Beach-side startup fest Huddle Global takes innovation to grass roots
3,000 startups, 75 investors, 10,000 footfalls at Nov 16-18 conclave at Adimalathura near Thiruvananthapuram, while mentors and coders exceed 100 each
Trivandrum / November 23, 2023
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 23: The just concluded beachside startup festival Huddle Global 2023 hosted by Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in the coastal village Adimalathura near here made a deep impression as the first successful initiative that took the world of innovation and entrepreneurship to the grass roots.
The November 16-18 event that drew together startup promoters, investors, mentors and management gurus also stood out by facilitating over 250-plus meets for 3,000 startups with 75 investors, clocking more than 10,000 footfalls amid high participatory spirit.
The event enabled 42 startups to moot their ideas before 20 investors. Five of the investors expressed interest in one startup each during Open Pitch sessions, generating prospects of over 200 follow-up discussions for investments.
The conclave at Adimalathura near Vizhinjam, 20 km south of the state capital, saw the convergence of a wide range of stakeholders, while several MoUs were firmed up amid the government’s pursuit for the startups to scale up operations and expand market.
With 150 speakers and as many corporate houses and 120 exhibitors, Huddle Global 2023 had the presence of 300 were HNIs (high net-worth individuals). Among the delegates, 158 were government officials, while 100-plus were mentors and coders each. Government organisations totalled 68.
“Overall, this edition of Huddle Global has been a big success. The conclave succeeded in showcasing the prowess of Kerala’s ecosystem and in generated right vibes among investors, mentors and startup enthusiasts from around the country and abroad. Its impact will be felt in the coming days,” said KSUM CEO Shri Anoop Ambika.
The number of sessions during the three days exceeded 80. At a line-up of ‘Pitch-It-Right’ sessions, 150 startups proposed ideas to 40 investors, in return gaining insights into pitch decks, business models and fundraisings. Such discussions helped the startups incorporate the feedback into their pitch decks before their one-on-one meetings with prospective investors.
The meet also hosted a segment named Tigers’ Claw, where seven entrepreneurs from the food and agri-tech space pitched their ideas to a panel of investors and domain experts. These rigorous interactions between founders, investors and experts gave them an insight into the cases of innovation and business of the firms. Their video records will be showcased as branded content to help these firms gain greater investor and consumer attention.
As a whole, Huddle Global, which was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan, featured mentorship programmes with 100 mentors and 185 startups, with their interactions totalling 405.
While Nakul Saxena of LetsVenture led a masterclass on angel investment, the event saw discussions on ‘Surging Startup Investments in Technology and Sustainability’, ‘Investing in Startups during Post-Pandemic World’, and ‘Early-Stage Vs Late-Stage Investments: Strategies for Different Phases.’ Rajesh Sehgal of Equanimity shared ‘Stories VCs Love to Hear’.
