Ayush Kesharwani

Innovation and startup ecosystem professional with 7+ years of experience working alongside founders, investors, universities, corporates, and government institutions to strengthen entrepreneurship ecosystems across India. Proven expertise in startup incubation, accelerator programs, government funding, investment readiness, strategic partnerships, and venture support, with experience evaluating 100+ startups and enabling high-impact innovation initiatives.

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER at ZINIKUS PRIVATE LIMITED (2025-12 – Present)

• Supported the company in securing Rs. 25 Lakh in equity investment for a 20% stake, contributing to investor engagement, fundraising strategy, and deal coordination.
• Facilitated and supported Rs. 20 Lakh in grant funding from SISFS and Startup Haryana, including identification of relevant funding opportunities, proposal development, and stakeholder coordination.
• Developed business development and go-to-market strategies to identify new revenue opportunities, customers, and strategic growth channels.
• Built and managed strategic partnerships and institutional relationships to strengthen the company's market presence and business opportunities.
• Contributed to Dubai/UAE market expansion initiatives, exploring international partnerships, market opportunities, and potential business collaborations.
• Worked closely with founders and stakeholders on fundraising, market positioning, partnerships, and organizational growth strategy.

CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER/FOUNDER OFFICE at STARTUP STAIRS PVT LTD (Incubation Centre) & AVPL INTERNATIONAL (Startup Stairs Parent Company) (2024-03 – 2025-11)

• Led strategic planning and organizational growth initiatives across incubation, accelerator programs, partnerships, and government innovation projects, supporting 100+ startups through structured ecosystem development.
• Directed the implementation of the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) by managing startup evaluations, Investment Committee coordination, portfolio monitoring, and the deployment of ₹2 Crore+ in seed funding.
• Evaluated startups for investment readiness by assessing business models, market opportunity, financial viability, scalability, and founder capability to support data-driven investment decisions.
• Secured ₹40 Crore+ in government funding for 17 Government ITIs and 3 Polytechnic Colleges under the ASPIRE Scheme, expanding institutional innovation and entrepreneurship infrastructure.
• Built strategic partnerships with 50+ startup founders, 15+ investment partners, 20+ academic institutions, and 5+ International organizations, strengthening the organization's national innovation network.
• Designed and executed startup accelerator programs, founder bootcamps, investor demo days, and ecosystem initiatives that improved startup investment readiness and commercialization opportunities.
• Represented the organization before government ministries, funding agencies, investors, corporates, and ecosystem stakeholders, strengthening strategic collaborations and enhancing organizational visibility within India's startup ecosystem.

INCUBATION MANAGER at STARTUP STAIRS PVT LTD (Incubation Centre) & AVPL INTERNATIONAL (Startup Stairs Parent Company) (2023-10 – 2024-02)

• Managed the end-to-end incubation lifecycle by sourcing, evaluating, and onboarding 200+ startup applications, identifying high-potential ventures for incubation and government funding programs.
• Mentored 100+ startup founders on business model validation, product-market fit, fundraising strategy, and investment readiness, helping early-stage ventures prepare for accelerator programs and investor engagement.
• Coordinated startup mentoring sessions, investor connects, workshops, and networking events by engaging 50+ founders, 15+ investment partners, and 5+ international ecosystem partners, strengthening collaboration across the startup ecosystem.
• Supported the implementation of the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) by evaluating startups, coordinating Investment Committee activities, and facilitating funding for 12+ startups from a ₹5 Crore+ seed fund corpus.
• Assisted startups with DPIIT recognition, compliance, due diligence, and funding documentation, enabling founders to become investment-ready and improve access to grants and private capital.
• Established incubation partnerships with 20+ educational institutions, expanding the startup pipeline and strengthening regional innovation ecosystems.

INCUBATION MANAGER / PROJECT ASSOCIATE at ALL INDIA INSTITUTE OF LOCAL SELF GOVERNMENT (AIILSG) – NEW DELHI (2021-04 – 2023-09)

• Evaluated 500+ startup applications, selecting 70+ startups for incubation through structured due diligence and founder assessments.
• Designed and managed 4 Incubation cohorts, 2 Accelerator Programs, and 2 Investor Demo Days, connecting startups with mentors, investors, and ecosystem partners.
• Mentored 70+ startups on business model validation, product development, go-to-market strategy, fundraising, and investment readiness, enabling founders to build scalable ventures.
• Built a network of 50+ mentors, 12 investors, and 10+ institutional partners, strengthening the incubator's ecosystem and startup support capabilities.
• Facilitated startup fundraising through investor connections, pitch preparation, and due diligence support, resulting in investment commitments for portfolio startups, while operating under the incubator's 7% equity-based incubation model.
• Led startup outreach, partnerships, and ecosystem engagement initiatives, expanding founder participation and increasing the incubator's visibility across the regional startup ecosystem.

Jal Jeevan Mission

Surveyed 50+ villages to collect field data, identify water supply requirements, and support the planning and implementation of rural drinking water projects. Organized community meetings and awareness sessions while coordinating with local authorities for smooth project implementation.

Internship at B.Incube (Bilaspur Incubation Project Internship) (AIILSG) (2021-01 – 2021-03)

• Supported the day-to-day operations of the incubation centre, including startup outreach, founder engagement, and incubation activities.
• Assisted in organizing startup mentoring sessions, workshops, networking events, and entrepreneurship programs.
• Created digital marketing content, managed social media campaigns, and strengthened the incubator's online presence, growing the community to 10,000+ followers.
• Supported startup onboarding, documentation, event coordination, and ecosystem engagement activities.

Digital Marketing Executive at OSR BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY (2019-03 – 2021-01)

• Managed end-to-end digital marketing campaigns for 20+ clients across multiple industries, driving brand growth and customer acquisition.
• Increased brand awareness by 40%, website traffic by 30%, and social media engagement by 35% through data-driven marketing strategies.
• Improved lead generation and client conversions by 25% by optimizing digital campaigns, landing pages, and marketing funnels.
• Developed content strategies, SEO initiatives, and performance marketing campaigns, resulting in a 90% improvement in search engine rankings.
• Created marketing collateral, managed WordPress websites, and analyzed campaign performance using digital analytics to improve ROI.

Consultant (Part-time) at ATAL COMMUNITY INNOVATION CENTRE, SGT UNIVERSITY (2025-07 – Present)

• Submitted a proposal for ₹2 Crore funding under the NIDHI PRAYAS scheme.
• Mentored 70+ startups on business model validation, fundraising, investment readiness, and go-to-market strategy.
• Supported 25+ student startups in transforming innovative ideas into functional prototypes through structured mentoring and product validation.
• Designed and delivered startup workshops, innovation challenges, hackathons, and entrepreneurship programs under Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog.
• Coordinated with NSDC, Startup India, AICTE, Ministry of Commerce & Education, IITs, and State Government departments to execute startup support, innovation, and entrepreneurship initiatives.

Community Outreach at HAMARI PEHCHAN NGO (2020-08 – 2020-09)

• Led a COVID-19 relief crowdfunding campaign, raising ₹5,720 through community outreach.
• Supported volunteer engagement and awareness initiatives through strategic communication.

Research & Content at RISING YOUTH FOUNDATION (2020-02 – 2020-05)

• Researched Quality Education (SDG 4) and developed educational content for youth awareness campaigns.
• Contributed to content creation supporting education and sustainable development initiatives.

MA in ECONOMICS – Asian International University, Manipur (2023 – 2025)

B.E. in Mechanical Engg – Chouksey Engineering College, Bilaspur (CSVTU) (2013 – 2017)

Class 12th CBSE – Burgess English Medium Hr. Sec School (2013 – 2013)

Class 10th CBSE – Burgess English Medium Hr. Sec School (2011 – 2011)