NewsVoir
Chandigarh [India], September 11: Chitkara Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CCIE), Chitkara University, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Chandigarh Angels Network (CAN) to strengthen the entrepreneurial journey of student and alumni founders and create structured pathways from startup creation to investment readiness.
The collaboration will provide aspiring and early-stage entrepreneurs with greater access to experienced mentors, investors and industry practitioners. As part of the partnership, quarterly pitching sessions will be organised for deep-tech and AI focused student startups, giving emerging founders a regular platform to present their ventures, demonstrate their solutions, receive investor feedback and explore potential funding opportunities.
Through these structured engagements, student founders will gain exposure to the expectations of the investment community while developing their ability to articulate their business models, market opportunities, technology propositions, scalability and growth potential.
With a network of more than 70 investors, a portfolio spanning 46 companies and over seven successful exits, Chandigarh Angels Network brings considerable investment and operating experience to the partnership. Its engagement with Chitkara University will add an important investor-facing dimension to the University's entrepreneurship ecosystem.
Commenting on the collaboration, Dr Madhu Chitkara, President and Co-Founder, Chitkara University, said, “A strong entrepreneurial ecosystem is built by creating meaningful opportunities for young founders to learn, test, present and grow. Our collaboration with Chandigarh Angels Network will help our student and alumni entrepreneurs move beyond developing promising ideas towards building ventures that are capable of creating sustained value. The quarterly pitching sessions, particularly for our deep-tech and AI innovators, will give them an opportunity to engage directly with investors, understand what makes a venture investment-ready and learn from experienced professionals. We believe that access to the right ecosystem at the right stage can significantly shape the journey of a founder.”
The quarterly pitching sessions will serve as a recurring founder–investor interface, enabling promising deep-tech and AI ventures from Chitkara University to showcase their work to members of CAN's investor network. The sessions will also create opportunities for constructive feedback, mentorship and potential investor engagement.
The partnership will further focus on structured mentorship, investor interactions, pitch opportunities and exposure to market-oriented perspectives. It will enable entrepreneurs to better understand the fundamentals of building scalable and sustainable ventures while giving investors greater visibility into emerging technologies and solutions being developed within the University ecosystem.
The collaboration reflects Chitkara University's continued emphasis on entrepreneurship as an integral part of higher education, where students are encouraged not only to develop ideas but also to validate them, build viable ventures and engage with the larger innovation and investment ecosystem.
Through CCIE, the University has been building an ecosystem that brings together student innovators, founders, mentors, industry experts and investors. The association with Chandigarh Angels Network further strengthens this ecosystem by creating a direct interface between emerging founders and the investment community.
The partnership is expected to contribute to a more connected entrepreneurship ecosystem at Chitkara University, enabling student and alumni founders to move with greater clarity from idea to venture, venture to market, and market to investment.
About Chitkara University
Chitkara University is a UGC-recognised and NAAC-accredited private university in North India, with campuses in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, offering career-oriented undergraduate and postgraduate programs in Engineering, Business, Healthcare, Pharmacy, Design, Architecture, Hospitality and emerging technology fields. For Class 11 and 12 students planning higher education, the University provides industry-aligned programs designed to combine academic excellence with practical exposure.
The curriculum emphasises experiential learning through internships, industry projects, research opportunities and global collaborations, supported by modern infrastructure, advanced laboratories, industry mentorship and skill-based training that strengthens student employability. Backed by 2,000+ campus recruiters and 300+ international academic and industry collaborations, students gain strong placement support, international exposure, academic exchange and collaborative research opportunities.
Consistently ranked among leading institutions by national and global frameworks such as NIRF, QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education, the University maintains high academic rigour and industry relevance. With strong corporate partnerships and a focus on innovation, entrepreneurship and interdisciplinary learning, it prepares students for emerging career opportunities in India and abroad.
For more information, please visit: www.chitkara.edu.in
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