Speaker and Jury at Global Startup Summit 2025

The Global Startup Summit 2025 in Chennai proved to be a significant milestone, bringing together founders, investors, and ecosystem leaders for a day marked by high energy, meaningful dialogue, and impactful moments.

Our Founder, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, played a key role at the summit as a Jury Member for the ‘Pitch Battle’, one of the event’s most intense segments. The session witnessed founders presenting months and years of hard work within a limited timeframe, demonstrating exceptional grit, passion, and resilience. Beyond evaluating business models, the jury engagement underscored the importance of encouraging and recognising risk-takers who step forward to build innovative ventures.

The summit also marked a personal and professional milestone with the official launch of the book Startup Alchemist by Mr. Shyam Sekar S, launched alongside Mr. Mohit Sureka, Founder of the Global Startups Club. The moment reflected a shared vision for founders and entrepreneurs, with the book capturing insights, experiences, and lessons distilled from years of engagement within the startup ecosystem.

In addition, Mr. Shyam Sekar S participated in a panel discussion on startup funding, where conversations focused on what makes investment pitches impactful, the challenges founders continue to face, and the mindset required to sustain long-term entrepreneurial journeys. The discussion reinforced the value of open dialogue and collective learning in strengthening the ecosystem.

Beyond the formal sessions, the summit stood out for its strong sense of community—from applause for emerging founders and warm responses at the book launch to meaningful interactions across the venue.

The Global Startup Summit 2025 reaffirmed that such platforms go beyond networking, serving as catalysts for knowledge sharing, collaboration, and mutual growth, while celebrating the spirit of entrepreneurship that drives innovation forward.

BOOK LAUNCH – STARTUP ALCHEMIST

The official launch of Startup Alchemist was held at the iconic IIT Madras Research Park. The book was unveiled by Dr. V. Kamakoti, Director of IIT Madras, in the presence of Mr. Natarajan Malupillai, CEO of IIT Madras Research Park, and Mr. Mahesh Ramachandran, Entrepreneur and Venture Capitalist, who joined as Guests of Honour.

Authored by our Founder and CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, Startup Alchemist reflects his extensive experience in building, mentoring, and scaling startups across the entrepreneurial ecosystem. The book draws from real-world journeys and strategic insights gained through years of hands-on engagement with founders, boards, and innovators.

Startup Alchemist goes beyond being a book—it represents a journey through ideas, execution, and transformation, capturing the process of turning entrepreneurial vision into reality.

Designed as a practical and inspiring guide, the book blends startup strategy, real-world insights, and timeless Indian wisdom drawn from the Bhagavad Gita, Ramayana, and Thirukkural. It is intended to support aspiring entrepreneurs, student innovators, and founders who seek to build purpose-driven and impactful ventures.

The book is now available on Amazon:
👉 https://www.amazon.in/dp/9361856758

The launch marked a significant milestone, made possible by the encouragement and support of mentors, leaders, and the wider startup ecosystem. As the startup movement continues to gain momentum, this moment reinforces a shared commitment to innovation, leadership, and building with purpose.

Entrepreneurship Talk – IIT Madras’ Pratham Lectures

Every successful startup begins with a simple spark—an idea. However, identifying whether that spark has the potential to grow into a sustainable and scalable venture is a critical challenge for aspiring entrepreneurs.

As part of the Pratham Lecture Series, an address is scheduled for 200+ startups and aspiring founders at IIT Madras (Indian Institute of Technology, Madras). The session will focus on one of the most fundamental yet often overlooked aspects of entrepreneurship: Problem (Idea) Identification and Validation.

The session aims to highlight how early-stage ideas, when guided by the right frameworks and insights, can evolve into impactful ventures. The interactive discussion is expected to engage some of the brightest minds contributing to the future of innovation and entrepreneurship.

Mentor at E-Summit IIT Bombay: The Ten Minute Million

As part of ongoing engagement with the entrepreneurial ecosystem, our Founder and CEO, Mr. Shyam Sekar S, in his role as a mentor at E-Cell, IIT Bombay, highlighted an opportunity for budding entrepreneurs through The Ten Minute Million (TTMM)—India’s first on-the-spot funding event.

TTMM offers startups the opportunity to secure funding of INR 3.5 million, while engaging directly with some of the most prominent investors in the ecosystem. Within a concise 10-minute pitch, participants can showcase their vision and innovation to a distinguished panel of investors, connect with industry leaders, and gain significant visibility.

Previous editions of TTMM achieved nationwide reach through live streaming on JioTV and OTT Play, attracting over 3,500 attendees, reflecting the platform’s growing impact and relevance.

The registration deadline is 15th October 2025, and the final event will take place during the E-Summit at the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, on 11th and 12th December 2025.