StartUp Chemistry

EP5 - Building a Unicorn - Unfiltered Reflection of the Journey ft. Chaitanya Peddi

Dive deep into a founder’s evolution with Neel Reddy Rebala, featuring Chaitanya Peddi, Co-Founder and Product Head of Darwinbox. From 4 visionaries to a 1,100-strong team, witness the evolution of a platform that’s revolutionizing HR tech. Discover how Darwinbox is redefining the employee lifecycle, managing 3 million end users and mastering the art of capital allocation. Chapters 00:00 - Precap 02:46 - How does it feel to be a unicorn founder? 04:26 - Introduce Darwin box 08:52 - Back story of the unicorn 14:35 - Day 1 of Darwinbox 25:21 - Team, Seed Capital … ? 27:56 - Market Evaluation 30:08 - Startups as a Customer Segment 35:25 - Building the Minimum Viable Product and Challenges Faced 51:09 - How did you win your first sale? 55:23 - How did you do your first fund raise? 01:00:31 - How did you go about capital allocation after receiving your first cheque? 01:04:00 - How can early stage startups attract good talent? 01:08:11 - Darwinbox today 01:10:44 - How did you maintain control over the culture during this rapid phase of growth? 01:15:49 - Chaitanya's reflection on Product evolution over the years 01:19:31 - How are you tackling emerging trends like AI, People Analytics, etc? 01:24:29 - What keeps you awake at night as a founder? 01:27:55 - How do you evaluate a startup idea? 01:30:49 - What are the top things for an entrepreneur to keep in mind will building a Product or a Platform? 01:33:07 - How should an entrepreneur choose a path to pursue when there are multiple paths to revenue? 01:35:36 - Closing comments #StartupChemistry #IndianStartups #StartUpIndia #entrepreneurshippodcast #startuppodcast #TechTrends #DigitalIndia #StartupEcosystem #ProductInnovation #SoftwareSolutions #MadeInIndia #FounderGrowth #BusinessGrowth #TechLeadership #StartupJourney #InnovationHub #EmergingTech ___________________________________________________________________________ Host and Founder Neelakanteshwar Reddy Rebala Partners Abhinav Jain Abhishek Srivastava Jayshree Kanther Patodi Edits & Design Barsha Nandy Om Pawar Producers Anirudh Kaushik Barsha Nandy ___________________________________________________________________________

EP4 Ride Into the World of EV Ft. Pratik Gupta | Co-founder & CEO Gensol EV

We are here with another episode and will take you on a ride into the world of EVs this time. Pratik Gupta, CEO & Co-founder of Gensol EVs, our guest, is an inventor-entrepreneur. His inventions are deployed in a variety of sectors from Pharma to Cricket. We explore what it takes to come up with new ideas, deep dive into Indian EV, and learn about how his firm Gensol EV is aiming to disrupt the EV market with their unique 3-wheeled car, equipped with world-class technologies. We explore battery technologies, the need for giga factories for EVs, emerging trends in EV, the impact of Lithium reserves in India, and much more. This episode is for anyone curious about interesting products being built in India. If you are a car enthusiast, deep-tech nerd, or climate-conscious human - you don't want to miss this. Host and Founder Neelakanteshwar Reddy Rebala Partners Abhinav Jain Abhishek Srivastava Jayshree Kanther Patodi Edits & Design Aman S Raju Barsha Nandy Om Pawar Producers Anirudh Kaushik Barsha Nandy Chapters 00:00 - Pre-cap and Intro 02:48 - Pratik's background 04:11 - Pratik's experience building multi-million dollar products 06:34 - How do you get ideas for new products 08:52 - Does engineering mind help in running a deep tech business? 10:24 - How can non-tech people build deep-tech startups? 13:40 - Electric Vehicles & Sustainability 18:06 - Post usage electric battery disposal - How is the industry thinking about it? 21:00 - Overview of the EV market 25:14 - Market approach of EV vs ICE 29:07 - Solution to recharging challenges of EVs 32:03 - Are the Government Policies like FAME PLI helping? 34:37 - What are the various components of EV infrastructure 37:09 - Where is the battery technology headed? 41:10 - Why do we need Giga Factories? 43:20 - Where do you see the Indian EV market in the next 5 years? 46:05 - Impact of new lithium reserves found in India? 47:26 - Pratik's EV Startup - Gensol EV 52:51 - How did you arrive at this design and product? 01:05:20 - Business Model of this EV Startup01:10:20 - Closing comments #StartupChemistry #IndianStartups #StartUpIndia #entrepreneurshippodcast #startuppodcast #electricvehicles #EV #invention #gensolEV #mobility #gigafactories #lithiumreservsIndia #Batterytechnology #IndianEVs #deeptech #sustainability

EP3 Operator VC on Startup Exits, Climate & Deep Tech Ft. Abhishek Srivastava

Correction: Shield Square got acquired by Radware. Join the host Neel Reddy Rebala as he welcomes Abhishek Srivastava, seasoned early-stage VC and co-founder of Endiya Partners, to share his journey and insights into the dynamic world of venture capital. Discover Abhishek's passion for deep tech and enterprise SaaS, and learn how he stays ahead in a rapidly evolving tech landscape. Explore Endiya Partners' thematic approach to supporting startups in sectors like technology, healthcare, and financial services. Gain valuable insights into investment focus areas, trends, and considerations for exits in the vibrant Indian startup ecosystem. Tune in for an engaging conversation and don't forget to like, share, subscribe, and follow Startup Chemistry for more insightful discussions! ______________________________________________________________ Host and Founder Neelakanteshwar Reddy Rebala Partners Abhinav Jain Abhishek Srivastava Jayshree Kanther Patodi Edits & Design Aman S Raju Barsha Nandy Om Pawar Producers Anirudh Kaushik Barsha Nandy Volunteers Aishwarya A Swamy Harshini Gunda Prasad Potturu Shivani Chinnamaraju ___________________________________________________________________________ Chapters 00:00 Precap 02:42 How did you become a Venture Capitalist? 05:32 Do these traits help in investment decision making or pattern recognition? 08:10 How did the expertise in product and deep tech come to be? 11:00 How do you stay on top of fast changing technology space? 14:09 Can you introduce Endiya Partners to audience? 16:44 Can you give a pulse check on your focus sectors? 18:48 How were the last 2 years for the VC industry? 23:38 Would the Geo-political scenerio give a filip to the hardware startups? 26:05 What is your view on the climate sector? 36:10 Do we have the Deeptech and Deep science startups that the climate sector needs in India? 42:23 Your view on Climate sector - Macros and India vs the world 49:34 Why are exits important to VCs? 51:50 Can you please takes us through some of your exits? 55:08 How do you about with due diligence and evaluation of Deep Science & Deep Tech startups while investing? 01:01:38 How should a startup prepare for an exit? 01:08:23 What is the boardroom like during an exit? 01:09:58 Closing comments? 01:11:08 How should the founder think of exit?

EP2 - End-to-End Money Lifecycle of a Startup ft. Abhinav Jain

In this power-packed episode, we deep dive into the end-to-end funding journey of a startup founder and discuss how an entrepreneur can successfully navigate this path. We touch upon the world of Private Equity (PE) and Venture Capital (VC) in the Indian entrepreneurial landscape. We uncover the crucial role of PE/VC in the startup ecosystem and peek into the future of entrepreneurship in India. We also demystify terms of funding and IPO planning. Our charismatic guest and a seasoned investor, Abhinav Jain who is a General Partner at the leading mid-market private equity firm, Gaja Capital, shares his insights to leave you inspired, informed, and ready to take on challenges that a startup journey presents. Whether you're an aspiring founder, a curious investor or simply passionate about startups, this episode is a must-listen. #startupchemistry #startupexpert #entrepreneurshippodcast #startuppodcast #startupstory #IndianIPO #IPO ___________________________________________________________________________ Host and Founder Neelakanteshwar Reddy Rebala Partners Abhinav Jain Abhishek Srivastava Jayshree Kanther Patodi Edits & Design Aman S Raju Barsha Nandy Om Pawar Producers Anirudh Kaushik Barsha Nandy Volunteers Aishwarya A Swamy Harshini Gunda Prasad Potturu Shivani Chinnamaraju ___________________________________________________________________________ 00:00 -Precap 02:02 - Abhinav and Finance 08:49 - Private Equity and Venture Capital Overview 28:16 - Fundraising Journey of a Startup/ Entrepreneur 44:15 - Exit Paths for Investors and Founders 51:59 - IPOs - Initial Public Offerings Deep Dive 01:12:00 - Abhinav Beyond Finance

EP1 - Next Big Thing: Speciality Focused Healthcare; ft. Jayshree Kanther Patodi

For the inaugural episode of Startup Chemistry, we explore the Indian Healthcare Opportunity with Jayshree Kanther Patodi, co-founder of Enzia Ventures, an early-stage VC firm. She brings a unique perspective thanks to her experience both as an operator and investor. Discover Enzia's mission, unique investment approach, and support beyond funding for portfolio companies. Explore the healthcare sector's current status, trends, global comparisons, and where funding is directed. Uncover the next big thing in healthcare - Speciality-focused Business. #startupchemistry #startupexpert #entrepreneurshippodcast #startuppodcast #startupstory #Indianhealthcare #healthcarespecialityopportunity #healthcareandtechnology Chapters 00:00 - Precap 01:58 - Jayshree's background and Enzia Ventures' intro 27:09 - Overview of Healthcare sector 39:26 - Opportunities in Healthcare - Speciality focussed businesses 1:06:06 - Jayshree's other interests and final comments