April 21st, 2016
Program is a two-year entrepreneur exchange between NASSCOM and Invest Ottawa
Bengaluru, 21st April 2016 : To provide global exposure to Indian entrepreneurs and to establish a connect with the global marketplace, NASSCOM 10,000 Startups in partnership with Invest Ottawa announced the launch for a start-up exchange program which will connect the vibrant community of entrepreneurs, innovators, and investors in Ottawa’s startup ecosystem to those in emerging startup communities of India. Rajat Tandon, Vice President, NASSCOM 10,000 Startups signed the MoU at NASSCOM’s startup warehouse in the city in presence of Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa.
Speaking on the occasion, Rajat Tandon, Vice President, NASSCOM 10,000 Startups commented, “We are elated to have partnered with Invest Ottawa today for this unique startup exchange program. It’s an incredible opportunity to broaden our start up ecosystem and create an exchange of diversified ideas to help entrepreneurs. The Start-up Exchange Program will act as an intense learning experience for entrepreneurs and polish their skills to ensure the growth, scalability and sustainability of their venture. This initiative is a step ahead in making possible the dream of a start-up driven nation.”
The program will achieve several goals including:
-Introducing Indian entrepreneurs to creative talent, Participation in accelerator programs and potential growth opportunities in Ottawa.
-Access to ecosystem partners in each other’s geographies which include Incubators/Accelerators, Introductions to Angel and Institutional Investor, Industry Bodies and Mentors to grow their businesses domestically and internationally.
-Providing a platform for entrepreneurs & start-up incubators/accelerators in India & Ottawa to collaborate on projects that will strengthen or enhance the entrepreneurial eco-systems in their respective communities.
“We are pleased that renowned Industry body like NASSCOM recognizes Ottawa, Ontario as a gateway into the Canada market. Additionally, we are delighted to be in the position to introduce Ottawa’s startups to talent and expansion opportunities in India. This exchange program will bring in newer opportunities for innovators of both the countries and will equip them with the global business perspective” said Jim Watson, Mayor of Ottawa.
Last year, Nasscom had signed an MoU with TiE Silicon Valley to facilitate a start-up exchange and collaboration programme in US. With this program, it aims in exposing Indian startups to the world as they continue to accommodate startups beyond the peripheral of the country.
About Invest Ottawa
About NASSCOM 10,000 Startups
10,000 Start-ups is an ambitious attempt by NASSCOM to scale up the start-up ecosystem in India by 10x. 10,000 Start-ups aims to enable incubation, funding and support for 10,000 technology start-ups in India over the next ten years. The program’s vision is to foster entrepreneurship, build entrepreneurial capabilities at scale and strengthen early stage support for tech start-ups. The initiative brings together key stakeholders of the ecosystem including start-up incubators, accelerators, angel investors, venture capitalists, start-up support groups, mentors, and technology corporations. Since its launch in April 2013, we’ve done about 600 events in 25 cities of the country which were attended by a whopping 30,000 attendees and received 11,000 Applicants, 1100 Start-ups Shortlists, and 150 Impacts. The program is supported by Google for Entrepreneurs, Microsoft Ventures, Kotak, Amazon Web Services and IBM.