Newton School Launches “Newton StartX” Fund to Empower Student Startups

3rd December 2024: Newton School of Technology has launched “StartX,” an innovative seed fund program, designed to provide students with a unique opportunity to go beyond the regular course curriculum and develop impactful solutions during college years. The fund was officially announced by 2 very successful leaders and visionaries Pratik Poddar, Partner, Nexus Venture Partners and entrepreneur Varun Mayya at NST’s Pune campus in Ajeenkya DY Patil University. In one of its kind seed fund, StartX will provide funding, mentorship, and resources to help students develop tech-driven products tackling real-world problems, fostering a culture of bold ideas and transformative innovation.

Focused on tech-led products for innovation, the seed fund programme with one crore fund size will offer students an opportunity to pitch their startup ideas to the industry experts, venture capitalists, angel investors and other industry stakeholders to turn their entrepreneurial dreams into reality. Fostering a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation within the campus, the programme is aimed to help students bring big ideas to reality and build innovative products for time ahead driving India’s tech future.

Providing students with a 360 degree support the funding programme will take students through the comprehensive journey of building solutions from ideation to revenue generation. Starting with workshops with industry leaders on lean models, product building and fireside chat with established founders, each student can raise up to 10 lakhs from the fund to kickstart their idea.

Starting November 2024, the programme will have different phases with key milestones including idea submission, MVP development, and a business proposal pitch.

Through the programme, students will access a strong network of industry experts leveraging Newton School’s founders’ connection in the startup ecosystem. With tailored mentorship the students will have critical support from experts during the ideation and product development phases. Through curated workshops, participants will refine their ideas into Minimum Viable Products (MVPs), ensuring a solid foundation for market entry.

Even before the launch of “Newton StartX,” students at Newton School of Technology have showcased their entrepreneurial spirit. In their very first year, they’ve already pitched ideas to leading VCs and started developing innovative solutions, including hydroponics systems, AI-powered study companions, and SaaS tools. From the outset, students have been connecting with industry leaders, such as [insert names from orientation], gaining invaluable insights and mentorship. This foundation of hands-on experience and industry exposure sets the stage for “StartX” to accelerate their journey of innovation and impact.

Speaking at the launch, Siddharth Maheshwari, Co-founder Newton School, said, “Young Indians are bursting with energy and ideas to shape the future but lack guidance and resources. At NST, our curriculum is designed to foster and nurture innovation, creative thinking to thrive, experiment, experience and lead. Technology remains the core of everything we do at NST and therefore with the launch of our seed fund programme “StartX” we want to empower students to turn their ideas into user-focused, scalable and impactful solutions. With our strong and robust network of VCs and entrepreneurs, students will receive top-notch guidance throughout the program.”

NST has been at the forefront of higher education curriculum focusing on innovation, research, and preparing students for a change with technological excellence and driving economic growth. Enabling students by investing in young Indians and empowering them to make a difference driving tech innovation and positioning India on the global stage, NST is on a mission to make India a hub of world changing ideas. With the launch of the StartX, Newton School of Technology reaffirms its role as a catalyst for entrepreneurial success, empowering students to transform ideas into impactful businesses by bridging the gap between academia and practical application of knowledge.

Pratik Poddar, Partner, Nexus Venture Partners, one of the leading global VC firms and investor in Newton School, said, “Entrepreneurship isn’t about waiting for the perfect moment; it’s about taking bold steps and executing relentlessly. The single most important thing to do is listen to your users. Understand their pain points, and then build solutions that truly address them. Programs like StartX provide an invaluable platform for aspiring entrepreneurs to bring their ideas to life from day zero.”