Bengaluru: About 25 student-led startups have secured around Rs 60.5 crore in soft-funding commitments after pitching at Masters’ Union Ventures’ (MU Ventures) Demo Day 2026, held recently in Bengaluru.It was the first B…

Bengaluru: About 25 student-led startups have secured around Rs 60.5 crore in soft-funding commitments after pitching at Masters’ Union Ventures’ (MU Ventures) Demo Day 2026, held recently in Bengaluru.It was the first Bengaluru edition of the Demo Day by MU Ventures, the Rs 100-crore early-stage fund that backs founders under 25. More than 65 VC firms and angel investors, including Entrepreneurs First, Kae Capital, Avaana Capital, Beenext and Rainmatter, participated. Startups that drew the highest commitments included Sanyark, which is building a LEO-based NAV-COM satellite constellation; CarbonM, which converts inconsistent waste into pyrolysis oil; and Saubha Aerial Systems, which builds end-to-end hardware for autonomous drone operations.Consumer startups also drew interest, including Lexi’s, a gourmet sandwich cloud kitchen in Gurugram, and Oohlala, a designer nightwear brand for plus-size women. Beyond Bengaluru: How a Koppa-based startup is building affordable tech for Indian farmersSince inception, Masters’ Union said its VIP (Venture Initiation Programme) and related initiatives have supported over 80 student startups. About 50 VIP-incubated startups have collectively raised over Rs 320 crore and are projected to generate over Rs 530 crore in revenue by FY27.Pratham Mittal, Founder, Masters’ Union University, said, “Bengaluru is one of India’s most vibrant startup and technology hubs. What makes this especially meaningful is seeing young founders turn their ideas into real businesses and receive interest from investors at such an early stage.”The Demo Day creates opportunities for young founders to build, test and scale businesses while pursuing their education.Saksham Kotiya, Head of Entrepreneurship & Investments at Masters’ Union, said, “Investor interest is one of the clearest signals that a startup is moving beyond an idea and beginning to demonstrate real potential. The funding commitments secured at Demo Day reflect the work our founders have put into understanding their customers, building products and validating their businesses. What is particularly encouraging is that investors are evaluating these ventures on the strength of what they have built and the opportunities they see ahead.”Kotiya said that their focus is to create an environment where student founders can build with that level of rigour from day one, and give them the support and access they need to turn early validation into scalable businesses.

Source: Deccan Herald