iPitch 2021 – For A Billion Strong India

Call to Applications: 1st August – 31st August 2021

iPitch 2021: Villgro x Artha Impact

iPitch is Villgro’s annual deal discovery platform for impact investors & incubators to discover India’s best social entrepreneurs — rebuilding the lives of the underserved communities in Agriculture, Climate Action, Healthcare, Shelter-tech and Housing, Livelihood sectors, amongst others.

This year, iPitch brings together its largest coalition of impact investors and incubators to channel its highest ever pool of funding, amounting to an unprecedented USD 5 million. The shortlisted enterprises will automatically have their profile created on the Artha Impact platform—providing access to over 1200 investors and incubators.

iPitch 2021 has been designed in response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic giving prime importance to inclusivity and accessibility.

iPitch gives entrepreneurs access to

Capital

Access to grants, equity and debt solutions with ticket sizes ranging from USD 25,000 to USD 1 million.

Incubation Programs

Access to technical assistance, mentorship, and incubation programs

iPitch 2021 Coalition

iPitch Applications are now closed

Application Criteria

iPitch 2021 is open to a range of for-profit social enterprises:

Stages

Prototype Stage

MVP / Prototype ready / Launched in market

Growth Stage

Generating revenue

Sectors

Language
STEM
Test Preparation & Life skills
Financial Services
ERP Solutions, LMS, IT Solutions, Assessment Platforms
Teacher training, School leader training/development, School reviews

Novel input sciences & technology
Irrigation / Water management
Precision Agriculture - IoT, Monitors, Automation
Farm Management & Market Intelligence
Farm Mechanisation (machinery & power)
Farm waste utilisation, Waste to energy
Agri processing, storage & logistics
Agri value chain financing & Insurance

Non-Communicable Disease - Detection, Management
Infectious Diseases - Infection Control
Infectious Diseases - Screening and diagnosis
Infectious Diseases, Others
Digital Health Platforms
Maternal & Child Health
Clinical Decision Support Systems / Diagnostic Services
Disabilities

Access to energy
Productive use of renewable energy
Energy Efficiency
Waste to Value/ Circular Economy
Sustainable Livelihoods
Sustainable Mobility
Rural Mobility
Urban Mobility
Mobility beyond large cities-commute solutions (road & waterways & rural goods distribution models)

Skill development, vocational training, wage enhancement
Financial services
Job platforms
Assessment Platforms
Agriculture & allied
Healthcare & caregiving
Arts & handicrafts

Sustainable housing
Housing finance
Market access
Sustainable housing design for low-income households
Sanitation/ sanitation tech for housing
Waste management/ waste tech for housing
Energy solutions for housing
Rental housing for lower income segments
Labour & land rights

Access to credit solutions
Access to savings products
Driving financial literacy
Innovations in insurance solutions

Does your enterprise have the potential to create substantial social impact, but doesn’t fall under any of these categories?
Do apply; some of our Funding Partners are sector agnostic. If you’re the right fit, we will get in touch.

The Selection Process

1 Aug to 31 Aug

Call for Applications

1 Sept to 20 Sept

Application Screening

20 Sept to 8 Oct

Preparing Entrepreneurs for Virtual Pitches

11 Oct to 31 Oct

Virtual Pitches

1 Nov - 31 Jan

Diligence and Decision-making

Hear from last year's iPitch winners

Sheru as a business being fundamentally positioned for multi-fold impact, it was imperative for us to partner with an Impact incubator early on. Villgro's iPitch served the purpose well without intense bandwidth commitment. We are looking forward to unlocking impact value realisation for Sheru through our growth story with Villgro's help.

Ankit Mittal, Co-Founder & CEO

Sheru

At a time when the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the Indian economy and health infrastructure Ziptrax applied to Villgro’s iPitch 2020, ultimately, becoming a finalist and one of the winners. The entire year-long process has been pivotal in shaping Ziptrax. Villgro’s technical and mentoring assistance and access to Grant support will help immensely to launch Ziptrax’s impact-focused products and services to the market—improving scalability and commercialisation .

Sonia Singh, Co-Founder & CEO

Ziptrax

iPitch validates our impact and mission of addressing the livelihood of farmer's. The journey with Villgro’s iPitch for Strawcture Eco has been worthwhile. It has been an exercise by the end of which I gained more clarity and critical insights about my business model—its merits and the possible risks. The exercise of applying for iPitch helps you critically evaluate—preparing one to build a better risk mitigation strategy for one’s model.

Shriti Pandey, Founder & CEO

Strawcture Eco

Villgro’s iPitch has been pivotal in providing myHarvest Farms by providing mentoring and helping us refine our direction. The team at Villgro has helped us instil critical thinking in our approach—enabling us to view our own business model holistically—from multifarious perspectives. Peer validation regarding our model and the refined criticality is an assurance of the role of Villgro’s iPitch in our growth

Archana Stalin, Co-Founder

myHarvest Farms

Villgro has played an integral role in mentoring us and help us strategize, introduce critical perspectives and embolden our journey by refining our path through the right support and assistance. Villgro provided a platform for us to connect with a multitude of investors After being shortlisted for the virtual pitch, we were confident that we would get support from the investors. We are deeply thankful to Villgro for consistent support and assistance.

Sandith Thandasherry, CEO & Chief Naval Architect

NavAlt Solar & Electric Boats

Villgro’s commitment to impact and their professional style of evaluating organizations while also providing strong support in incubation and growth rightly directed Mudita & Radhesh along the channel to success and empowerment. Our journey with iPitch was very well organized and timely. Villgro enriched an entrepreneur-oriented environment, which greatly consolidated and refined our organization's targets and overall vision.

Mudita Srivastava, Founder & Director

Mudita & Radhesh Pvt. Ltd.

Media Partners

Ecosystem Partners

Important Information

Each iPitch 2021 Coalition Partner has their own incubation/investment thesis as well as funding instrument/s. Your enterprise could be of interest to any or even all the partners. The negotiation and decision on incubation or funding support is entirely at the discretion of the respective coalition partners and their applicants of interest.

Due to the large number of applications and multiple partners, do allow us time to get back to you. If you are shortlisted, the next step will be to pitch to investors virtually, for which we will inform you by 20 September. If you have not received an update from us by then, please assume you have not been selected.

If you are selected, we request you to keep your schedules flexible between 11 to 30 October to accommodate the Virtual Pitching sessions. Post virtual pitches, interested partners will contact you directly, so please double-check the contact information you provide in your application!

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