UPES awards `3 Cr in startup funding to young innovators across India
Dehradun, July 5: As per a statement issued by the university, UPES has significantly advanced its reputation as India’s leading startup-focused university by awarding `3 crore in startup funding to a diverse group of young innovators from across India and abroad.
Held at the UPES campus in Dehradun, The Pitch — a Shark Tank-style funding event — brought together student entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and seasoned investors for a high-stakes competition aimed at accelerating early-stage ventures.
Participants included founders from top institutions such as the National University of Singapore, Delhi Technological University, IIT Ropar, BITS Pilani, SRM University, UIET Panjab University, Nagpur University, IBS Mumbai, and UPES. A total of 12 shortlisted startups pitched their ideas to a panel of jurors comprising university leadership and external investors.
Among the funded ventures were Envinova Smartech Pvt. Ltd., focused on sustainable solar solutions; Genetico Research and Diagnostics Pvt. Ltd., which is developing tech for rare disease diagnostics; Othniels Experiment Labs, which builds AI-powered tools for education consultants; and Reagvis Pvt. Ltd., working on deepfake detection and visual authenticity for high-stakes sectors like finance and law enforcement.
The jury included Dr. Ram Sharma, Vice Chancellor of UPES; Navneet Mehta, CFO, UPES; Dr. Abhishek Sinha, Dean of the School of Law; and Vivek Jhorar, Founder of Tremis Capital. Funding decisions were based on innovation, scalability, and real-world impact potential.
Speaking on the occasion, Rahul Nainwal, Dean of the School of Business at UPES, said the event reflects the university’s larger commitment to embedding entrepreneurship within the academic experience. “We’re not just supporting ideas; we’re backing bold dreams and future leaders,” he said.
Investor Vivek Jhorar added that *The Pitch* offers young founders a rare chance to gain capital, media exposure, and meaningful investor engagement at a formative stage in their entrepreneurial journey.
The event was organised under the banner of Runway, UPES’ startup incubator, which was launched in 2021. In less than four years, Runway has supported over 250 startups and helped mobilise over `20 crore in funding from agencies including DST, MeitY, BIRAC SPARSH, NITI Aayog, and the Uttarakhand Government.
With initiatives like The Pitch, UPES is reinforcing its vision of integrating entrepreneurial thinking with higher education and contributing to India’s emergence as a global innovation and startup powerhouse.
