Seaside Startup Summit India: Goa- Finish line of a new beginning

If the sounds at 7 am coming from the stage located on the Cabo de Rama beach are not heard- it means that Seaside Startup Summit India.Goa is coming to an end.

It is the fifth day of the Summit and the participants have gathered around the stage for the last time. After having a short briefing, startupers from each squad were invited to come up on the stage and share their emotions and feelings. The moment was very inspiring because each participant, first of all, associated the camp with home: “because this is where everyone tries to create convenient conditions for you despite the fact that you are living in camp. That camp becomes your home, where you live, cook together and learn a lot. ”

And it is very interesting how Seaside Startup Summit makes people change their attitudes and perceptions: if before they were not thinking so much about the discipline, about the importance of team work, significance of being prepared then now they experience a paradigm shift. And for the team of organizers it was very important to hear that words of gratitude and appreciation that were directed to them from the participants.

Even though it was the last day, the startups were waiting for the concluding stage- their last pitch and for the names of winners being announced. According to the concept of the Summit, there are 2 nominations: winners of the Big Startups Battle, a special type of battle designed for all early-stage startups regardless of the field they are active in, and winners of the Field Battle, designed only for those startups who operate within a particular field. On the way to the finish line, the startups attended 3 last panel discussions and then they joined the Closing and Award ceremony, the most decisive moment at that stage. H. E. Mr. Armen Martirosyan, the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Armenia in the Republic of India, and Secretary of Goa Public Service Commission (GPSC), Ameya Abhyankar, has also joined the official Closing Ceremony. Mr. Martirosyan had a chance to discuss with startups, in particular from Armenia, their ideas and opportunities to enter the international market. Among the honorable guests was also a Deputy Executive Director of SME DNC, Karen Gevorgyan.

During the ceremony, the organizers of the event, Hakob Hakobyan, Founder of Startup Armenia Foundation, Anil Chhikara, Chairman of the Startup India Foundation and Tripti Shanghal, CEO and Managing Director, KGS Advisors gave their final speeches. The winning startups along with the monetary prize got the necessary services from the leading stakeholders of Indian startup ecosystem. Away from the ordinary perception regarding the closing ceremonies, this one was very different with its energy and attitude. The Founder of Startup Armenia as a sign of respect towards Indian culture wore a national Indian suit. Volunteers in their turn prepared a special surprise for everyone and performed Indian dances on the stage. As a continuation of the evening full of happy and victorious moments, the disco time was organized.

Seaside Startup Summit has left a trail in lives of many who attended the event, because so much was experienced together: workshops around the campfire, receiving feedbacks from experts and spending hours on helping each other to fixing the problems, drum jam on the beach, dances under the evening sky- one of the pages in the life-book, to which one will always want to return.

Seaside Startup Summit India.Goa is a perfect platform for startups to learn about the Indian market, find partners, and get investments. The very idea of the Summit was innovational growth and development of local and global ecosystems. The event was held under the auspices of government of Armenia and gained support from the Government of Goa. The prize fund reached $ 22 000 + in-kind prizes in the amount of $ 50 000.