Goan startups pitch to US-based investor for televised show

Panaji: A Goan startup got the rare opportunity to pitch for funding from US-based venture capitalist Tim Draper, who made significant investments in companies like Coinbase, Baidu, Hotmail, Skype, Tesla, SpaceX, and Twitter. The Goan startup, Goa App which serves as tourism travel guide, may not have made it through to the final round but the founders of the startup are thrilled to have gained international mileage. After all, Tim Draper was in Goa to host ‘Meet the Drapers’, a televised startup show offering entrepreneurs an opportunity to connect with international investors and compete for up to $1 million in funding. Think Shark Tank but against the historic Aguada jail complex.

“We pitched to govt of Goa for seed funding, but we never pitched to an international venture capitalist. We were aiming for the million-dollar pot, and this was a first for us. We did not get selected but our aim was to promote our app worldwide. We got the world to know that our app exists,” said Radhaprasad Borkar, the 32-year-old startup co-founder from Sanquelim.

Borkar and his 32-year-old co-founder, Nilkanth Shet Shirodkar from Marcel said that their interaction with Draper gave them quite a few insights. “Draper was explaining about the Draper Startup House that he set up in India where they incubate potential startups,” said Borkar.

Along with Goa App, Samaaro, an event technology company incubated at FiiRE, the Fatorda-based incubator, vied for the $1 million fund. “First time making a pitch as part of a startup competition TV show,” said Purnank Prakash, the co-founder of Samaaro. “I enjoyed responding to the questions. One question that stood out for me was about how our startup is looking to scale up the business.” Samaaro offers AI-driven event management tools to help event organisers streamline operations, boost attendee engagement, and maximise returns.

Minister for IT, electronics, and communications Rohan Khaunte met Tim Draper to discuss “strategic partnerships” with Goa. Speaking about Goa’s aspirations to be the creative capital of India, Khaunte invited Draper to establish a Draper House in the state.

Draper said that venture capitalists look for a large market opportunity, unique technology, and innovative and driven founders while deciding to invest in startups.



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