Davanagere: The Vision Davanagere Startup Pitching Session 2026 commenced today at the Placement Seminar Hall, Department of Mechanical Engineering, BIET College, Davanagere. The session is organised by Vision Davanagere, with the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka, as a strategic partner. The first district-level pitching showcase of its kind in Karnataka, it gives startups from a single district a direct route to the State’s flagship technology summit.
Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Davanagere, inaugurated the session as Chief Guest. G.M. Gangadharaswamy, Deputy Commissioner, Davanagere, and Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), attended as Guests of Honour.
| KEY ECOSYSTEM METRICS Registrations: 70+ startups from across Davanagere district, including its rural areas Competition: 7 startups competing for every BTS pod (70+ startups, 10+ pods in Phase 1)Maturity: 77% (54 startups) past the idea stage, with a prototype, MVP, customers or revenue Customers: 41% (29 startups) already have customers Validation stage: 35.7% of startups have a working prototype Elevate 2026: 3 Davanagere startups in the final round of the State’s flagship grant programme State registration: 20+ startups registered with the Government of Karnataka in the last three months |
A Strong Response from the District
The session received 70+ registrations from startups across Davanagere district, including its rural areas. Each startup has 7 minutes (a 5-minute pitch and a 2-minute Q&A) and is evaluated out of 100 marks across 10 parameters: problem, innovation, feasibility, market, business model, traction, team, scalability, regional impact and pitch delivery. With more than three-quarters of participants already past the idea stage, the session reflects a district ecosystem moving from ideas to products, and from products to customers.
From Davanagere to Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026
In Phase 1, the top 10+ startups will receive complimentary exhibition pods, sponsored by Hon’ble MP Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun through Vision Davanagere, at the 29th edition of Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS 2026), to be held from 17–19 November 2026 at BIEC, Bengaluru, under the theme “AI & Beyond”. BTS 2026 brings together 1,800+ exhibitors, 1,000+ technology startups and participants from 75+ countries, with close to 1 lakh business visitors and delegates. This gives Davanagere startups direct access to investors, enterprise customers, government buyers and international delegations.
Selected startups will also receive startup booster kits to prepare for BTS and their next stage of growth. Every participating startup receives structured jury feedback and enters KDEM’s support pipeline for mentoring, Centre of Excellence access and Government of Karnataka startup registration.
Building a Startup District in Under a Year
Today’s session is the latest milestone in a year-long effort to build Davanagere’s startup pipeline from the ground up. What began with KDEM’s partnership at the TechRise Tech Leaders Meet in November 2025 has grown into a structured support system for the district’s founders:
- State registration:20+ startups onboarded into the Government of Karnataka startup registry through KDEM in the last three months, with all 70+ participants targeted next.
- Capital access:3 startups reached the final round of Elevate 2026, putting Davanagere in contention for the State’s flagship equity-free grants.
- Market exposure:4+ startups exhibited at Mangaluru Technovanza 2026, securing investor and industry connections outside the district.
- Inclusive growth:100+ women students from 6 institutions trained in entrepreneurship through the Women Entrepreneurship Bootcamp in August 2026.
- Founder support:Twice-monthly Davanagere Startup Meets now resolve founder bottlenecks and connect startups directly with industry leaders, investors and Centres of Excellence.
- Campus outreach:Startup policy sessions at BIET and GMIT brought State startup schemes directly to campus founders.
The city’s IT/ITES base is expanding alongside. A Global Technology Centre (GTC) is proposed at the KSRTC building to house IT/ITES companies and startups, and iMarque Solutions recently expanded from 25 to 50+ seats at STPI Davanagere.
The initiative is aligned with the Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–2030, which has an outlay of Rs.518.27 crore and a target of 25,000 new startups, with 40% of them beyond Bengaluru.
Leadership Perspectives
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Prabha Mallikarjun, Hon’ble Member of Parliament, Davanagere, said, “The Karnataka Startup Policy 2025–30 targets 40% of its 25,000 new startups beyond Bengaluru, and Davanagere is ready to claim its share. For our founders, this means Elevate Beyond Bengaluru grants of up to Rs.50 lakh, a proposed Global Technology Centre in the city, access to Centres of Excellence, and a direct route to investors and markets at Bengaluru Tech Summit. Twenty startups registered in three months and three Elevate finalists prove it. Today, our top 10+ startups earn complimentary pods at Bengaluru Tech Summit 2026 to showcase Davanagere to the world. Our next goal is to bring these 70+ startups under the policy. Such important initiatives act as a catalyst for our ecosystem, and we will keep supporting and scaling them.”
G.M. Gangadharaswamy, Deputy Commissioner, Davanagere, said, “More than 70 startups from one district is a strong signal. The district administration will work with the Government of Karnataka, KDEM and Vision Davanagere to build the infrastructure and support that lets startups and IT/ITES companies grow here and create jobs here. Our aim is to make Davanagere the first choice for young founders who want to build from their hometown.”
Sanjeev Kumar Gupta, CEO, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), said, “Under the Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP), we are driving innovation, IP and deep tech from emerging technology clusters like Davanagere. KDEM, as the enabling arm of the Department, is working closely with every stakeholder to achieve the State’s goal of 10,000 new startups from these clusters by 2030, startups that will power the nation’s real growth.”
About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)
The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) is an industry–government collaborative set up by the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka, to accelerate the growth of Karnataka’s digital economy. Through its Beyond Bengaluru initiative, KDEM works to develop technology and startup clusters across the State.
About Vision Davanagere
Vision Davanagere is a forward-looking collaborative initiative spearheaded by regional leadership and district administrators to drive economic growth, digital transformation and sustainable entrepreneurship. By partnering with state government bodies like the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), the forum actively maps, mentors and resources local innovators, turning the historic manufacturing cluster into a modern tech-driven destination for startups and global technology enterprises.