City hosts NUVenture ’26 for investor-ready startups

Vadodara: Reinforcing Gujarat's growing startup momentum, Navrachana Innovation Foundation on Monday held NUVenture '26, its flagship innovation and entrepreneurship fest, at Navrachana University (NU), marking National Startup Day under the Startup India initiative.The event brought together startups, investors, mentors and students, with a focus on execution-ready ventures.Of more than 50 startups from across Gujarat that applied, 10 revenue-generating firms were shortlisted to pitch at Venture Vault, a closed-door investor session.Founders presented their business models and growth plans before a six-member jury, triggering discussions on funding, scalability and strategy.Chief guest Dr Sachin Parikh, joint director of the directorate of technical education, Gujarat, underlined the role of academic platforms in nurturing student-led innovation.NIF director Dr Sandeep Vasant said the ecosystem must prioritize sustainable businesses over "flashy launches", stressing job creation and real-world impact.The investor panel featured representatives from GVFL, Kovin Tech, Syncoro Ventures, Epic Ventures and House of Starts. NIF also signed an MoU with House of Starts to launch an AI-focused D2C cohort for founders across the state.Knowledge sessions drew over 150 participants, while the Startup Expo attracted over 1,000 visitors, offering early-stage startups direct market feedback and investor visibility.