Jessica Livingston

🌟 7 Crucial Elements for Scaling Startups to Successful Exits 🌟 Reflecting on my recent experience at the OPEN Silicon Valley Forum in Santa Clara, some of us engaged in a deep discussion on what repeatedly drives startups from inception to successful exits. Our collective experience pointed to these seven essential elements: 1️⃣ Timing is Everything: Ensure the market and technology are ready for your solution. Being too early or too late can hinder success. 2️⃣ Align with Your "Why": Success requires internal motivation. Knowing your “why” keeps you resilient and purpose-driven. 3️⃣ Master the Problem, Not Just the Product: Deep understanding of the problem is far more critical than focusing solely on a product or idea. 4️⃣ Define Culture from the Start: The first five hires set the tone. Invest in "A" players who embody the culture you envision. 5️⃣ Obsess Over User Experience: A relentless focus on user experience can make or break your product’s adoption. 6️⃣ Build for Scale from Day One: Architecting for growth is not optional—it’s essential for long-term success. 7️⃣ Map Out Your Go-to-Market Strategy Early: Before building, have a clear thesis on how to generate revenue and achieve product-market fit. These principles are tried and true across multiple industries. If you’re launching a startup or scaling a business, how do these resonate with your experience? What would you add to the list? #startups #entrepreneurship #growth #scaling #productmarketfit #OPENsiliconvalley #innovation #founders Tashfeen Suleman Amer Haider Umair Khan Junaid Qurashi Wardah Inam

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Volt VC, a micro venture capital firm, has launched its first fund, Volt VC Fund-1, with the goal of addressing the pre-seed funding gap and offering crucial resources to startups across India. Volt VC Fund-1, a SEBI-registered Category II Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), aims to raise a corpus of Rs 45 crore. The fund will focus on investing in innovative, consumer-centric startups at the pre-seed stage, with a mission to support the next generation of entrepreneurs and creators building strong, consumer-focused businesses in sectors such as D2C, B2C, and B2B2C. Volt VC plans to invest between Rs 50 lakhs to Rs 2 crore in approximately 20-25 pre-seed startups. Founded by Param Patel, Volt VC will offer strategic guidance, market research support, product development, branding, fundraising strategies, and access to an extensive network of experts across various domains. The firm’s mission is to foster entrepreneurship and fuel the growth of innovative startups in Gujarat and across India. Based in Ahmedabad, the company aims to close its first fund within the next 3-4 months. Volt VC also intends to solidify its role in super early-stage investments by backing promising startups across various sectors within the next 12 months. #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #PreSeedFunding #VoltVC #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #Startups #IndiaStartups #SEBI #D2C #B2C #B2B2C #Investment #Fundraising #BusinessGrowth #GujaratStartups #EarlyStageInvestment #ProductDevelopment #Branding #TechStartups #career #job #focus #jobgram #ai #hr

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Exciting News: Queo Health App Launches in India! 🚀🇮🇳 We're thrilled to announce that the Queo Health app is now live on the Google Play Store, revolutionizing healthcare management for millions of Indians! Important Note: The Queo Health app is currently available only for users in India. You can access and install the app exclusively if you're located and a resident in India. Tired of juggling paper records and struggling to keep track of your health journey? 🇮🇳 Made in India, for India, Queo Health is set to revolutionize how we manage our health. Say goodbye to scattered paper records and fragmented healthcare information and hello to Queo Health – your all-in-one health companion that's set to transform the way India manages wellness! 🔥 Download now and take control of your health journey: https://lnkd.in/eK2b65HE Queo Health isn't just another health app – it's your personal health companion, designed to empower you with comprehensive, real-time health information at your fingertips. Key Features: ✅ Unified Health Records: Say goodbye to scattered medical files! Seamlessly integrate all your health records, lab results, and prescriptions in one secure place. ✅ Comprehensive Health Tracking: Easily log medications, symptoms, and vital signs to get a complete picture of your health.  ✅ Smart Reminders: Never miss an appointment or medication dose again with our intelligent reminder system. ✅ Interactive Data Visualization: Understand your health trends with intuitive graphs and dashboards to help in optimal decision making ✅ Support Ecosystem:  ✅ Secure Data Sharing: Safely show your health information with healthcare providers when needed. 🔒 Your data, your control: We use state-of-the-art encryption to ensure your health information stays private and secure. Queo Health is more than an app – it's a healthcare revolution in your pocket. We're empowering millions of Indians to make informed decisions about their health, bridging the gap between fragmented health data and proactive wellness management. With Niyaz Yoosuf and Ahad Anzar 🌟 Be part of the health tech revolution! Download Queo Health today and join thousands of Indians who are taking charge of their well-being. Share this post and spread the word! Let's build a healthier India together, one app at a time. 💪🇮🇳 Download now and start your journey to better health: https://lnkd.in/eK2b65HE As we embark on this journey to transform healthcare in India, we're excited to announce that we're raising in funding to fuel our growth and bring even more innovative features to you. Interested investors, let's build a healthier India together!" #QueoHealth #DigitalHealthcare #HealthTech #MadeInIndia #TakeChargeOfYourHealth #startupindia #digitalindia #informeddecisions #investorsindia #VC #productlaunch #apprelease

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Wow, great stuff on this first episode. I got the run down from Ataes Aggarwal and Arya Satish, and I see that critically important business and life topics will be covered in this podcast series. Follow, tune in, and spread the word. PSA: Some super thoughtful and practical content to be had here with this podcast. 🙌

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Medial Secures $500K to Revolutionize Startup Networking and Growth 🚀✨ Bengaluru-based startup Medial has successfully raised $500K in a pre-Series A funding round from Ortella Global Capital - OG Capital, India's only fund that co-builds companies, marking a significant step forward in its mission to empower the startup ecosystem. What is Medial? 🌟 Founded by Niket Raj Dwivedi, Aishwarya Raj Pandey, Prateek Kaien, and Harsh Dwivedi, Medial is a dynamic social media platform tailored for startups. Designed to foster growth, networking, and collaboration, it offers: 📢 Startup Showcase: Pitch your ideas, gain feedback, and attract funding. 📰 Curated News Feed: Stay updated with startup-related news and trends. 💬 Social Feed: Engage in meaningful discussions and share insights. 💡 Advice Hub: Connect with experts for guidance and mentorship. Why Medial Matters 🔑 ✔️Empowering Startups: Medial bridges the gap between startups and essential resources, fostering a collaborative ecosystem. ✔️Inclusive Innovation: By encouraging transparent and inclusive conversations, Medial aims to redefine workplace dynamics and support the growth of innovative ventures. ✔️Driving Change: With this fresh funding, Medial plans to enhance its platform and bring startups closer to success through impactful networking and community-building tools. Medial’s journey reflects the growing need for specialized platforms that cater to the evolving demands of India’s startup landscape. 🌐💼 #Medial #StartupShowcase #Networking #StartupEcosystem #Technology #StartupGrowth #Entrepreneurship #BangaloreStartups #Investors #News #SocialMediaForStartups #Fundings #FundingNews #Startups #Innovation #Hypes Start Big, Start Here.

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Co-Build a VC fund in Public: Day 4 (and funding announcement) We not only co-build but invest too :) Today, at Ortella Global Capital - OG Capital, India's only fund that co-builds companies, we take our first leap into the future with Medial as our inaugural portfolio company announcement. This is not just an investment—it is a partnership with a vision to solve one of the most pressing challenges in the professional world. The tech and startup ecosystem are fragmented, forcing users to switch between countless platforms for news, networking, career opportunities, and meaningful insights. Medial changes the game, bringing it all together in one seamless, intuitive space. What drew us to Medial was the team. From our first meeting with Niket Raj Dwivedi, Aishwarya Raj Pandey, Prateek Kaien, and Harsh Dwivedi we saw a rare combination of audacity and discipline. Their commitment to profitability and monetisation from day one along with their relentless focus on user engagement, made it clear they were not just building a company—they were creating a movement. In just a few months, Medial has surpassed critical milestones: collaborating with top global partners, rapid growth, and extraordinary user metrics. But beyond the metrics, they are building a sustainable business with a clear-eyed vision and sharp execution that inspires us. This team is not just chasing trends—they are creating a legacy! This is why we exist as a fund: to back founders who dream boldly and deliver consistently. Founders like these remind us why we started OG Capital—to build alongside those who dare to reimagine what is possible. Thank you Prateek Agarwal (Pre-seed investor) for everything :) P.S.: Here is a snapshot of the moment when my co-founder, Rajvardhan Mohite and I, with pens in hand and excitement in our hearts, sealed the deal with Niket and the team. The start of something extraordinary, captured in ink and ambition. Docusign is too old school for us :P

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Healthtech startup Confido Health has secured $3 mn in a seed funding round led by Together Fund. MedMountain Ventures, Rebellion VC, DeVC, and Operators Studio were among the other firms that participated in the round. Chetan Reddy Vichar Shroff Shubham Gupta Full article - https://lnkd.in/eCjzcCf9 #confidohealth #seedfunding

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Looking beyond #VC funding for your #startup? Aakash Shah of Wyndly (YC W21) reveals how he built a multi-million dollar #healthtech company using creative capital strategies. Learn how he leveraged Y Combinator's network and alternative funding methods to revolutionize allergy treatment. In case you missed it, you can watch the #FundraisingDemystified #podcast here: https://lnkd.in/eZT63YS4

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Cap Table Red flags in early-stage start-ups Over the past two years, we at Transition VC have evaluated close to 1,000 deep technology or Engineering start-ups in the energy transition domain in India. More than two dozen are actively working on innovative ideas and developing technologies or products with significant potential. Still, we had to reject a few start-ups due to Cap Table issues. Disproportionate allocation of shareholding percentage among the founders: Disproportionate allocation among the founders has resulted in potential conflicts leading to founder issues and the collapse of the start-ups. These human issues are complicated to solve in the later stages, and it also means one of the founders with a majority stake is perceived to have a significant influence & role, and the other founder whose role is perceived to be a supporting one. For us, at Transition VC, the maximum difference between dual founders shall not be more than 20%, i.e., the maximum disproportionate split can be 60% versus 40%. Allocation of a significant percentage of passive participants: We have observed that few start-ups gave up significant stakes to non-active participants such as advisors, universities, accelerators, or incubators, This substantial allocation of shares to passive participants hinders the start-up’s capital-raising ability in the further rounds, as the co-founders’ stake might come down significantly below the minimum stake, as every investor at each stage expects the founders to have more significant skin in the game. A single investor holding more than >30% with special powers related to exit, monetary and strategic rights is perceived negatively by the new investors, who would want to avoid existing investors having too much control over the start-up. Bringing in a strategic investor early in the game: Having strategic investors, suppliers, and customers on the cap table can be detrimental to attracting new investors, customers, and strategic partners. It is better to avoid them until they have a very minimum stake and don’t have a direct overlap. Single founders: Entrepreneurship is very tough mentally and, many times, exhausting. It can drain all your energy, resulting in burnout within a short time. Things could be smoother and more linear when building or scaling start-ups. There are a lot of ups and downs during the entrepreneurial journey; you need someone who can share your vision and passion and support each other during tough times. There is a high chance of solo founders burning out if things go south and potentially giving up. Having multiple founders in a start-up is not mandatory, but we prefer multiple founder start-ups as the key personal risk comes down significantly with multiple founders. Transition VC #start-ups #Venturecapital

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Because I look waaay better on a podcast than on YouTube, LOL (though it is also on YouTube), here is a link to the interview from Prashant Choubey with me on the subject of How VCs should approach LPs. Thanks for a good interview, Prashant, and I hope this is useful! https://lnkd.in/gXANyehS

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Join us! With great power (capital, position, trust) comes great responsibility. Following the launch of Ortella Global Capital - OG Capital, India's only fund that co-builds companies, we are humbled by the overwhelming support and enthusiasm for our mission to empower the next generation of groundbreaking startups. As we embark on this exciting journey, we are reminded of the profound impact we can make through responsible and strategic investing and co-building. At Ortella Global Capital - OG Capital, India's only fund that co-builds companies, we firmly believe that with great power comes great responsibility. We are dedicated to upholding the highest standards for our investors, our co-builders, our founders and every individual whose lives we touch. As stewards of capital, we understand the importance of harnessing our resources for the greater good, not just for financial gain (yet focused on delivering 50%+ CAGR). As we grow, we are eager to expand our team with exceptional individuals who share our vision. We look forward to potentially working together to create the next hundred unicorns. Who is it for: a. If you had started a company ever and successfully exited, Reach out to us b. If you are a current founder who is passionate about building but for some reason, your business is not working out, Reach out to us c. If you had started out a few times before but for some or other reason it did not work out, Reach out to us And by the way, all our team members are ex-founders :) Additionally: - It does not matter whether you are 15 years old or 60, Reach out to us - It does not matter whether you are in Ahmedabad or Agartala, Reach out to us - It does not matter whether you are from IIT/IIM or a college drop out, Reach out to us --- because we have seen that success does not have a tag, you just need it to click once. And that's it! Please fill out the form in the comments :)

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Looking forward to boosting India’s vibrant #venturecapital ecosystem as part of Indian Venture and Alternate Capital Association (IVCA)’s VC Council for 2024–26! The Indian VC ecosystem has proliferated in the last decade. It’s a golden era for Indian #entrepreneurship, and the more we foster domestic capital pools, the farther #India will be able to advance in the global economic arena.

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BigBasket-acquired Morning Cart’s cofounder Anuj Bishnoi’s new B2B SaaS venture, RePut.ai, has raised $1 Mn in Pre-seed funding led by GrowthCap Ventures, with participation from angel investors like BigBasket’s Vipul Parekh and TableSprint’s Abhijeet Kumar. Founded in April 2024, the Bengaluru-based startup leverages AI and blockchain to offer supply chain solutions, including real-time analytics and supplier monitoring, and plans to use the funds to enhance its tech stack, hire talent, and expand globally. Reput.ai #B2BSaaS #StartupFunding #RePutAI #Innovation

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𝐇𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐄𝐚𝐳𝐲 𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 $7𝐌 𝐭𝐨 𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭! 🎉 🚀 𝐌𝐚𝐣𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐧𝐞 Noida-based prop-tech startup HouseEazy has successfully raised $7 million in a Series-A funding round led by Chiratae Ventures, with participation from Alteria Capital and existing investor Antler. This round, a mix of equity and debt, will propel HouseEazy’s growth across new geographies, particularly in tier 1 cities like Pune, Mumbai, and Bengaluru. 🌟 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐬𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐞 HouseEazy is on a mission to disrupt the $90 billion secondary real estate market, which has long been plagued by pricing uncertainty, timeline delays, and fragmented inventory. With its full-stack marketplace, HouseEazy offers real-time price quotes to sellers using a proprietary machine-learning algorithm, streamlining transactions and eliminating the need for multiple negotiations. For buyers, the platform provides exclusive access to refurbished inventory, enhanced by AR/VR tools such as 3D walkthroughs and virtual staging. 📈 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐆𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐭𝐡 𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐣𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 Since its seed financing in December 2023, HouseEazy has achieved a GMV ARR of ₹425 crore and is on track to hit ₹1,800 crore GMV ARR within the next 15-18 months from the NCR market alone. Co-founder Deepak Bhatia envisions HouseEazy growing to surpass many pan-India developers, given the secondary market's size—twice that of the primary market—and its untapped potential. 🛠️ 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 HouseEazy is not just a marketplace but a complete solution for resale customers. In addition to buying and selling, the platform offers mortgage, legal, and registry facilitation services, making it a one-stop shop for all resale real estate needs. 👏 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑯𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒆𝑬𝒂𝒛𝒚! KwikFundz is excited to witness HouseEazy's innovative strides in the real estate market. Wishing the entire HouseEazy team continued success as they scale new heights and reshape the future of resale real estate in India! 🏠🚀 #Startups #InvestmentNews #StartupIndia

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💬Join Google Cloud’s VC AMA Series for an AMA featuring Z47 Managing Director, Rajat Agarwal on the 12th of September from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM IST.   Who Should Attend: Early-stage startup founders and technical team members with an emphasis on building technology companies.   In this live AMA, expect to hear:   ➡️ Investing in Growing India's Startup Ecosystem: With changing market conditions in India, Rajat shares insights on what top sectors will drive growth, specifically AI, consumer, and manufacturing. ➡️ Debunking the myth of Consumer Startups in India: Rajat’s experienced perspective on consumer investments - is it dead? Is it posed for disruption and how?    ➡️ How startups can Fundraise with Z47: Insights on the deal flow process, the founder archetype philosophy and Z47’s investment focus. Register here: https://lnkd.in/g6bvWnJq Google Cloud | Karan Kumar | Mike Langford | Sarah Katyal | Vineet Kanabar #FoundersFirst #GoogleCloud

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🩺 Before the year comes to a close, we are excited to take a break from the AI hype and share our thoughts on one of the most compelling investment areas: healthcare. 🥼We’ve had the pleasure of working with the brilliant Dr. Swathi Varanasi-Diaz as part of our sector deep dive series during Laconia’s Venture Cooperative program. ✨ In our new article, Dr. Swathi takes a deeper look into the healthcare investment landscape and identifies opportunities for innovation and growth. It’s been a pleasure working with Dr. Swathi on the report and we look forward to hearing your thoughts! 🚀Laconia have been investing in the space since 2020 and we are excited by the venture scale investment opportunities in provider operations, care systems change, personalized care, to name a few, that will increase care delivery efficiency and in turn increase health access & results. As always, if you are a b2b founder building in the space, we’d love to hear from you. 🍵 Grab a cup of tea, and dive right in. We hope you enjoy the report as much as we did: https://lnkd.in/eygXiNnm CC: Jeffrey Silverman , David Arcara , Geri Kirilova 🤍

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I had a lot of fun recording a podcast episode with Shiva Singh Sangwan. We discussed the evolution of Humba Ventures & Susa Ventures; tips for raising and building a fund; how to improve investment sourcing & picking; the role of luck in investing, and so on. https://lnkd.in/eiqsStej

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Exciting News: I’ve launched a podcast, “Quest for the First Check” — wherein I dive into the journeys of early-stage founders on the path to securing their first major funding. My goal is to bridge the gap between ambitious entrepreneurs and VCs eager to invest in innovative solutions. Started off my first episode by interviewing the founders of AirGen Meet Guillaume Schupp, Maxime Schifflers, Cyril Thielemans (left to right) — three friends, and co-founders of Airgen, an early-stage subscription based B2B startup that’s transforming your AI assistant from a basic Siri into a powerful Jarvis. Airgen doesn’t just answer questions; it takes action. Imagine drafting emails, syncing with your CRM, and handling the nitty-gritty tasks, all autonomously and seamlessly. These founders have made their way from Belgium to Silicon Valley, winning the San Francisco Vertical AI Agent Hackathon and securing $100K in funding. Now, they’re raising another $100K to officially move to the Bay Area next month and take on the Valley. They’re driven, hungrier than ever, and looking for VCs who can back their vision, providing both the funding and support needed to make this futuristic world a reality. They’re young, fearless, have worked on successful startups before, and ready to take risks — Will you be the one to join them on this journey? Link to the episode is below: https://lnkd.in/g8Nfr_uh PS. Feel free to reach out if you are founder, and are looking to raise #founders #startup #fundraising #venturecapital #jarvis #siri #ai #chatgpt #podcast #airgen #immigrant #siliconvalley

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🚀 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭 2024 – 𝐀 𝐆𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩! Exciting news for startups! IVY League Ventures, in association with 𝐃𝐒 𝐂𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐩 at Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer, IIT Delhi, is thrilled to announce 𝘐𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘐𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴𝘵 2024, taking place on 𝐎𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐛𝐞𝐫 13, 2024. This is a unique opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect with top venture capitalists, incubators, and seasoned investors.   𝘊𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘰𝘰𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘧𝘰𝘳? At Indore Innovest 2024, you’ll get an insider’s view on how VCs assess startups. From evaluating market potential to understanding corporate governance and legal frameworks, you’ll learn directly from the experts to refine your investment strategy.   Register now to reserve your spot! 🔗 - https://lnkd.in/d6HyME73 Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi Dr Nikhil Agarwal Dr Madhu Vasepalli, MDS Anand Saklecha CS Dhairya Jain ANKIT SAXENA #IndoreInnovest2024 #StartupGrowth #VCInsights #Entrepreneurship #InvestmentStrategy #StartupEcosystem #VentureCapital #Innovation #ScalingStartups #IVY #IITDelhi #Founders #Incubators #Investors #IVYLeagueVentures

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