora of Dhruva Space delved into regulatory challenges and the strategic advantage of Indian engineering talent in building globally competitive space tech. Nikhil Venkatesh of Botsync discussed the hustle of winning the first customer, & how understanding ground realities by visiting factories gave their team an edge in product-market fit.
@karnatakadem @IIM_Bangalore @bluestone_com @DhruvaSpace @BrainSightAI @botsyncpteltd @celciusindia @vikramgupta70