Hyderabad, India – The International Startup Festival (ISF) 2024, a premier event for the global startup ecosystem, is set to take place from September 26th to 28th at the Engineering Staff College of India (ESCI) in Gachibowli, Hyderabad. Organized by the International Start-up Foundation in association with International Startups Network Pvt Ltd (ISN), the festival aims to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration among startups worldwide.
With the theme “Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the AI Era,” ISF 2024 will bring together startups, investors, industry leaders, and policymakers from over 15 countries. The event will feature a variety of activities, including keynote speeches, panel discussions, networking sessions, and pitching competitions.
One of the highlights of ISF 2024 will be the Junicorn pavilion, which will showcase the latest innovations from emerging startups. The festival will also feature a Rural Economic Forum, dedicated to driving grassroots innovation and exploring tech-enabled solutions for rural development.
Key features of ISF 2024 include:
- Networking opportunities: Connect with startups, investors, industry leaders, and fellow entrepreneurs from around the world.
- Investor matchmaking: Meet with potential investors and secure funding for your startup.
- Mentorship: Get guidance from experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts.
- Pitch competitions: Showcase your startup and compete for prizes.
- Rural innovation: Explore tech-enabled solutions for rural development.
ISF 2024 is expected to attract over 50,000 startups from India, the USA, and other countries. The top 150 startups will be selected as finalists and will have the opportunity to pitch their ideas onstage to secure funding and mentoring.
The festival is being supported by several government officials and industry leaders, including the Chief Minister of Telangana, A Revanth Reddy.
International Start-up Foundation is committed to supporting the growth and development of startups, especially those from smaller towns and cities. The organization provides mentorship, funding opportunities, and networking events to help startups succeed.
Speaking about the International Startup Festival 2024, Dr. JA Chowdary, Key Architect of the Indian Tech Industry and Chairperson and Convenor of ISF, said, “It’s an exciting opportunity to bring the International Startup Festival to Hyderabad, fostering collaboration and innovation within the global startup ecosystem. With the theme Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the AI Era, we aim to empower startups by integrating AI technologies into their ventures, enabling them to solve real-world challenges and drive sustainable growth. Following the success of the Global CXO Summits in the USA and Jamaica, ISF 24 is set to be an extraordinary gathering of innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors from around the world, marking a pivotal moment for the future of entrepreneurship. At ISF we aim to address challenges faced by startups like moving them from the idea stage to execution, supporting them with mentorship, avenues for funding and fostering synergistic networks etc. We have also witnessed that startups face a challenge in finding the right kind of talent. To help this issue International Startup Foundation is planning to partner with Sri City to set up ISF Gurukul. It will be a platform to equip fresh engineering graduates and people employed with different organizations to upskill with real-time training using data science and prompt engineering tools. This will create a pool of employable manpower available for the robust startup ecosystem in the country. We will expand it further to other cities also.”
Adding to this Dr Siva Mahesh Tangutooru, Director at ISF Network said, “ISF 2024 is set to attract participation from over 50,000 startups from India, the USA, and other countries, with the top 150 startups being selected as finalists. These finalists will have the unique opportunity to pitch their ideas onstage to secure funding, and mentoring from the industry experts. The selection process stems from the Investor Connect Workshops held across key locations, including Pune, Bengaluru, Andhra Pradesh, the USA, Europe, and Hyderabad. ISF distinguishes itself by offering the Junicorn Roundtable, a dedicated forum to inspire and support the next generation of innovators. ISF24 will be the only platform with a dedicated focus on Rural Innovation, ISF stands out by hosting the Rural Economic Forum, which aims to drive grassroots innovation and explore tech-enabled solutions for rural economies. To further inclusion of rural India, International Startup Foundation is pioneering Ankura Yatra an initiative where the mentors, investors and industry experts travel to the rural areas allowing the grass root innovators to display their ideas and secure guidance, investment and market access to reach out to a larger population. We are confident that this will help create an inclusive environment and propel increased participation of rural India’s in the growth of the country.”
