Wise Innovation Studio for Emerging Technologies (WISE Tech)

Roundtable Mixer

SBSRH organised the Roundtable Mixer an exclusive networking event which gathered 70-80 influential thought leaders, comprising FinNovate mentors, investors, industry experts and business leaders from across the finance sector. The networking session featured thought-provoking and engaging panel discussions on relevant topics in FinTech, offering an invaluable opportunity to exchange insights and ideas. Panellists included start-up founders, mentors, business leaders, investors, and academicians who facilitated engaging discussions on topics such as Open Banking Adoption, Climate FinTech, Ethics and Governance in Start-ups, eKYC and AI-enabled Identity Spoofing, Navigating a Hyper-personalised Future, Neo banking, and many more.

Mentor Catch-Up Session

The event featured a speed networking session comprising elevator pitches by start-ups, reverse pitches and mentor introductions. This exclusive opportunity enabled start-ups to engage actively and network with FinNovate mentors, facilitating valuable connections and interactions.

Corporate Demo Day

The event highlighted a showcase of innovation, comprising 10-minute elevator pitches by 10 outstanding start-ups from FinNovate Cohort 2. These start-ups showcased disruptive solutions across various sectors such as FinTech, Wealth Tech, AgriTech, and more. The presentations were made to senior business leaders and FinNovate Corporate Partners, fostering opportunities for potential partnerships. Notable organisations in attendance included Federal Bank, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, ICICI Lombard, IDFC First Bank, SBI, YES Bank, Kotak, DBS and Centrum Group, among others.

Fintech Founders Mixer

In association with ‘Fintech ki Baat’, hosted an impactful Fintech Founders Mixer, bringing together over 40 start-up founders, industry leaders, and venture capitalists. This networking event fostered connections through round-robin chats, offering participants a platform to explore synergies and uncover business growth opportunities. With a focus on facilitating meaningful interactions, the event aimed to catalyse collaborations and inspire innovation within the Fintech ecosystem. The event also featured a fireside chat with Shashank Randec, Co-Founder at 100X.VC.

Fintech Bootcamp

The ‘Fintech Convergence: 4-Week Venture Development Bootcamp’ hosted by the Sunil Bhatia Start-up Resource Hub aimed to provide support to emerging entrepreneurs in the FinTech and TechFin sectors across India. Through mentorship, networking opportunities, access to technology credits, and more, the bootcamp sought to enhance the presence and impact of the Start-up Resource Hub in the FinTech landscape.

Start-ups participating in the bootcamp stood to gain significant benefits, including access to investors, enterprise and peer networks, the chance to be fast-tracked for the FinNovate Accelerator, mentorship from industry leaders, technology credits worth $600,000, and post-programme support. Additionally, winning start-ups received a cash prize of ₹1 lakh and fast-track entry into the FinNovate Accelerator Cohort 2.

Investor Demo Day I FinNovate Accelerator

FinNovate Accelerator’s inaugural edition culminated with an exclusive Investor Demo Day on October 13, 2023, marking a perfect grand finale for Cohort 1 of the exhilarating FinNovate Accelerator programme. The event witnessed an incredible display of innovation and entrepreneurship, with over 13 finance start-ups presenting innovative and disruptive solutions.

The distinguished jury comprised Angel Investors, Family Offices and High Net Worth Individuals (HNIs), Corporate Investors and Venture Capitalists, such as Mumbai Angels, Blume Ventures, Chiratae Ventures, Pentathlon Ventures, Prime Venture Partners, SIDBI Ventures, ah! Ventures, Citi Group, YES Bank, Federal Bank, ICICI Bank and many more. The event was attended by distinguished industry leaders, including Sunil Bhatia, Board member, investor and former CEO of Infogain, and Shalini Warrier, the Executive Director of Federal Bank.

FinNovate Accelerator | Curtain Raiser

The FinNovate Accelerator Curtain Raiser marked a new milestone for the SPJIMR Centre for Financial Innovation (CFI) with the inauguration of the Sunil Bhatia Start-up Resource Hub. It witnessed the onboarding of Cohort 1 of the FinNovate Accelerator. The power-packed event welcomed FinNovate Accelerator’s first cohort of 12 start-ups in the ‘Seed to Series A stage’ at the SPJIMR Mumbai campus, and a series of insightful sessions by industry experts.

Dr. Pramod Varma, the erstwhile Chief Architect of Aadhaar and India Stack, captivated the audience with his visionary keynote address, highlighting the societal transformation that occurs when technology unlocks value across domains. Sunil Bhatia, former CEO of Infogain, shared his remarkable journey from start-up to unicorn exit, inspiring entrepreneurs to think big and persevere in the ever-evolving landscape. Nandini Mansinghka, CEO of Mumbai Angels, shed light on the investment opportunities in start-ups, encouraging bold ventures in the dynamic market. Dr. Varun Nagaraj, Dean, SPJIMR, provided a comprehensive overview of SPJIMR’s commitment to driving innovation and nurturing future leaders.

Sunil Bhatia Start-up Resource Hub Inauguration

S. P. Jain Institute of Management and Research (SPJIMR) was pleased to announce a commitment of ₹10 crore from Sunil Bhatia, PGDM 1989 alum. With an illustrious global career that included senior roles at Accenture and IBM, Mr. Bhatia is most recognised for his recent leadership of Silicon Valley-based Infogain, a Global 50 engineering services provider, where he drove a tenfold valuation growth in five years.

FinNovate Mentors Meet

FinNovate Mentors’ Meet provided a unique opportunity for industry experts and academicians to interact, learn and collaborate towards the common goal of fostering innovation and growth in the finance industry.