The first edition of the programme was with 4 Mega LEAP AHEAD Startup Summits in cities across India including Delhi, Vijayawada, Chandigarh, and Bhubaneswar. The summits attracted 1400+ attendees, over 100 speakers and over 55 investors. 184 startups pitched directly in front of a jury led by LEAP AHEAD Investor Partners. 87 promising scaling-stage tech startups across India were selected for the first LEAP AHEAD cohort for a comprehensive 3-month mentoring programme by 60+ mentors comprising industry leaders and successful startup founders.
The 40+ hours of mentorship covered key modules on product-market fit, customer adoption, business models, financial management, go-to-market strategies, IP & ESG, team building, marketing and fundraising.
Arvind Kumar, Director General of STPI, said, “We take immense pride in the achievements of LEAP AHEAD 1st Edition. Under this initiative, 49 startups so far have received the total commitment of Rs 78.61 crore from various investor partners of the program and other investors from the ecosystem, including 3 startups who have evinced interest from global investor ecosystem after the intervention of the global connect pillar in May 2024. Out of this, 17 startups have already received funding amounting of Rs 38.38 crore so far. I am sure with a partner like TiE Delhi-NCR, LEAP AHEAD 2.0 is set to become a cornerstone for nurturing startups, particularly those based in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.”
Arvind Kumar also launched the Open Challenge Program (OCP) 1.0 under Electropreneur Park 2.0, designed to foster innovation in the ESDM sector and felicitated the winner of Smart Farm Grant Challenge, M/s Satyukt Analytics Private Limited, which received Grant of Rs 50 lakh from MeitY for deploying their solution in sugar cane farms in collaboration with sugar mills to optimally predict sugarcane harvesting time for maximizing the yield and quality.
Geetika Dayal, Director General, TiE Delhi-NCR said, “It was a much awaited energizing afternoon that saw the launch of the second edition of Leap Ahead in the presence of luminaries from MeitY, STPI and TiE. Following the highly impactful first edition that created unprecedented success for startups across the country. It promises to fuel the journey of many more startups. The vision and partnership of STPI, the unstinted support of mentors and investors in the program will enable us at TiE Delhi-NCR to continue to create value.”In this edition too, startups can benefit from a funding support of up to Rs 1 crore and a comprehensive three-month mentorship program that combines virtual and in-person sessions for a well-rounded learning experience. Furthermore, the initiative will provide start-ups with access to an extensive network and personalized guidance through one-on-one mentorship sessions with seasoned investors and industry experts. Leap Ahead Edition 2 will enable the startups to establish a product market fit, identify customer segments, growth hacking strategies, business compliance, leadership recruitment and fundraising. While delivering a special address at the event, K. K. Singh, Joint Secretary, MeitY, spoke about MeitY’s initiatives aimed at boosting the startup ecosystem.
Subodh Sachan, Director, Startups & Innovation, STPI, spoke about the organization’s focus on empowering startup ecosystems in smaller cities and also on Sayuj, the startup community platform launched by STPI as the go to portal for all startups.
