Media Release
Mangaluru, Feb 22: Catalyst 2025 was organized by St Aloysius (deemed to be university) from February 13 – 15. The main aim of Catalyst is to support budding entrepreneurs by providing them with opportunities to seek expert guidance, mentorship, and seed capital for their innovative startup ideas. It serves as a platform for students and aspiring entrepreneurs to showcase their business concepts, connect with industry leaders, and gain insights to refine their ideas and turn them into successful entrepreneurs.
This summary captures the three-day event of presentations and keynote addresses, which took place from the February 13 to 15. The event brought together a total of thirteen teams out of which nine teams were shortlisted to participate in the pitching event on the 14th, some 750 plus students, and 9 speakers to discuss sustainable entrepreneurship, the role of AI and strategies for startups and growth. It concluded with a set of presentations of real-world cases describing new and noteworthy initiatives relevant to young student entrepreneurs.
The first day of the conference started with an inaugural session with a welcome note and event overview by Erica Thomas, chair of entrepreneurship and consultancy, St Aloysius (Deemed to be university) followed by the presidential address by John Monteiro, president, Rachana Catholic chamber of commerce and industry, followed by the keynote address by Harikrishna Thodinnaya, founder, Ecchanna dairy services, the inaugural concluded with the vote of thanks by Aavya.
The technical sessions followed the inaugural session and the main keynote lecture. The three-day event consisted of nine technical sessions, and student pitches. Each speaker was given 40 minutes for their presentation, which was followed by a question-and-answer session. The event was structured to foster discussion between participants.
Each day began, with a session by an eminent personality in the domain. The first session of the day was on "The Startup Ecosystem: Navigating funding and growth" conducted by Karthik Attavar. He kept his session fun and interactive so the students not only had fun but also expanded their knowledge margin. The second session was presided over by Preksha Thej who spoke about "The role of AI and automation in startups".
She conducted an interactive activity teaching student on how AI plays an important role in their growing startups. This was followed by a lunch break. The first speaker of the afternoon session was Johnson Tellis who spoke about "Turning passion into profits". The students attentively listened to the session and took down valuable notes and tips. The final session of the day was conducted by Kiran Sham "Scaling Startups from an idea to a full-fledged business". The day concluded on a positive and successful note.
The second day of the event began with a fun activity conducted by the catalyst committee which kept the students engaged and energized. Followed by the first speaker of the day Elston Menezes who spoke about "Strategic investment planning: building and growing corporate funds". The speaker simplified complex financial concepts and provided practical insights into investment strategies.
Participants actively took part in discussions, making it a dynamic and informative experience. Followed by this was a session conducted by Athmika Amin on “Building resilience in the face of failure.”. The speaker shared real-life experiences and strategies to overcome setbacks, leaving participants with a deeper understanding of resilience in the business world. After lunch the most awaited segment of the day was the Pitching Round began, where participants presented their business ideas before a panel of esteemed judges.
Shrinidhi R S, Dr Ananthapadhmanabha Achar, Dr Sana Sheikh, and Prasanna Shenoy Mangalpady served as the judges, who offered valuable insights and constructive feedback to all the participants for their ideas. The session featured innovative and well-structured pitches, showcasing the creativity and strategic thinking of the participants. A total of nine teams were qualified for the pitching round and five teams qualified for the video ad round. The judges’ critiques helped refine business models and improve presentation strategies, making it a highly valuable experience.
The second day of Catalyst successfully blended learning, interaction, and competition. The sessions were informative and thought-provoking, the activities kept participants engaged, and the pitching round served as an excellent platform for aspiring entrepreneurs. With expert guidance and insightful feedback, the day concluded on a highly positive and successful note, leaving participants motivated and better prepared for their entrepreneurial journeys.
The third and final day of catalyst began with an insightful session by Pratiksha Pai who conducted an interactive session on “Government funding”. Her experience and knowledge helped the students learn more about the schemes to grow their business. The next speaker was Mithun Kakunje who took up the session on "How to start while you study". His session helped young student entrepreneurs understand tactics to concentrate on their startup without compromising on their studies. The final session of the day was conducted by Nithin Vas on "Social entrepreneurship". He gave students a new meaning on why and how to create positive social change while also generating profit.
The three-day event ended with a valedictory session. A general welcome was delivered by Lenin Coutinho, the head of finance of Catalyst 2025. This was followed by a valedictory address by presidential address by Dr Charles V Furtado, director, Admin block, followed by the address by Dr Alwyn Dsa, registrar, of the autonomous college, followed by a special remark delivered by Erica Thomas, the chair of entrepreneurship and consultancy, of the university. The vote of thanks was given by Reuben Joshua Mark, the student coordinator, catalyst 2025.
After the conclusion of the formal valedictory ceremony the prizes were distributed, the winners are as follows - Best overall pitch was backed by team OneTap, most sustainable business plan was awarded to team EcoPratham, Best Video Ad was backed by team Jarmiya, and Seed Funding was awarded to team OneTap. This concluded Catalyst 2025.