Paul Coelho said "When you want something all the universe conspires to help you achieve it". Well I am not sure that the universe is conspiring, but definitely the Pune communities are.To help you understand the communities and how you can benefit from them, Navin and I have tried to catalogue all the serious groups who are working with startups.
Remember this is an informal article. To understand more about each group directly contact the group. The groups are alphabetically arranged.
Headstart (Headstart.in) is a website and an online google group (headstart-network@googlegroups.com). While they don't directly have any meetings in Pune, the online community is quite active and has a lot of members from Pune. Questions get answered pretty fast and there is lots of information on events and general entrepreneurship.
Why you should join: A great place to get your technical questions answered. Also a lot of information on whats happening in the entrepreneurship space across India. Because the group is PAN India you get a more diverse opinion and can meet entrepreneurs across India.
Who should join: Entrepreneurs who are keen to keep up with what is happening around India in their space.
Indian Angels Network (http://www.indianangelnetwork.com/) is a group of individual investors who invest directly in startups. They have recently set up a Pune chapter. The Indian Angels typically invest larger amounts going upto USD 1 mn.
Why you should join: A well established PAN India group with lots of professionals serious about the startup space. They have done a large number of successful investments over the last four years.
Who should join: Investors who want to invest 10 lakh or more per year in startups
Why you should join: With the backing of IIMA and a PAN India network they are able to bring mentors and mentees on a common platform across India. Great place if you want to meet mentors
Who should join:Entrepreneurs who are looking for mentors and mentors who want to help entrepreneurs. The focus is primarily philanthrophic so you should only join if you are passionate about helping entrepreneurs.
Why you should join: A great group if you believe in entrepreneurs and want to mentor them or invest in them.
Who should join: Investors who are passionate about entrepreneurship and want to invest small amounts in startups. Mentors who want to work with startups on a long term basis (six months or more). Entrepreneurs can request for mentors/investors by writing a mail to vikaskumar1974@gmail.com
Pune Open Coffee Club (http://punestartups.ning.com/ )is an informal club with over 2300 members. It has a highly active online newsgroup (punestartups@googlegroups.com)and is a good forum to get answers to technology related questions. The club isquite informal with meetings scheduled by the moderators or group members as required. A great place for startups to meet other startups and general networking.
Why you Should Join: Great place to discuss and learn from the experiences and mistakes of others. Finding local vendors at cheap rates. Getting partners for your venture. Questions get answered pretty fast as the group is active. Gives a lot of local insight as most of the members are from Pune.
Who should join: Entrepreneurs, Would be entrepreneurs
Startup Saturday Pune(An initiative by the Headstart.in guys) is a more structured group. They organise a session the second Saturday of every month. The sessions usually have a specific theme for e.g. CleanTech, Brick and Mortar etc and there are startups which present their story. There could also be a relevant panel which tries to help with the problems the startups are facing. The best way to know about the Startup Saturday is to subscribe to the Headstart google group (mentioned earlier) as the details are always posted there.
Why you should attend: Understanding the different areas (beyond just technology) where entrepreneurship is flourishing. Learn about opportunities beyond your space. I have personally learnt a lot from these sessions especially on topics like entrepreneurship in adventure sports and Clean Tech. So get off the couch and explore.
Who should attend: Anyone who is interested in the startup ecosystem.
Tie Pune (http://www.tie.org/) is a global network with more than 54 chapters having regular meetings and mentoring sessions. In Pune they have a meeting second Thursday of every month where they take up specific issues related to business like recession, outsourcing etc. If you want to attend these sessions then send a mail to namita.shibad@gmail.com .
Why you should attend: A global pool of vastly talented mentors with lot of regular activities going on around India. Gives you a global reach and potential to meet mentors across the globe.
Who should attend: Startups who have already found a bit of feet and are looking to take their startups to the next level and want to get in touch with high profile mentors and discuss serious business issues.
http://punetech.com/wiki/Category:Groups_and_Organizations
