50 startups and approximately 100 students from engineering, pharmacy, biotechnology, food technology, and management went through design thinking, startup lifecycle, value proposition, business model canvas, market research, field validation, government funding, branding, unit economics, legal compliance, accounting, pitch deck creation, and live pitching to mentors. Students from EDII, Sumandeep College, and GLS University also attended. Completion certificates were issued in collaboration with PIERC, SSIP, and IIC Ministry of HRD. Here is the full programme.
The programme was structured as a progressive journey from idea to pitch:
- Days 1-2: Design Thinking Jay Sudani, CEO PIERC, Startup Lifecycle Hardik Kharva, mentor allocation Anup Chaudhari, successful startup interactions Crunchy Wavez food startup, Fly Any Trip travel platform, Algorian tech startup, idea pitching to mentors, Startup Dictionary exercise 52+ business terms, and Fab Lab visit Himansu Das fabrication techniques, 3D printing, customised products.
- Day 3: Value Proposition Canvas Prashant Khanna need gap analysis, problem mapping, problem statement, proposed solution, customer jobs/pains/gains matching, Business Model Canvas Hutesh Baviskar boxes using Uber as case study, group fill in and presentations.
- Day 4: Market Research Bhavya Patel 4 pillars: customer discovery, market sizing TAMSAMSOM, competitive analysis, pricing strategy, primary vs secondary research, 4 Golden Questions, Zomato and Mamaearth case studies, common mistakes including confirmation bias and too small sample sizes, Hypothesis Mapping and SWOT Analysis Prashant Khanna test cards, learning cards, assumption mapping, customer interview planning.
- Days 5-6: Field visits teams went to real stores, pharmacies, and businesses to validate assumptions with actual customers.
- Day 7: Government Funding Sonal Sudani SSIP 2.0, Startup India, Seed Fund, Startup Gujarat, SPARSH, MSME, IPR/patent support, Brand Identity Workshop Prince Bhadania 5 principles: simple, memorable, scalable, timeless, typography matters; Amazon A to Z arrow as hidden storytelling; colour psychology with Zomato’s red; GAP/Tropicana branding failure stories, Sales Fundamentals.
- Day 8: Legal Structure and Compliance CS Prachi Prajapati Lad sole proprietorship, partnership, LLP, Pvt Ltd, OPC, compliance requirements, Unit Economics Hardik Kharva contribution margin, CAC, LTV, burn rate, break even, Cap Table and Valuation.
- Day : Pitch Deck Masterclass Ajay Barot spoke on real case studies, weak vs strong deck comparison, grant rejection review, TAMSAMSOM exercise, PIERC presentation template, startup stage selector.
- Days 10-11: Pitch Days nearly 50 startups pitched face to face to mentors. Teams that did not perform well on Day 1 were given a second chance on Day 2 to rework and re pitch.
- Day 14: Financial Sheets Masterclass CA Rachit Anjaria accounting fundamentals, 4 financial elements, double entry, cash flow streams, break even, burn rate, maker checker rule, compliance, Valedictory and certificate distribution PIERC × SSIP × IIC.
Startups That Emerged From Cohort
Cohort produced diverse startups across multiple sectors. A footwear waste management startup solving waste issues in the footwear industry. a scan and pay app for retail stores. Crunchy Wavez sun dried Indian flavoured potato chips. Fly Any Trip a platform for finding the cheapest flights. Algorian a tech startup combining AI with real problem solving.
External Students Who Chose PIERC
Students from outside Parul University attended Cohort and described the experience as transformative. Sakshi Maheshwari from EDII came, having heard about PIERC through her network. Sakhi Sharadkumar Mishra from Sumandeep College chose to attend because she wanted to be around people serious about building something. Khush, Kavya, Dhiptanshu, and Amulya from GLS University said the sessions gave them practical tools they could immediately apply. Vansh, Aastha, Ashwin, and Dhruv from GLS Faculty said PIERC showed them what genuinely impactful startup education looks like. Every external student said they would recommend PIERC to friends. Designed for aspiring founders and changemakers, the MBA in Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Startup Acceleration equips you with the skills, mindset, and exposure needed to build and scale successful ventures.
Read More : Why Choose Startup Over Placements, BBA + MBA Entrepreneurship
FAQ - PIERC Startup Incubation at Parul University
What is PIERC at Parul University?
PIERC (Parul Innovation & Entrepreneurship Research Centre) is Parul University's startup incubation centre. It has incubated 103+ startups, runs a 14-day pre-incubation programme ( cohorts completed), offers up to ₹2.5 Lakhs SSIP funding, provides mentorship, Fab Lab access, and connects founders to government grants. PIERC is ranked NIRF 11-50 Innovation Band, IIC 4-Star (4th consecutive year).
Can students from other universities join PIERC?
Yes. Cohort included students from EDII, Sumandeep College, and GLS University. External students consistently report that PIERC's practical, mentorship-driven approach is different from theoretical classroom programmes.
What do you learn in PIERC's 14-day programme?
Design thinking, startup lifecycle, value proposition, business model canvas, market research (TAM-SAM-SOM), customer validation through field visits, government funding schemes (SSIP, Seed Fund, SPARSH), branding and sales, unit economics (CAC, LTV, burn rate), legal compliance, accounting, pitch deck construction, and live pitching to mentors.
