LetsVenture To Shine The Spotlight On Investors’ Take On Startup Economy At LetsIgnite 2023

Despite the ups and downs brought on by the pandemic, investor enthusiasm for Indian startups has stayed resilient. As of September 2023, startup investors, including venture capitalists, corporate venture capitalists, and private equity firms, have announced a cumulative 63 funds worth $5 Bn for 2023 to support Indian startups at various stages.

To delve deeper into investors’ optimism in the Indian startup ecosystem, Bengaluru-based early stage investment firm Letsventure (LV) will host the ninth edition of its annual conference, LetsIgnite 2023, on October 12, 2023, in Bengaluru. The event will bring together prominent investors and leaders from the startup ecosystem.

Shanti Mohan, CEO and founder of LetsVenture, said that it’s important to engage in conversations around startup investments through the lens of investors. She asserts that startup investors are the catalysts of the startup ecosystem. 

Founded in 2013 by Mohan and Sanjay Jha, who serves as the CTO and CPO, LetsVenture has been instrumental in fostering startups. The firm boasts a robust network comprising over 34,000 startups and 18,000 investors. Its portfolio startups claim a combined valuation of $9.6 Bn and include notable names such as electric vehicle startup BluSmart, edtech startup Leverage Edu, wealth management platform Scripbox and extended reality company AnjaLens, among others.

LetsIgnite offers a platform for seasoned and new investors to engage in ‘unfiltered learning and sharing.’ The one-day event will facilitate the exchange of ideas and the discovery of potential investment opportunities through networking and a startup pitching opportunity for early stage startups. The event will host 150+ speakers, 10K+ attendees and 900+ angel investors. The attendees include angel investors, founders (investing in startups) , family offices, venture capitalists and corporate funds.

The speaker lineup includes the likes of Vaidyanathan V, managing director and CEO, IDFC First Bank; Subrata Mitra, partner, Accel; Sudhir Sethi, founder and chairman, Chiratae Ventures India; Anjali Bansal, founder and chairperson, Avaana Capital; Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, founder, Stride Ventures; Punit K Goyal, cofounder, BluSmart; Siddarth Pai, founding partner, 3one4 Capital and more.

Themed around ‘Private Market Investing: The New Frontier’ — the sessions will delve into the emerging startup trends that hold the potential for investment opportunities. 

The event will also provide a platform for in-depth discussions about the challenges and strategies investors and startups face in pursuing successful investments. 

Additionally, early stage startup founders will pitch their business models to the investors and forge connections.

The event will entail seven engaging panel discussions, with speakers like Shaival Desai, partner, Desai Ventures; Parthiv Neotia, director, AmbujaNeotia Group; Raja Ganapathy, founding partner, Spring Marketing Capital; Bhupendra Khanal, founder and CEO, Khanal Food; and more, in addition to the speakers mentioned earlier. 

These panels will delve into a wide range of topics, including ‘The Young Titans of Family Offices,’ exploring the strategies of the next generation of family offices in their startup investments. 

There will also be discussions on how startups can navigate funding challenges from the VC perspective. Additionally, topics such as startup governance, hybrid fundraising, the advantages of experienced founders as investors, insights into ‘Decoding Angel Tax,’ and strategies for building a resilient portfolio will be explored.

Highlighting the significance of investor-centric networking events, Mohan stated that investors require a specialised platform to engage, exchange experiences, debate on deal evaluation challenges and address concerns that arise post-investment. She emphasised that the changing landscape in venture capitalist fundraising, evolving roles in family offices and shifts in startup governance are challenges that can be collectively addressed at an event like LetsIgnite. For those investors looking to diversify their portfolios, the event serves as an ideal venue.