January - March 2025

NEWSLETTER

IN THIS ISSUE

Founder the Founder’s Desk

EVENTS

• National Startup Day Celebration

• UnPollute’24 Report launch

• Women’s Day Celebration

• STEP’s Participation at 3rd WinPE Leadership Summit Awards

• STEP’s Participation at Startup Mahakumbh

Building Partnerships

• Student Internship program

• Stanford Seed Spark- Step’s 3rd Cohort STEP

Fueling Early Stage Startups

Looking Forward to UnPollute 2025

As I sit down to reflect on the first quarter of 2025, I find myself inspired by the journeys unfolding around us.
These past few months have been a flurry of action at STEP—filled with moments of learning, laughter, and the kind of progress that only comes when a community truly believes in what it's building together. We’ve had the privilege of walking alongside changemakers- each of their stories has reminded us why we do what we do.

Ms. Reinu Shah

Founder - STEP

January 15th, 2025

We began the year with energy and purpose at the National Startup Day Celebrations hosted at Miranda House, Delhi University—a day that brought together innovation, ambition, and the entrepreneurial spirit of youth. The event featured an inspiring keynote by our founder, Ms. Reinu Shah, who shared her entrepreneurial journey and encouraged students to consider entrepreneurship as a meaningful career path.

Over 40 student innovators took the stage to present their ideas, showcasing bold thinking

and fresh perspectives. Ms. Chetna Arora, Program Manager at STEP, and an expert in guiding startups from ideation to scale, served as a judge and shared insightful feedback to help young changemakers refine their pitches.

A thought-provoking panel discussion followed, moderated by Ms. Priyanka Das, COO at STEP, where entrepreneurs and mental health professionals explored the emotional highs and lows of student entrepreneurship and the importance of well-being in the founder journey.

This quarter, STEP disbursed SISFS funding worth INR 46 lakhs (US$54k) to promising women-led startups, helping them take steps toward building sustainable, scalable ventures.

STEP initiated a 3-month student internship program with Miranda House, running from February 1 - April 30, 2025, offering students the opportunity to work closely with STEP incubated entrepreneurs from the STEP community. The initiative created a two-way exchange - students gained hands-on experience in real-world entrepreneurial environment, while our incubatees benefited from fresh perspectives and meaningful support.

We’re thrilled to share that STEP Founder, Ms. Reinu Shah, was featured in Sheroes Amongst Us - a powerful anthology by Falguni Desai and Dr. Amit Nagpal that celebrates fearless women leaders.

This inspiring book highlights the journeys of 32 barrier-breaking women who have redefined possibilities through resilience, success, and impact.

We’re excited to share that three of our incubatees were selected for the 3rd cohort of the Stanford Seed Spark program. This six-month journey equips early-stage entrepreneurs with essential business training, helping them sharpen their strategies, strengthen their ventures, and scale with confidence. We can’t wait to see what this dynamic cohort achieves!

STEP hosted its first-ever outdoor Meet & Greet at Sunder Nursery—a relaxed, sustainability-themed gathering for women entrepreneurs in Delhi-NCR. The event saw networking, inspiring conversations, and product showcases.

It was a beautiful afternoon of connection, community, and climate consciousness!

STEP was proud to participate in the 3rd Leadership Summit and Awards in Mumbai of WinPE, an organization advancing gender diversity in the Private Equity and Venture Capital ecosystem. The event offered a valuable platform to spotlight STEP’s ongoing work in supporting women-led ventures and to share our vision for a more inclusive entrepreneurial ecosystem. We also had the opportunity to highlight UnPollute’24 and its growing impact in the fields of sustainability and climate-focused investing.

From April 3rd to 5th, Bharat Mandapam buzzed with energy as Startup Mahakumbh brought together trailblazers from across India's entrepreneurial ecosystem. As an incubator championing women entrepreneurs, we were proud to participate and showcase our work.

Our pod attracted over 250 visitors, sparking engaging conversations around gender-focused innovation and the UnPollute initiative. The spotlight on female-led startups drew curiosity, admiration, and valuable leads.

STEP nominated nine standout startups to participate in the event. Watching them confidently pitch their solutions, engage with industry leaders, and gain visibility among potential investors was both inspiring and a testament to their readiness to lead in the green economy.

It was a truly amazing experience for all!

Following the remarkable success of last year’s conclave, UnPollute’25 is back - bolder and more future-focused. This edition deepens its commitment to championing women-led green enterprises, advancing carbon neutrality, and catalyzing breakthrough innovations. With a renewed vision, UnPollute’25 aims to foster a dynamic, collaborative ecosystem designed to drive systemic change in the green economy.