Opportunity brief
About the Competition:
EUREKA! 2026 – Startup Pitching Competition is being organised by EIC SAKEC, Shah & Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College, as part of the National Entrepreneurship Challenge (NEC) 2026 by E-Cell, IIT Bombay.
The competition provides aspiring entrepreneurs, student innovators and early-stage startup teams with an opportunity to pitch their ideas before industry professionals, receive constructive feedback and gain exposure to the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Participants will present their startup idea in a concise pitch followed by a Q&A session with the jury.
Eligibility:
- Open to students, aspiring entrepreneurs and early-stage startups.
- Participants may register individually or as a team.
- Team size: 1–7 members.
- Participants from colleges/organisations outside SAKEC may participate.
- Participants must complete the required official Eureka! 2026 registration in addition to registering for this pitching competition.
- Participants must follow the registration requirements and deadlines communicated by the organisers.
Competition Format:
Round 1 – Startup Pitch
Each participating team will get 2 minutes to present their startup idea.
Round 2 – Jury Q&A
The pitch will be followed by 3–5 minutes of Q&A with the jury.
The jury will evaluate the participating teams based on the quality and potential of their ideas and their ability to communicate and defend their concept during the Q&A.
Participants are encouraged to cover:
- Problem statement
- Proposed solution
- Target customers/users
- Market opportunity
- Business model
- Competitive advantage
- Innovation/differentiation
- Scalability and future potential
- Current stage/traction, if applicable
Evaluation:
The jury will evaluate pitches based on factors including:
- Problem identification and relevance
- Innovation and uniqueness of the solution
- Business potential and viability
- Market opportunity
- Scalability
- Quality and clarity of the pitch
- Ability to answer jury questions
Selection & Further Opportunity:
The jury will score the participating teams and identify the top-performing entries.
The winning/top entries will be recognised at the event. The relevant top entries/pitch decks will subsequently be submitted for further evaluation under the Eureka! 2026 process, subject to the applicable Eureka! and NEC guidelines.
Event Details:
- Date: 25 August 2026
- Time: 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Venue: 7th Floor Auditorium, Shah & Anchor Kutchhi Engineering College, Chembur, Mumbai
- Registration Deadline: 19 August 2026
Rules:
- Each team must consist of 1–7 members.
- Teams must follow the team-composition requirements specified on the registration platform.
- Each team will be given 2 minutes for its pitch.
- The pitch will be followed by 3–5 minutes of jury Q&A.
- Participants must adhere to the allotted time.
- Participants are responsible for ensuring that the information presented in their pitch is accurate.
- The decision of the jury regarding the competition results will be final.
- Participants must complete the required official Eureka! registration in addition to the SAKEC event registration.
- Organisers reserve the right to make necessary changes to the event schedule or format, if required.
Important: Registration for this SAKEC pitching competition does not replace the official Eureka! 2026 registration.
Participants must also register on the official Eureka! platform using the designated NEC referral/registration process within the applicable deadline to remain eligible for further Eureka! evaluation.