BITS Pilani's flagship startup accelerator, Conquest, promotes entrepreneurship in India

By siliconindia  |  Monday, 05 June 2023, 14:25 IST

BITS Pilani's flagship startup accelerator, Conquest, promotes entrepreneurship in India
BITS Pilani, one of India's premier universities, has been at the forefront of fostering entrepreneurship among its students. This is reflected in the resources and support it provides, including several programs and initiatives that help students develop their entrepreneurial skills, such as hackathons, incubators, and mentorship programs. The university's focus on entrepreneurship has paid off, with a large number of students going on to explore their entrepreneurial potential. The university's alumni have founded numerous successful startups, including unicorns and a decacorn.
BITS Pilani is all set to host the 19th edition of Conquest, a 7-week accelerator program that will provide a platform for early-stage startups from all over India to be mentored by the best in the ecosystem, network with industry leaders, and win equity-free grants worth INR 10L+.
Conquest is the flagship event organized by the Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership (CEL) at BITS Pilani. Over the past 18 years, it has evolved into the largest student-run startup accelerator in the country, receiving 2000+ registrations every year.
Selected startups embark on their Conquest journey in June with the online phase, which includes 6 weeks of personalized 1:1 mentoring by CXOs of leading organizations, including Unacademy, BigBasket, and Lenskart, among others. Startup founders also have the opportunity to interact with seasoned entrepreneurs through engaging sessions like 'Ask Me Anything' and 'Fireside Chat.'
This is followed by an offline week in Bangalore, where startups participate in co-working sessions and investment workshops that delve into the intricacies of fundraising. The primary focus is on developing a culture of collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and networking to create a supportive ecosystem that fuels innovation.
The program culminates with the Demo Day, where the cohort gets a chance to pitch in front of a jury of investors and win equity-free grants, in addition to fundraising opportunities. Conquest has witnessed multiple success stories over the years, including Thinkerbell Labs, featured on Shark Tank India, BiteSpeed, backed by Kunal Shah and Sequoia Surge, and SocialCops, now valued at $500M.

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