India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2024 has announced the second edition of Aspire, the flagship start-up program.
For the upcoming edition of Aspire, IMC has partnered with Telecom Centres of Excellence India (TCOE), Telecom Equipment and Services Export Promotion Council (TEPC) and TiE Delhi-NCR, with over 900 start-ups expected to showcase and take part in engaging discussions on categories including 5G use cases, artificial intelligence (AI), deep technology (tech), electronics, enterprise, green tech, Industry 4.0, security, semiconductors, smart mobility, sustainability and telecommunications equipment. Out of these, more than 400 start-ups are expected to showcase the need for and importance of AI and deep tech. The event will also host fireside chats with start-ups founders, keynotes, and panel discussions where successful unicorn founders will share their personal stories, insights, and valuable advice on entrepreneurship.
The key highlights of the program will include a 5G and 6G Hackathon by World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly (WTSA) and TCOE along with discussions on interesting topics like investment insights for early-stage ventures, capitalising on international market opportunities, protecting your digital assets. Building on the last year success stories, Aspire will also witness the second edition of STPI LEAP AHEAD and an investor speed dating session.
Through Aspire, IMC aims to enable more than 500 one-to-one meetings with around 200 investors lined up. The event is set to feature dedicated networking opportunities, including 1:1 investor and industry mentor networking zones with over 40-50 mentors, where start-up founders can engage in personalised conversations and seek expert feedback from experienced mentors in their sectors. Additionally, five master class sessions are also being organised around topics like AI, cloud, security among others and live pitch sessions with over 21 start-ups, which will help provide a platform for high-potential start-ups to present their ideas to investors.
Along with these, reverse pitching will allow investors, incubators, and accelerators to introduce themselves, helping founders select the best fit for their venture. The first edition of Aspire program was a major success, where three start-ups named Nayan Tech, ParkMate and Wisedrive were selected further for funding investments, out of the six pitches conducted.
Additionally, IMC will host Angel Ally Tours to guide them through start-up stalls showcasing innovations across various categories. IMC will also collaborate with 50 select start-ups for their large-scale visibility propagation within the IMC ecosystem.
Commenting on the announcement, Ramakrishna P, chief executive officer (CEO), IMC, said, “The Indian start-up ecosystem, the shining armour of Indian economy, has elevated the prestige of the country in global front through astonishing innovations and contributions across sectors. India now boasts over 0.12 million start-ups becoming the third largest start-up economy in the world. With its vast global attendee and exhibitor base, alongside a thriving telecom ecosystem present at IMC 2024, Aspire will be a prime platform to provide seamless market access for these start-ups. Now, it is the opportunity for industry, academia and government to collaborate to harness the full potential of the ecosystem and foster a sustainable economy.”
