foundED, the forum that celebrates modern-day founders and innovators and encourages entrepreneurship, is back!

Back for its second edition, DBS BUSINESS CLASS foundED is kicking things off in Bangalore on May 12, with other cities to follow.

foundED is a forum that celebrates modern-day founders and innovators and encourages entrepreneurship. To fulfil this mission, DBS Bank India, along with YourStory, is committed to its IP DBS Business Class foundED. This forum is all about finding the best opportunities, product-market fit, MVP, valuations, and more through conversations with key stakeholders. We are kicking things off this year in Bangalore on May 12, at Hyatt Centric, MG Road, 6.30 pm onwards.

YourStory Founder and CEO Shradha Sharma will get the ball rolling with an opening note. One of the highlights of this year’s kick-off event will be an engaging discussion by seasoned experts, Perfios Software Solutions CEO Sabyasachi Goswami, Java Capital Founding Partner Karteek Pulapaka along with DBS Bank India Head of SME Liabilities, Institutional Banking Group Sushant Shetty. Everybody wants to scale their startup but many are unaware of the risks that come with it. To educate and better equip startup founders to grow responsibly, the two experts will deep-dive into this topic.

Last year, the maiden event of DBS BusinessClass foundED was hosted in Hyderabad with actor, entrepreneur and investor Rana Daggubati as the keynote speaker. It was attended by a curated set of top-notch founders, investors, and tech ecosystem partners, and provided a platform for them to collaborate on new business models that addressed pain points in the ecosystem.

DBS BusinessClass is a DBS Bank initiative that helps SMEs grow their business and network with key business influencers, receive the latest market trends, and gain exclusive access to a knowledgeable community of Asia's business masterminds. foundED takes DBS' vision further by bridging the gaps in the technology and capital spectrum of the startup ecosystem by bringing the right stakeholders across the table to co-invent and innovate.

What to expect

DBS India’s aim is to help startups with three key M’s – mentorship, market access, and money! The foundED platform also aims to bring startups an exclusive peek into the trends and technologies that will have an impact on the world of business over the next decade, bringing to them the most incisive, insightful, and interactive sessions from the most diverse set of experts across frontiers. There will also be a special ‘spot pitch’ segment!

Business for Good

DBS Foundation’s ‘Business for Impact’ recognises, rewards, and supports social enterprise and SMEs with a strong sustainability solution. Since 2015, DBS Foundation has provided over 13 million Singapore dollars in grant funding and supported over 100 businesses for impact to scale and create a deeper positive impact.

The Business for Impact grant programme provides financial grants, recognition, mentorship, advisory support, and networking opportunities. If you are wondering if you make the cut, here’s what DBS is looking for:

1) Startups and SMEs that have innovative solution(s) to tackle critical social or environmental issues, creating impact for the wider community outside of the company.

2) Profitable businesses with a mission to solve critical social and environmental challenges.