Burrowed in the hills of the Shivalik Ranges, away from the city lights and the metropolitan cacophony, a startup ecosystem is slowly budding and preparing to bloom! We finally are all set to host the 4th edition of Himalayan Startup Trek (HST), a three-day startup event hosted by IIT Mandi Catalyst.

The event is an amalgamation of startups, investors, corporate and industry doyens from around the country coming together to boost the startup ecosystem in the hills. The previous editions of HST in 2019, 2018 and 2017 have been highly fruitful, unceasingly buzzing throughout two days with the presence of who’s-who of the entrepreneurial and business world. The power-packed HST event schedules have incorporated interesting talks on technology and business, panel discussions, pitch sessions, investor one-on-ones, networking lunches and dinners, and a relaxing cultural evening leaving one inspired, engaged and recharged for the times to come!

HST is a gateway for startups to Catalyst, IIT Mandi’s in-house Technology Business Incubator. As many as 100+ startup teams, in various stages of starting up, addressing pressing issues of modern-day world, including problems of the Himalayan region, have gone through IIT Mandi Catalyst’s processes as incubatees in the last three years where they have been hand-held, funded and groomed by industry experts from various domains of the trade.

The portfolio of startups is myriad. While some startups are working keenly on local issues of the Himalayan people like building a framework for sensing and alerting people about landslides in hills, building an apple sorting machine to make life easy for farmers, others are building self-charging electric rickshaws, eco-friendly cook-stove, auto-flush mechanism for toilets to conserve the environment.

HST 2020 promises to be bigger and better with the kind of traction it is garnering in the far reaches of the country. Founders of renowned startups, industry experts and angel investors have been brought onboard to ensure the event is ripe with the right mix of flavours from the startup arena. Discussions on high tech topics ranging from Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning to Social Impact ventures will provide sufficient food for thought during the two days to the budding innovators and entrepreneurs.

The Himalayas have long been regarded as the land of monks, mountains and temples and solely a summertime get-away. HST endeavours to showcase its emerging entrepreneurial potential and spirit as well. In the past four years, IIT Mandi Catalyst has strived to cradle and nurture the nascent startup ecosystem that is silently burgeoning in the valley. With HST 2020 almost at the doorstep, IIT Mandi Catalyst is preparing to host startups from across the country and make the country sit up and take note of how innovation is sprouting and thriving in Hills. Hail the call of the mountains! Startup in Hills with IIT Mandi Catalyst!