The Vault: Pitch to Investors at IIT Bombay

About the Vault

The Vault is the flagship startup pitch platform at Avenues, the annual business fest of Shailesh J. Mehta School of Management, IIT Bombay. It puts real ideas in front of real investors, without the filter of pedigree, stage, or funding history.

You could be a first year student with a problem you cannot stop thinking about, or a founder two years in with paying customers. The Vault does not care where you are starting from. It cares whether the idea holds up.

The competition runs across three rounds. Rounds 1 and 2 are online. Round 3 is a live pitch on the IIT Bombay campus before an investor panel.

Guidelines

• Open to students of any recognised institute in India, working professionals and independent founders.
• Participate as a solo founder or as a team. There is no cap on team size. But you have to register as an individual, and communication to be done with the team leader.
• One member cannot be part of multiple teams
• Inter-college team members are allowed.
• Inter-specialisation and inter-discipline team members are allowed.
• Teams combining students and working professionals are allowed.
• There is no problem statement. You bring your own idea or venture.
• Ventures at any stage are welcome: idea, prototype, MVP or revenue-generating.
• All sectors are welcome.
• Registered and unregistered ventures are both eligible.
• Idea stage and pre-launch ventures are welcome. If you do not have users, revenue or other traction yet, simply state that in your application. Early-stage teams will not be penalised for metrics they do not yet have.

Not eligible

• Ventures that have raised institutional funding at Series A or beyond
• Ventures incorporated more than 5 years ago
• Ventures with annual revenue above ₹10 crore
• Submissions that are not the original work of the participating team

Process and Format

Round 1, the Screener | Online | Deadline 14 Oct 2026

A Short Application Form that Takes Under Four Minutes. No Deck, No Video, No Financial Model Needed.

You Will Be Asked For: Your Venture Name and a One-Line Pitch, Current Stage, Sector, Entity Status, Team Details, the Problem You Are Solving, Your Solution, Your Target Customer, Any Traction so Far, and A Product or Demo Link if You Have One.

Evaluated On: Clarity of The Problem, Coherence of The Solution, how Specifically You Have Defined Your Customer, Differentiation, and Team Credibility. Traction Is Not Scored in This Round.

Shortlist Announced: 15 Oct 2026

Round 2, the Deep Dive | Online | Deadline 18 Oct 2026

Shortlisted Teams Submit Two Things.

- A 3 Slide Pitch Deck. PDF only, 16:9 Format, Maximum 10 Mb, named Vault_Team Name.Pdf. Slide 1 Covers Problem, Solution, Customer, Product Visual, Business Model and Why Now. Slide 2 Covers Market Opportunity, Traction, Competition, Team and The Ask. Design Is Not Scored. Clarity Is. - A Founder Video of 1 to 2 Minutes. Face the Camera and Pitch in Your Own Words. A Phone Camera Is Sufficient. Submit as A Google Drive Link with Access Enabled for Anyone with The Link.

Evaluated On: Depth and Honesty of The Submission, Market Opportunity, Traction Relative to Your Stage, Clarity of The Pitch, and Founder Conviction.

Finalists Announced: 19 Oct 2026

Round 3, the Vault Live | Iit Bombay Campus | 24 Oct 2026

Finalists Present Live to The Investor Panel, Who Will Have Read the Round 2 Submission in Advance.

Duration per Team: 10 Minutes to Present, Strictly Timed, Followed by 5 Minutes of Questions from The Panel. One Member May Present or The Team May Split It, and Every Member May Answer Questions. a Detailed Final Presentation Must Be Submitted Before the Finale, Within the Timeline Communicated by The Organisers. Teams with A Working Product May Request a Demo Setup in Advance.

Evaluated On: Clarity of The Problem and Depth of Customer Understanding, Strength of Evidence, Size and Realism of The Opportunity, the Team, and How You Handle the Panel's Questions.

After the Presentations, Finalists Get Dedicated Investor Office Hours for One to One Conversations with Panel Members, Plus Full Access to Avenues 2026 for The Duration of The Fest.

Key Dates

Round 1 Application Deadline: 14 Oct 2026

Round 1 Results: 15 Oct 2026

Round 2 Submission Deadline: 18 Oct 2026

Finalists Announced: 19 Oct 2026

Round 3, the Vault Live, Iit Bombay: 24 Oct 2026

Rules

• Participants May Enter as Individuals or As Teams. the Team Leader Is the Single Point of Contact for All Communication.
• Each Team May Submit only One Entry. an Individual May Participate in Only One Team.
• All Submissions Must Be Original. Plagiarism, Misrepresentation, Falsified Data or False Claims of Traction Will Result in Disqualification.
• Round 2 Pitch Deck: 3 Slides, 16:9 Format, Pdf Only, Maximum 10 Mb. File Name: The Vault_Team Name.Pdf
• Round 2 Founder Video: 1 to 2 Minutes, with 2 Minutes as The Hard Limit, Submitted Through a Google Drive Link with Access Enabled for Anyone with The Link. Private or Restricted Links Will Not Be Reviewed.
• Team Composition Cannot Be Changed After Round 1 Submission.
• Finalists Must Attend Round 3 in Person at Iit Bombay. Travel and Accommodation Arrangements Are to Be Made by Participants Only.
• Finalists Must Submit the Detailed Final Presentation Within the Timeline Communicated by The Organisers Before the Live Finale.
• Submissions May Be Shared with The Evaluation Panel and Investor Jury Under Confidentiality. Participants Are Not Required to Disclose Trade Secrets, Proprietary Code or Unfiled Intellectual Property.
• Any Investment Decision Rests Solely with The Investor and Is Subject to Independent Due Diligence. the Organisers Do Not Guarantee Funding.
• Decisions of The Judging Panel and Organising Committee Will Be Final and Binding.
• The Organisers Reserve the Right to Modify the Format, Timeline or Rules with Prior Notice to Registered Participants.

What You Get

• Access to An Investor Panel and Opportunities to Initiate Funding Conversations
• Investor Office Hours for One to One Conversations After the Live Presentations
• Mentorship from Founders, Operators and Iit Bombay Faculty
• Full Access to Avenues 2026, Including Leadership Talks, Workshops and The Fest Experience
• Introductions to Partner Brands and Relevant Decision Makers
• Certificates and Visibility Across Avenues and Sjmsom Iit Bombay Channels