program schedule

11th and 12th Sept 2025 | HICC, Hitech City, Hyderabad

MASTERCLASS | 1:1 MENTORSHIP SESSIONS | PITCHATHON

Day 1 - 11th Sept 2025

Time

10:00am - 11:00am

Masterclass

Fundraising and investment

Speakers

Mr. Dhiraj Kumar Sinha
Venture Capitalist and Angel Investor

Time

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Masterclass

Where form meets function - Designing
solutions that matter

Speakers

Mr. Satish Gokhale
Founder Director – Design Directions Pvt. Ltd

Time

3:00pm – 4:30pm

Pitchathon Round 1

Lightning pitch

Initial pitch from all shortlisted teams. Jury scores
on idea clarity, novelty, and relevance.

Time

4:30pm – 5:30pm

Pitchathon Round 2

Semi finals

Top teams from Round 1 advance. Present deeper insight
into solution, feasibility, and GTM.

Day 2 - 12th Sept 2025

Time

9:00am – 10:00am

Pitchathon Round 3

Grand finale

Finalist teams pitch on main stage to grand jury.
Includes Q & A. Winners announced in Valedictory.

Time

10:00am - 11:00am

Masterclass

Intellectual property rights and
property governance

Speakers

Mr. Shubham Arora Advisor, Board
Member - Legal, Strategy, Compliance

Time

2:00pm - 3:00pm

Masterclass

Go-To Market strategy

Speakers

Mr. Vijay Singh CEO and Managing Director
Shunya Fodder And Forage Agritech Private Limited

Time

3:00pm – 4:00pm

Masterclass

Idea to MVP

Speakers

Wadhani Foundation

Speakers

Mr. Dhiraj Kumar Sinha

Venture Capitalist and Angel Investor

Mr. Satish Gokhale

Founder Director

Design Directions Pvt. Ltd

Mr. Shubham Arora

Advisor, Board Member - Legal, Strategy, Compliance

Mr. Vijay Singh

CEO and Managing Director

Shunya Fodder And Forage Agritech Private Limited

Dr. M. Parvez Alam

Executive Director

CIIC & AIC – CIIC

Mr. Rajesh Kumar Adla

CEO

AIC T-Hub

Mr. Varadarajan Krishna

Cofounder - The 100 Open Startups

Mr. Saishyam

Pitchathon @ Innovation Square

What is the Pitchathon?

The Pitchathon is a multi-stage idea pitching competition focused on hardware-led startups. It’s designed to spotlight real-world engineering solutions developed by both student innovators and professional startup teams. Finalists will pitch to investors, industry experts, and government representatives for funding, mentorship, and showcase opportunities.

Eligibility

The idea or startup should be hardware based only
Bonus points for social impact based solution

Format and Schedule

Date and Time

Round

Pitch Duration

Details

11 Sep 2025
(3:00 – 4:30 PM)

Round 1 – Lightning Pitch

2 minutes/team

Initial pitch from all
shortlisted teams. Jury scores
on idea clarity, novelty, and relevance.

11 Sep 2025
(4:30 – 5:30 PM)

Round 2 – Semi-Finals

5 minutes/team

Top teams from Round 1
advance. Present deeper
insight into solution,
feasibility, and GTM.

12 Sep 2025
(9:00 – 10:00 AM)

Round 3 – Grand Finale

10 minutes/team

Finalist teams pitch on main
stage to grand jury. Includes
Q&A. Winners announced in
Valedictory.

What to Cover in Each Round

Round 1: Lightning Pitch (2 mins)

The problem you are solving
Your hardware-led solution
Target user or market

Round 2: Semi-Final (5 mins)

Solution design & core technology
Current stage (idea/prototype/MVP)
Go-to-market strategy
What support/funding you need

Round 3: Grand Finale (10 mins)

Business/impact potential
Differentiators and IP (if any)
Engineering depth
Team and execution roadmap
Q&A with jury (2–3 mins)

Judging Criteria

Criteria

Weight

Problem-Solution Fit

20%

Innovation & Engineering Feasibility

25%

Market Potential & Impact

20%

Presentation & Communication

15%

Team Strength & Roadmap

20%

Awards & Recognition

Top 3 teams will receive certificates and prize money
Win the chance to secure mentorship from India’s top incubators and accelerators.