The Grand Pitch Season 5

Objective:

The Grand Pitch, the flagship fundraising event of the Entrepreneurship Cell (E-Cell) at Symbiosis Institute of Business Management, Pune (SIBM Pune), provides ambitious startups with a platform to raise capital, gain strategic insights, and accelerate their growth.

Modelled on the high-stakes format of leading investor pitch platforms, The Grand Pitch brings together promising entrepreneurs and a distinguished panel of venture capitalists, angel investors, micro-VCs, industry leaders, and high-net-worth individuals, collectively contributing to an investment pool of up to INR 75 Crores for this edition.

The Grand Pitch aims to create a platform where entrepreneurial vision meets investment opportunity, enabling founders to validate their businesses, strengthen their strategies, and transform potential into scalable success.

Eligibility Criteria

• Operational Ventures: The startup must be an active, operational venture with a demonstrated business model and, where applicable, revenue traction.
• Registration: The startup must be officially registered as a legal business entity.
• Authenticity: All information and documents submitted by the startup must be accurate, authentic, and verifiable. Any misrepresentation of information may result in disqualification.
• Founder Participation: At least one founder or authorised representative of the venture must be available to participate in the prescribed pitching rounds.
• Investment Readiness: Startups should have a clearly defined funding requirement and be prepared to discuss their proposed investment terms with prospective investors.

Event Stages

Screening Round

Dates: 17th September 2026 - 24th September 2026

• Participants will submit a comprehensive pitch deck highlighting their venture, problem statement, solution, market opportunity, business model, traction, financials, and founding team.
• The pitch deck should clearly communicate the startup's value proposition, competitive advantage, growth potential, and funding requirements.
• Submissions will be evaluated based on predefined criteria including market opportunity, innovation, business viability, traction, scalability, financial potential, and strength of the founding team.
• Any misrepresentation or falsification of information may result in immediate disqualification.

Preliminary Round – Online Pitch Presentation

Dates: 28th September 2026 - 03rd October 2026

• Shortlisted startups from the Screening Round will present their ventures before the evaluation panel.
• Founders will be expected to demonstrate their startup's scalability, differentiation, market potential, traction, and financial viability.
• The round will enable the evaluation panel to conduct an in-depth assessment of the venture and its potential for investment.
• Selected startups will advance to the Mentoring Phase and subsequently to the Grand Finale.

Mentorship Phase – Online

Dates: 04th October 2026 - 09th October 2026

• Finalist startups will undergo a focused mentoring phase with experienced industry experts, entrepreneurs, and investors.
• Mentors will provide strategic guidance to help founders identify gaps and strengthen their business models.
• The phase will focus on refining business strategy, financial projections, market positioning, scalability, and investment readiness.
• Founders will also have the opportunity to incorporate relevant feedback and polish their final pitch ahead of the Grand Finale.

Grand Finale - Offline

Date: 13th October 2026

Venue: SIBM Pune

• The finalist startups will pitch their ventures before a distinguished panel of investors at the Grand Finale of The Grand Pitch Season 5.
• Founders will present their final investment propositions and engage directly with investors through a high-stakes pitch and interaction.
• The Grand Finale will serve as the defining stage of the competition, providing selected ventures with the opportunity to secure funding, strategic partnerships, mentorship, and visibility.