As you might be aware, Start-A-thon is a unique four-week boot camp conceived by CIIE,

MICA Incubator and faculty experts from IIT Gandhinagar and NID, targeted towards current
and graduating students from diverse educational backgrounds.

The programme offers them with an entrepreneurial framework and a precise set of tools for
evaluating an entrepreneurial venture and constructing a plan to pursue the opportunity. The
combination of classroom learning and hands-on experience practiced in the camp, has
enabled the students to face real-time challenges and come up with solutions for their
possible startups.

Over the past few weeks, 30 students have created 7 teams and are pursuing projects across
diverse domains including rural healthcare, in-store analytics, educational gaming, street
food, recruiting of semi-skilled individuals, mobile based gifting and food/hospitality. We
have experimented with a unique process that integrates modules of design thinking, lean
business modeling and multiple customer validations that has enabled the teams create
projects / prototypes built on strong customer knowledge.

During this process, your support has been invaluable to the teams and we are sure that they
have learnt several facets of business which they would otherwise be oblivious to. The final
pitch, therefore, would be more of an exploration of the team's journey over the last month
rather than an 'investor pitch'. It would help the students capture their learning and also
receive your critical feedback. Having said that, only a few teams may be at a stage where
their products are market ready. For most, Start-a-thon would serve as a learning opportunity
should they wish to pursue entrepreneurship going forward.


It is our pleasure to invite you to Start-a-thon's final pitch day on July 4th, 2014 at CIIE
between 6 and 8 PM. This event will be followed by a dinner and music party. The student
teams would greatly benefit from your inputs and insights about their final project. We are
also in the process of putting together a detailed document of each team that outlines their
journey and product. We shall share that with you prior to the pitch day.

Please confirm your participation by clicking the RSVP link in the mail.
Hope to see you on the 4th!