Shoolini University hosts Bharat Pitchathon 10 Startups Pitch to Investors

Solan, October 13
Shoolini University hosted the Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh edition of Bharat Pitchathon 5.0, a national startup initiative of Headstart Network Foundation that connects emerging entrepreneurs with investors, mentors and industry leaders. Shoolini University was the venue and knowledge partner, and Shoolini Pehal Foundation (SPF) was the incubation partner. The event brought together venture capitalists, founders, researchers and industry experts.
Bharat Pitchathon is India’s largest pitching initiative and searches for high-potential startups, especially in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Over its first four editions, it has received more than 4,000 applications, hosted over 800 pitches, created more than 1,300 investor connections and helped over 30 startups raise more than ₹100 crore.
The regional edition drew 40 applications from Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh. An independent expert panel shortlisted 13 startups, and 10 of them, including five incubated by SPF, pitched before a jury that included investors associated with Blume Ventures and TiE Chandigarh. The jury judged the startups on product differentiation, customer acquisition, pricing and scalability, and gave each founder feedback on their business model and growth strategy.
The startups came from healthcare, agriculture, legal technology, consumer products and local mobility.
Mr. Gautham Sivaramakrishnan, Vice President, Platform, Blume Ventures, and Director at Headstart Network Foundation, said successful companies can grow out of university campuses. He gave GreyOrange and the space-technology startup Pixxel as examples, and said the next Apple could emerge from Himachal Pradesh if founders dream big and start building without waiting for outside support. He also said he hopes to return with innovators from Bengaluru for an initiative he called “Hacking in the Hills”.
Welcoming the participants, Prof. P. K. Khosla, Chancellor, Shoolini University, encouraged young entrepreneurs to believe in ambitious ideas and pursue them through hard work, careful planning and long-term vision.
Pro Chancellor Prof Vishal Anand said, “Founders need room to try, fail and try again. Shoolini’s startup ecosystem gives students and startups access to faculty mentors, labs and peers to test their ideas while the cost of failure is low. Not every idea will become a company. Our vision is to help students learn from each attempt and keep going.
In a panel discussion on innovation beyond the classroom, Vice Chancellor Shoolini University Prof Atul Khosla, spoke about Shoolini’s goal of becoming a university where education, research and entrepreneurship work together. He called for stronger industry–academia partnerships to turn scientific discoveries into commercial products.
Prof Ashish Khosla, President AI and Innovation said artificial intelligence is changing biotechnology research and drug discovery. He named green energy, healthy ageing and cancer research as promising areas for new ventures.
Prof Ashoo Khosla, Chief Learning Officer at Shoolini University , urged students to measure success by the problems they solve rather than the money they raise. She also encouraged them to stay creative and explore interests beyond their own subjects.
The jury’s scores will now go to Headstart Network Foundation’s central expert team for national selection. Bharat Pitchathon 5.0 will be held in more than 20 cities over the next two months. The startups chosen for its Growth Programme will be announced by the end of November and will receive support in go-to-market strategy and investment readiness from January. In December, 12 to 15 startups will also be shortlisted to pitch to investors at the Frontier Tech Summit in Bengaluru.