MSH Investor Connect Programme Reaches Chennai To Unlock Funding Opportunities For Tamil Nadu Startups

The MeitY Startup Hub (MSH), in partnership with Forge Innovation & Ventures, will host the fifth event as part of its nationwide series – ‘Investor Connect Programme’ at Forge Fast Accelerator at IIT Madras Research Park (one of Forge’s eight centres) in Chennai on May 3, 2024. 

Coimbatore-based VC firm Forge Innovation & Ventures (Forge) is on a mission to build and operate a national-scale innovation value network to catalyse talent and offers technology labs, startup incubation, accelerators and seed funding. It aims to transform India’s industrial sectors through programmes in collaboration with academia, industry and government. 

The VC firm brings together the public sector (government-owned industries and enterprises) and the private sector (small to large industrial companies) to collaborate with startups as technology and  growth partners.

Over 10 industrial deeptech startups will pitch to 30+ investors from VC firms, angel investor networks and corporate venture arms, including Apurva Chamaria from Google India, Naveena Reddy from Lead Angels Fund, Vignesh Shekhar from Artha99.VC, Janardhan K from TNIFMC, Rohit Jhunjhunwala from IN44 Capital and Gaurav Chauhan from Mankind Family Office, at the Investor Connect Programme in Chennai. 

FabHeads Automation, AugurAI, PQSI Digital, Suzhiyam, and Deliverain are among the startups which will showcase their products and services at the event. All the 10+ startups are from Forge’s portfolio as well as from its ecosystem partners such as CIIC, VelTech TBI, iTNT Hub and FinBlue (STPI). They are primarily working on technologies that enable innovation powered transformation of industries. 

Forge is also hosting a Demo Day before MSH’s Investor Connect Programme, where 20+ startups will showcase their technologies and products to these investors at the Forge Fast Accelerator Centre. 

Forge facilitates the collaboration of public and private sector companies with startups as technology and growth partners. It aims to transform India’s industrial sectors by collaborating with academia, industry, and government.

Chennai — India’s Highest Funded Emerging Startup Hub

According to Inc42, Chennai is the highest-funded emerging startup hub after Pune. Startups based in Tamil Nadu’s capital raised a total funding of $3.7 Bn between 2014 and 2023 in 346 deals. 

In 2023, Chennai-based startups raised $211 Mn in 32 deals. The top three deals were secured by enterprise tech startups – MadStreetDen (Vue.ai), Kaar Tech and logistics startup Pando -each successfully raising a $30 Mn funding round. The city also boasts a thriving SaaS ecosystem. 

The Tamil Nadu government has taken a number of initiatives to support startups in the state, which are benefitting the founders. 

The state also emerged as one of the best performers among large states in the ‘States’ Startup Ranking 2022’ released by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) earlier this year.