A Grand Curtain Raiser to the ISF Junicorn & Global AI Summit in the USA
Bangalore, April 17, 2025 – The International Startup Foundation (ISF) hosted a powerful and inspiring gathering in the heart of Karnataka through its flagship event, Junicornival Bangalore, held at Vishwa Vidyapeeth School, Yelahanka. This high-impact evening marked the ceremonial curtain-raiser to ISF’s first global stage — the ISF Junicorn & Global AI Summit, scheduled for May 29–30, 2025 at Texas State University, San Marcos, USA.
The event brought together some of India’s most esteemed innovation champions and ecosystem leaders, including:
• Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar, Former Chairman, ISRO
• Dr. JA Chowdary, Key Architect of India’s Tech Ecosystem and Founder of ISF
• Rajesh Raju, Managing Director, Kalaari Capital
• Dr. Satish Babu K. N, Senior Consultant, Endocrinology
• Rao Munukutla, ED & CEO – Bengaluru Airport City Ltd
These leaders shared insights on India’s innovation potential, especially from Tier 2/3 cities and rural regions. The evening set the tone for ISF Junicorn100K, a bold national movement to empower 100,000 rural youth aged 8–25 to become innovators and changemakers. This initiative focuses on solving pressing rural challenges while aligning with national priority sectors such as agriculture, climate, health, and deep tech.
“We are not just building startups—we are shaping global leaders from the grassroots. Junicorn is a movement powered by rural dreams,” said Dr. JA Chowdary, ISF Founder.
“About 8 young entrepreneurs from Karnataka have been shortlisted from the total of 50 selected Junicorns across India. This initiative will transform the younger generation to become job providers instead of job seekers” added by Dr. Siva Mahesh Tangutooru, ISF Co-founder
The Junicorn100K initiative aims to spark a deep culture of practical innovation, turning bold ideas from rural India into scalable prototypes and ventures.
This energy now sets its sights globally.
The ISF Junicorn & Global AI Summit, in partnership with Texas State University, US-India Chamber of Commerce, TiE Austin, Quality Engineering Foundation, and Mondee, will see 30 rural innovators from India traveling to the U.S. to present, pitch, and connect with a global audience.
A major highlight of the summit is the exclusive CEO networking event featuring over 200 global leaders, where ISF Capital will officially launch its Fund of Funds — a strategic investment initiative to pool global capital for high-potential startups emerging from rural and student ecosystems.
Itinerary Highlights:
Young Rural Innovators from India will tour leading innovation hubs across Dallas, Austin, San Marcos, and Houston, experiencing the U.S. startup ecosystem firsthand and forging international partnerships.
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About the International Startup Foundation (ISF):
ISF is a not-for-profit platform dedicated to empowering student and rural entrepreneurs across India. Through its flagship programs like Junicorn, Junicorn100K, and ISF Capital, it bridges grassroots innovation with global capital, mentorship, and markets.
