ISF’s Global Junicorn, AI summits in Austin, US, evoke good response

Austin (USA): The Global Junicorn Summit and Global AI Summit organised by the Bengaluru-based International Startup Foundation (ISF) in the US, evoked good response with a large number of innovators and top corporate executives from the technology world participating in it atTexas State University in San Marcos here.

The highlight of the two-day mega event is the participation of 50 rural student innovators from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, and Karnataka in the Global Junicorn Summit on May 29. These innovators showcased their innovations and startup ideas to corporate leaders including Chief Executive Officers, startup founders and investors.

ISF selected these 50 rural innovators from over 1,000 applications from four states. It rigorously evaluated the applicants for over six months to shortlist the most deserving student innovators with unique, impactful ideas. Organisers said each selected junicorn has received mentorship and projectdevelopment support, transforming their raw ideas into pitch-ready concepts andprototypes. The foundation arranged for their travel to the US.

“This summit has provided me with a global platform to pitch my idea to investors and corporate leaders. Many showed interest in investing in my idea,” said a rural innovator from Krishna district in Andhra Pradesh.

JA Chowdary, founder of ISF, and brain behind the Global Junicorn Summit, said: “The idea behind junicorns, or junior unicorns, is to encourage young rural innovators from India by giving them global exposure so that they can eventually evolve into successful entrepreneurs and also become role models for youth in rural areas. Rural areas are still grappling with multiple challenges and problems. These innovators will be able to solve all those problems if they are supported by right mentorship and adequate funding”.

The journey doesn’t end in Texas. ISF is building a global mentor network - starting withthose attending the summit - to nurture these innovators into startup founders, turningtheir ideas into real-world applications and sustainable businesses, he added.

The foundation also organized a one-day Global AI Summit on May 30 in which tech leaders spoke about artificial intelligence and its far-reaching impact on various sectors and technologies. A large number of tech leaders and CEOs attended the AI summit.