Two-day startup fest to begin in Coimbatore on Aug 19

COIMBATORE: StartupTN, the State nodal agency for Startup and Innovation, which is taking strides to make Tamil Nadu a Global Startup ecosystem leader, is organising ‘TamilNadu Startup Thiruvizha 2023’ at CODISSIA Trade Fair Complex, Coimbatore, on August 19 and 20 (Saturday and Sunday), an official release said on Thursday. Officials said that this first two-day annual mega event is to celebrate Tamil Nadu’s spirit of entrepreneurship and to highlight the efforts taken by the Government of Tamil Nadu to support Startups, aspirants, and other stakeholders at various stages of growth.

The celebration will begin with a chief guest address (via video) by Chief Minister MK Stalin. Minister for Housing and Urban Development S Muthusamy, Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises TM Anbarasan, and Minister for Industries TRB Rajaa will address the gathering at the inaugural session. "The ministers will dedicate novel initiatives by StartupTN to benefit Startups and ecosystem stakeholders before inaugurating the exhibition," StartupTN Mission Director and CEO Sivarajah Ramanathan said.

A power-packed convention featuring more than 50 eminent speakers comprising Startup ecosystem leaders, subject matter experts, heads of leading State Startup missions in India and Government officials, an expo with more than 450 stalls showcasing Startups and a pitching session are among the salient features of the multifaceted celebration. "Over 1,500 delegates from Tamil Nadu and the global ecosystem are expected to actively participate in the curated sessions such as inspiring and engaging keynote talks, fireside chats, panel and plenary discussions covering a wide range of topics,” Sivarajah Ramanathan added.

At least 10,000 persons are expected to be part of the expo, for which entry is free, network and draw inspiration from Startup founders and other serious stakeholders of the Tamil Nadu Startup ecosystem and the Global Tamil diaspora. As part of the expo, StartupTN has also made arrangements for a lounge with a seating capacity of 50 for Startup founders to launch their unique Startup brands, products, or services free of cost. More than 75 Startups have evinced interest to make use of this opportunity.

Provisions have also been made to facilitate one-on-one interactions between Startups, investors and other stakeholders. Another highlight of the expo is the Web 3 (Metaverse) experience pavilion by StartupTN. Startups are also gearing up to provide live demos and showcase their novel products and solutions to the participants in the expo. Parallel to the convention and expo will be a series of pitch sessions in which Startups will pitch before Angel Investors and Venture Capital funds for investment.

StartupTN functioning under the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Department, Government of Tamil Nadu, is the State Nodal Agency for Startup and Innovation. Its mission is to establish a democratised ecosystem that fosters innovations and entrepreneurship, transforming the State into an innovation-driven economy by developing both technologically groundbreaking and socially impactful enterprises by individuals from all walks of life.