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Event Date: 8th July, 2026

Event brief description
Galgotias Incubation Centre for Research Innovation Startup & Entrepreneurs (GICRISE), as an ecosystem partner in collaboration with Easy Knowledge Club, successfully organized an insightful online session on "Startups and Investors Expectation in 2026." The session was delivered by Mr. Krishna Dev Pathak, Investment Banking, ValueBridge Capital – a Merisis Group Company, who shared valuable perspectives on the evolving startup investment landscape. The session focused on how founders can align their business strategies with investor expectations, build scalable ventures, and prepare for fundraising in an increasingly competitive ecosystem. Participants gained practical insights into investment readiness, business sustainability, and future market trends.

Event Detailed Description
Galgotias Incubation Centre for Research Innovation Startup & Entrepreneurs (GICRISE), as an ecosystem partner in collaboration with Easy Knowledge Club, successfully organized an engaging online session titled "Startups and Investors Expectation in 2026." The session was delivered by Mr. Krishna Dev Pathak, Investment Banking, ValueBridge Capital – a Merisis Group Company, who shared his extensive knowledge on the evolving dynamics between startups and investors in today's rapidly changing entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The session brought together aspiring entrepreneurs, startup founders, innovators, students, and startup enthusiasts eager to understand the changing investment landscape and the key factors that influence investor decision-making in 2026. Mr. Pathak began by highlighting how the startup ecosystem has matured over the past few years, making investors more selective and data-driven in evaluating investment opportunities. He emphasized that while innovative ideas continue to attract attention, investors now prioritize sustainable business models, strong execution capabilities, market validation, and clear revenue-generation strategies.

A significant portion of the discussion focused on what investors expect from startups before making investment decisions. Mr. Pathak explained that founders must demonstrate a deep understanding of their target market, possess a scalable business model, maintain financial discipline, and build products that solve genuine customer problems. He stressed the importance of product-market fit, customer acquisition metrics, unit economics, and long-term profitability rather than focusing solely on rapid growth.

The speaker also discussed the importance of founder credibility and leadership. According to him, investors evaluate not only the business idea but also the commitment, adaptability, resilience, and execution capability of the founding team. He encouraged entrepreneurs to continuously learn from customer feedback, adapt to market changes, and build strong governance practices from the early stages of their startup journey.

Another key highlight of the session was understanding the fundraising process in the current investment environment. Mr. Pathak advised startups to prepare comprehensive financial projections, maintain transparent documentation, and develop compelling investor pitch decks backed by measurable business traction. He explained that startups should clearly communicate their vision, competitive advantage, growth strategy, and long-term value creation while approaching investors.

The session further explored emerging sectors expected to attract investments in 2026, including Artificial Intelligence, Climate Technology, HealthTech, FinTech, DeepTech, Enterprise SaaS, and advanced manufacturing. Mr. Pathak emphasized that startups leveraging technology to solve real-world challenges while creating measurable impact are likely to receive stronger investor interest in the coming years.

Throughout the interactive session, participants actively engaged by asking questions related to valuation, fundraising timelines, investor communication, and strategies for building investor confidence. Mr. Pathak provided practical recommendations and shared industry experiences that helped attendees gain a realistic understanding of the investment ecosystem and the preparation required for successful fundraising.

The session concluded with an engaging question-and-answer segment, where participants received valuable guidance on strengthening their startup fundamentals and aligning with evolving investor expectations. Overall, the session proved to be highly informative and insightful, equipping participants with practical knowledge on investment readiness, strategic planning, and sustainable business growth. It reaffirmed GICRISE's commitment, in collaboration with Easy Knowledge Club, to nurturing innovation, entrepreneurship, and startup excellence by connecting aspiring founders with experienced industry leaders and investment professionals.

Department Name: GICRISE

Event Outcome:

The online session on "Startups and Investors Expectation in 2026" provided participants with valuable insights into the evolving investment ecosystem and the essential qualities investors seek in modern startups. Mr. Krishna Dev Pathak's practical guidance on fundraising, founder readiness, business scalability, financial discipline, and long-term value creation empowered aspiring entrepreneurs to better prepare for future investment opportunities. The interactive discussions and expert perspectives enriched the learning experience for all attendees. Through such knowledge-driven initiatives, GICRISE, in collaboration with Easy Knowledge Club, continues to strengthen the entrepreneurial ecosystem by enabling founders to build investment-ready and sustainable startups.