Mysore/Mysuru: Day-1 of the three-day TiECON Mysuru-2026, organised by TiE Mysuru at the Jagannatha Centre for Art and Culture (JCAC) in Vijayanagar 1st Stage, saw a total of 18 companies pitching for a cumulative investment of Rs. 85 crore during a business pitch competition held yesterday.

TiE Mysuru President Bhaskar Kalale said this morning that out of the total 25 investors, who attended the session, 15 investors had shown interest to fund 17 companies which included 10 Mysuru-based start-ups, six from Bengaluru and one from Hyderabad.

Highlighting that Mysuru had always been a city of grace, culture and knowledge, Bhaskar said that Mysuru stood as a powerful inflexion point with the convergence of academic institutions, a resilient MSME base, research institutes, expanding digital infrastructure, improved connectivity and a growing influx of talent and professionals choosing Mysuru as their base.

TiECON Mysuru-2026, organised to position Mysuru as one of India’s most vibrant and respected hubs for entrepreneurship, innovation and industry, is also designed as a platform to enable start-ups, industry, academia, investors and Government to work together with shared intent, Bhaskar Kalale added.

Commitment to quality                                                                                      

Inaugurating the event, Kumar Vembu, Co-Founder of Zoho Corporation, stressed the importance of planning, knowledge and perseverance in building successful enterprises. “Starting a company requires clarity of thought and courage. Beyond funding, strong fundamentals and a commitment to quality are crucial,” he said.

He urged young entrepreneurs to make the most of platforms such as TiECON Mysuru. “Many innovators have strong ideas but lack financial backing. Events like these connect them with investors and help translate ideas into viable businesses,” he added, while also reflecting on his own entrepreneurial journey.

Collaborations, panel meets

Today’s events feature established Mysuru region industries showcasing their products, capabilities and innovation partnerships to investors, ecosystem leaders and conference delegates. This will be followed by start-ups, incubators and ecosystem partners sharing pilots, meeting investors, customers, among others, to explore possibilities of collaboration, along with a series of talks and panel discussions on various industry-related themes by the invited speakers and guests.

Yesterday evening, the delegates were introduced to desi and traditional games and folk arts. Artistes presented folk arts such as Kamsale, Veeragase, Yakshagana and Chande, among others.

Discussions were also held on building a cultural business to help artistes. Later, the delegates played desi games such as Pagade, Chowkabara and Snakes-and-Ladders, among others.