Startup Interaction & Learning Series – Cohort II, organized by the Department of Computer Engineering, VESIT, in collaboration with Prakhar Innovations and CodeCell++ Tinkerers, and in association with VESIT Innovation and Incubation Cell (IIC) and IQAC.

The session, titled “MVP Building & Funding Opportunities,” will be conducted on 19 January 2026 from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM in online mode. The initiative aims to provide students with practical, industry-driven insights into building scalable products and understanding early-stage startup funding.

The session will be delivered by Mr. Minhaj Shaikh, Founder and CEO of FriendsCampus, and a distinguished alumnus of VESIT. With over 14 years of experience in education and 6+ years in the EdTech ecosystem, Mr. Shaikh has been actively involved in mentoring students and building learner-focused platforms. His professional journey includes leadership roles at Acadza.com and STEPApp.ai, where he contributed to operations management and large-scale educational initiatives.

During the session, participants will gain exposure to the end-to-end process of conceptualizing, validating, and iterating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP). The discussion will also cover early-stage funding opportunities, strategies to pitch MVPs to users and investors, and common challenges faced by first-time founders, followed by an interactive question-and-answer segment.

The session is open to Second Year and Third Year students, and is mandatory for Build-a-thon Internship students. Selected participants may be considered for post-session mentorship or internship opportunities based on performance and engagement.

Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLScA-Dpq2YsEnrH5Jgohu9ZCdA9L0vI9RY5gLBqPp9f4eHafwA/viewform?usp=publish-editor