The Founder's Playbook
From First Breakthrough to Category Leadership
Saturday, 21 November 2026 | Bengaluru
Every successful startup has a story. But the most interesting parts rarely make it into the headlines.
What happens before the big fundraise? How do you win your first customers? How does a challenger startup become a category leader? And what would experienced builders do differently if they were starting again?
Join Invention Engine for an intimate evening of candid conversations with founders and product leaders who have navigated these journeys firsthand.
Two conversations. Two stages of the startup journey. Real lessons from building.
Conversation 1: From 0 to ₹32 Crore
The Story Behind the Fundraise
Omkar Raikar & Uttam Tiwari
Co-founders, Desible.ai
Desible.ai, an AI startup incubated at Invention Engine, recently raised ₹32 crore in funding led by Prime Venture Partners.
But the journey wasn't just about fundraising.
From identifying a real problem in financial services to winning enterprise customers, building trusted AI products and convincing investors, the founders will share what it actually took to reach this milestone.
We'll explore:
Finding your first customers and building early traction
Selling AI products to large enterprises
The difficult decisions and setbacks along the way
What ultimately convinced investors to back the company
What changes after raising your first significant institutional round
Conversation 2: From Startup to Startup Enabler
The Razorpay Story — Building, Scaling & Giving Back
Khilan Haria
Chief Product Officer, Razorpay
Razorpay's journey from challenging established payment gateways to becoming one of India's leading fintech companies is a remarkable story of product innovation, customer obsession and execution.
Khilan Haria has been instrumental in scaling Razorpay's payments business and shaping its expanding product ecosystem.
Today, Razorpay is also helping the next generation of entrepreneurs through initiatives such as Razorpay Rize, which provides startup communities, mentorship, resources and founder-focused programs.
We'll explore:
How Razorpay challenged established players and became a market leader
The product decisions that shaped its growth
Building and scaling high-performing product teams
Evolving from a payment gateway into a broader fintech platform
Why Razorpay is supporting early-stage startups through Rize
Lessons Khilan would share with founders building their first company
Who Should Attend?
This gathering is designed for early-stage founders, co-founders and aspiring entrepreneurs navigating the challenges of building, finding product-market fit, acquiring customers, fundraising and scaling.
What to Expect
Two candid, interactive conversations
Practical lessons from real startup journeys
Audience Q&A with the speakers
Meaningful networking with a curated group of founders
Informal conversations over light refreshments
Date: Saturday, 21 November 2026
Location: Bengaluru
Time & Venue: To be announced
Entry: Free | Limited seats | Registration approval required
About Invention Engine
Invention Engine is an early-stage AI and deeptech accelerator that partners closely with ambitious founders, providing capital, mentorship and hands-on support to help them build and scale their startups.
No generic startup gyaan. No polished success stories. Just honest conversations about what it takes to build.
Come for the stories. Leave with a better playbook for your own startup.