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4th founders growth camp for edtech leaders held at NU
Date: April 9-11 2025
Time: Whole day
Venue: Senate Room
The 4th Founders Growth Camp 2025 for EdTech leaders, held at NIIT University, Neemrana, brought together entrepreneurs, investors, and education innovators for a three-day immersive experience. The event spanned three days, from April 9-11, 2025 and was held in the Senate Room. It was led by CIIE (Centre for Innovation, Incubation and Entrepreneurship) under the guidance of Dr Vikas Upadhyaya.
Day 1: Foundation & Learning
Day 1 commenced with introductions. The vibrant and diverse group of startup founders, included Hari Rastogi, Manav Kothari, Alok Pabalkar, Rajesh Setia, Shivam Ahuja, Rahul Bagdia, Manu Jolly, Abhishek Srivastava, Ramana Telidevara, and Yashwardhan Burad and also to our investor community members, Amit Ratanpal and Sanjeev Bahl, whose perspectives added depth to the discussions.
After introductions, Prakash Gopalan (President, NIIT University), Rajendra Singh Pawar, and Vijay Kumar Thadani (Co-Founders, NIIT Group) welcomed the participants. This was followed by a networking session that enabled founders to align with expectations. The day featured two insightful masterclasses focused on pressing themes for today’s startup ecosystem.
- Masterclass 1: “Leveraging Generative AI for EdTech” by Balaji S R (CTO, NIIT Ltd).
- Masterclass 2: “Cracking the Code on CAC & Conversions” by Ravi Verma (Ex-GM, Great Learning).
Mr. Balaji S R (CTO – Learning Technology, NIIT Ltd) led the first session on “Leveraging Generative AI for EdTech”, exploring how AI can revolutionize content creation, personalization, and delivery in education. The second session, “Cracking the Code on CAC & Conversions”, was delivered by Mr. Ravi Verma (Ex-GM – Marketing, Great Learning). He shared practical insights into customer acquisition costs and conversion optimization, offering valuable tools for scaling efficiently.
A vibrant networking dinner, connecting founders with mentors and university faculty, was a perfect end to an energetic Day 1.
Day 2: Insights & Interaction
Day 2 of the 4th Founders’ Growth Camp started with an energizing morning walk and a symbolic tree plantation drive led by Ashok Kumar Singh (COO, NIIT University), reflecting the event’s focus on sustainability and growth.
Highlights included:
- Masterclass 3: “Scaling Profitably” by Amit Ratanpal (Founder, BLinC Invest).
- Speed Dating Session: Founders engaged with mentors and investors for personalized feedback.
- Panel & AMA Sessions:
- “Bridging Bricks & Clicks” by AccioJob founders.
- “NIIT’s Journey” by NIIT Co-Founders.
The formal sessions began post-breakfast with a masterclass by Amit Ratanpal, Founder & Managing Director of BLinC Invest, titled “Scaling Profitably.” This session focused on capital-efficient growth, balancing burn and revenue, and prioritizing customer value creation over vanity metrics.
Next was a high-energy brainstorming session: “The New Normal – Bridging Bricks & Clicks” led by Yashwardhan Burad and Vishu Bansal (Co-Founders, AccioJob). They initiated a dialogue on the blended model of physical and digital learning, sparking perspectives on how startups can balance scalability and student engagement.
The AMA session that followed, hosted by Rajendra Singh Pawar and Vijay Kumar Thadani, offered founders a chance to learn from NIIT’s 40+ year journey. Key takeaways included the importance of long-term vision, adapting to change, and building resilient organizations.
Post-lunch, founders participated in a dynamic networking session. This open house facilitated meaningful conversations among founders, allowing them to share experiences, identify synergies, and form potential partnerships.
The day’s highlight was the Speed Dating session with industry leaders and investors. In this highly interactive format, founders engaged in multiple quick-fire rounds of discussions, receiving immediate feedback and networking with mentors and investors in a structured setting.
The day ended with a reflection session where participants shared takeaways and suggestions. This was followed by a celebratory networking dinner at Neemrana Fort, providing an ambient setting for deeper conversations and camaraderie.
Day 3: Demo Day
Day 3, the final and most awaited day of the 4th Founders’ Growth Camp, served as Demo Day – a culmination of the immersive two-day mentoring and learning experience. It began with “Dawn Dialogues” under The Listening Tree, encouraging reflective sharing. This was followed by breakfast and networking to set a relaxed yet focused tone. Founders then presented their startups in two structured pitch sessions. The Demo Day panel included NIIT founders, VC investors, experts from Microsoft Founders Hub (the technology partner), and seasoned EdTech professionals. This provided a 360° evaluation environment with constructive feedback from business, technology, and investment perspectives.
In total, over 15 startup pitches were showcased, representing a wide range of innovations – from AI-powered learning solutions and vernacular upskilling platforms to deeptech-led classroom tools and blended learning ecosystems.
The feedback round allowed founders to reflect on their learnings and share how the Growth camp helped sharpen their business narratives, understand investor expectations, and build stronger connections.
The day closed with a brief ceremony that acknowledged the effort of all participants, mentors, and organizers. It was not just the end of the event, but the beginning of multiple founder-investor follow-ups and future collaborations.
