eChai Ventures: price, who can join and alternatives
eChai Ventures is a founder network that has run open meetups, demo days and dinners since 2009, now across 25+ cities. Joining is free, and the site lists weekly gatherings across Indian cities including a Pune demo day on 31 October.
eChai Ventures at a glance
| What | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Who it's for | Founders who meet at open meetups, demo days and dinners | echai.ventures |
| Activity | 19 gatherings listed from 29 October to 12 November | echai.ventures |
| City | Pune demo day on Saturday 31 October at Baner | echai.ventures |
| Price | Joining is free | echai.ventures |
| Meetup price | Pune meetups are free and open | echai.ventures |
| Reach | 25+ cities in 10+ countries since 2009 | echai.ventures |
| Indian cities | Upcoming gatherings in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR and Mumbai | echai.ventures |
Who it suits
- Founders who want free, regular city meetups
- Founders in Pune, Hyderabad or Ahmedabad
- Founders who travel between Indian cities
Who it doesn't suit
- Founders after a curated, application-only group
- Founders wanting structured mentoring
- Founders after a paid programme with set outcomes
Alternatives to eChai Ventures
| Community | Price | Entry rule |
|---|---|---|
| AIBoomi (formerly SaaSBoomi) | Boomi Explorer free; Boomi Supporter INR 10,000 + GST per founder per year | Apply to SaaSBoomi Online; founder or co-founder of an Indian B2B SaaS startup with a live product |
| GrowthX | Membership ₹14,999 for 12 months (shown reduced from ₹19,999) | Application-based membership |
| The Product Folks | Grabchai meetups free; community membership price not published | Join form online; register for each meetup on Luma |
| Bengaluru Pitch Circuit (The Startup Tales) | Free | Register on Luma; host approval required |
| Builders & Founders (Bangalore) | Not published | RSVP on Meetup |
| CEDAT startup meetups (Bengaluru) | Free entry for networking; ₹4999 pitch fee for shortlisted startups at Xplore events | RSVP on Meetup |
| Coffee with Founders (Bengaluru) | Free | Register on Luma; host approval required |
| eCafe Startup Circle | Free | Register on Luma |
Compare all 471 founder communities, each row dated.
Questions about eChai Ventures
- Is eChai free?
- Yes. The site says joining is free, and the Pune meetup page says register for free, open for all.
- Which Indian cities have meetups?
- Upcoming gatherings are listed in Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai, Pune and more.
- What is on in Pune?
- An eChai Startup Demo Day on Saturday 31 October at Ideas To Impacts, Baner.
- Website
- echai.ventures
- Price
- Free to join; listed meetups free
- Entry rule
- Open; sign up with a photo, name and contact, then RSVP
- Format
- Open meetups and demo days in Pune, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, Mumbai and 20+ other cities
- Checked
eChai Ventures isn't connected to Remote Builders. Prices and entry rules change, so check echai.ventures before you apply. Spotted something out of date? Tell us in the members' chat.