From Research to Revenue: Building from IITM

​Two IIT Madras alumni. One candid conversation.

​Join Mridul Arora (Partner, Elevation Capital) and Daniel Raj David (Founder, Detect Technologies) as they unpack the real journey from campus research project to scaled company—what worked, what didn’t, and what they wish they’d known early in the journey.

​What we’ll cover

• ​Going from 0→1 on campus: validating problems, prototypes, and early user love

• ​Fundraising realities: what VCs look for in student‑led startups

• ​From first pilots to enterprise‑ready products

• ​Navigating team, pivots, and focus under resource constraints

• ​How IITM’s ecosystem can be a superpower for builders today

​Who should attend

• ​IITM students and recent grads building (or exploring) startups

• ​Technical builders, researchers, and product‑curious operators

• ​Anyone interested in fundraising, GTM, or scaling from India to the world

​Format & flow

• ​35–40 min fireside chat

• ​15–20 min audience Q&A

​Speakers

• ​Mridul Arora — Partner, Elevation Capital; IIT Madras alumnus

• ​Daniel Raj David — Founder, Detect Technologies; IIT Madras alumnus