Ten startups receive ₹1.95 Cr in prize money; 19 earn Vande Wings recognition
Vande Bharatam, Mr Gautam Adani’s nationwide initiative to discover and support grassroots innovators, concluded its inaugural season on September 19, with Gujarat-based construction technology startup MiCoB named Overall Winner.
Across 10 episodes, 54 startups pitched before investors and mentors. Of these, 44 received support through investments, mentorship, networking, pilot opportunities or Vande Wings recognition.
Mentors made monetary commitments totalling ₹50 Cr across 12 startups. MiCoB secured the season’s largest commitment of ₹30 Cr at a pre-money valuation of ₹110 Cr, from Flipkart CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy and Renee Cosmetics founder Ashutosh Valani. The season also recognised 19 startups through Vande Wings.
At the Grand Finale, 10 startups shared a prize pool of ₹1.95 Cr. MiCoB secured ₹50 lakh, followed by Bhaumya Innovations with ₹30 lakh, Ambiator with ₹25 lakh, Genrobotic Innovations with ₹20 lakh and SpaceFields with ₹15 lakh. Five special-category winners received ₹11 lakh each.
Mr Gautam Adani, Chairman, Adani Group, said:
“Vande Bharatam was never about a single winner. It was about proving that India’s next generation of builders exists in every corner of this country, not just its big cities. Over ten episodes, we saw that proof play out 54 times over. MiCoB’s win, and the ₹50 Cr in commitments this season generated, are a start, not an end. My hope is that every founder who stood on that stage, whether they walked away with a deal or not, leaves knowing India is watching, and India is ready to back them.”
