Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) has inked an MoU with leading professional services firm Grant Thornton to conduct a strategic study on empowering the Kerala capital as an emerging technology hub and a premier destination for startups.
KSUM CEO, Anoop Ambika and Partner, Grant Thornton, Prasad Unnikrishnan, exchanged the MoU at the valedictory function of the fifth edition of the three-day Huddle Global conclave, organised by KSUM, at Adimalathura beach near Vizhinjam. Anoop also released the draft policy for ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) startups that aims to invite public feedback.
Chief Minister, Shri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated India’s biggest beachside startup conclave Huddle Global 2023 on November 16. The inaugural of the flagship event saw the exchange of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) between KSUM and Belgium, Australia and the State Bank of India (SBI).
Around 300 startups interacted with investors at the Huddle Global 2023. Attended by around 12,000 delegates from India and abroad, the event showcased cutting-edge products from emerging sectors such as robotics, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, life sciences, space tech, Blockchain, IoT, e-governance, fintech, healthtech, agritech, edutech and SaS from across the country’s ecosystem.
As many as 15 foodtech innovations were selected from R&D institutions in Kerala for the Branding Challenge conducted on the sidelines of the conclave. More than 100 designers participated in the challenge to create a brand identity for the innovations.
A total of 13 designers won the ‘Huddle Designers Award 2023’.About 27 coders who attended the conclave were honoured at the closing ceremony.
An expo on the sidelines of the event displayed products from 100-plus nascent companies and provided an opportunity for them to interact with experts from technology and industry for advice on investment opportunities.
The event saw the participation of more than 5,000 startups, 400 HNIs, 300 mentors, 200 corporates, 150 investors and speakers. KSUM is the nodal agency of the Kerala Government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.