Nikunj Thakkar

Moments

Out in the room.

Most of what I've learned came from being in the room: hosting meetups, speaking, mentoring, and traveling. A few moments along the way.

My chapter in Where Ideas Take Off, Dhirubhai Ambani University’s Silver Jubilee book of alumni storiesAug 2026
Hosting a Startup Mixer in Dubai with eChai VenturesDubai · Jul 2025
Hosting a Startup Mixer in Dubai with eChai VenturesDubai · Jul 2025
Moderating a panel on what it takes for a startup to go globalBengaluru · Jun 2025
Meeting Vatsal Sanghvi at the Dodo Payments launch partyMar 2025
Razorpay FTX25, catching up with fellow founders from GujaratFeb 2025
Razorpay FTX25, catching up with fellow founders from GujaratFeb 2025
At the Bangalore Tech SummitBengaluru · Nov 2024
Startup OG D2C Mixer with Pruthvi Gowda of Gro Club and Sagnik Ghose of Those Woof GuysBengaluru · Oct 2024
Startup OG D2C Mixer with Pruthvi Gowda of Gro Club and Sagnik Ghose of Those Woof GuysBengaluru · Oct 2024
Startup OG D2C Mixer with Pruthvi Gowda of Gro Club and Sagnik Ghose of Those Woof GuysBengaluru · Oct 2024
At G2 LiveSep 2024
At G2 LiveSep 2024
Fintech Mixer by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe): insights for early-stage foundersBengaluru · Aug 2024
At the Moneycontrol Startup ConclaveBengaluru · Aug 2024
At SAASCON, with a caricature by Somu MaheshAug 2024
Devcon24 by SaaS InsiderBengaluru · Jun 2024
SaaS Founders Meetup by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe), powered by GitHubBengaluru · Jun 2024
SaaS Founders Meetup by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe), powered by GitHubBengaluru · Jun 2024
SaaS Founders Meetup by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe), powered by GitHubBengaluru · Jun 2024
SaaS Founders Meetup by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe), powered by GitHubBengaluru · Jun 2024
Whatfix alumni meetupBengaluru · May 2024
Whatfix alumni meetupBengaluru · May 2024
eChai Product SocialBengaluru · May 2024
eChai Product SocialBengaluru · May 2024
An eChai Social with the Ahmedabad ecosystemAhmedabad · Oct 2023
eChai Startup Demo Day at Draper Startup HouseBengaluru · Jul 2023
eChai Startup Demo Day at Draper Startup HouseBengaluru · Jul 2023
eChai Startup Demo DayBengaluru · Jun 2023
eChai Startup Demo DayBengaluru · Jun 2023
eChai Startup Demo DayBengaluru · Jun 2023
eChai Startup Demo DayBengaluru · Jun 2023
Whatfix’s Analytics team wins the Outstanding POD award for no-code product analyticsBengaluru · Mar 2023
Whatfix’s Analytics team wins the Outstanding POD award for no-code product analyticsBengaluru · Mar 2023
Whatfix’s organization-wide hackathon on “Userisation”Bengaluru · Nov 2022
Whatfix’s organization-wide hackathon on “Userisation”Bengaluru · Nov 2022
Startup Saturday Bengaluru with Abhay Tandon on startup investmentsBengaluru · Oct 2022
SaaS Founders Meetup at Whatfix: 100+ founders, investors and community enablersBengaluru · Oct 2022
SaaS Founders Meetup at Whatfix: 100+ founders, investors and community enablersBengaluru · Oct 2022
SaaS Founders Meetup at Whatfix: 100+ founders, investors and community enablersBengaluru · Oct 2022
SaaS Founders Meetup at Whatfix: 100+ founders, investors and community enablersBengaluru · Oct 2022
HSX 2022, celebrating 15 years of HeadstartBengaluru · Oct 2022
Sharing my learnings at eChai’s Startup Growth Networking MeetupBengaluru · Sep 2022
Sharing my learnings at eChai’s Startup Growth Networking MeetupBengaluru · Sep 2022
Celebrating the opening of MobileFirst Applications’ Bengaluru officeBengaluru · Sep 2022
Meeting founders at various stages with eChaiAhmedabad · Aug 2022
Startup Saturday Bengaluru, back offline after almost two yearsBengaluru · Jul 2022
Startup Saturday Bengaluru, back offline after almost two yearsBengaluru · Jul 2022
In-person meetups return to Bengaluru, including a Web3 meetup I hostedBengaluru · Jul 2022
In-person meetups return to Bengaluru, including a Web3 meetup I hostedBengaluru · Jul 2022
In-person meetups return to Bengaluru, including a Web3 meetup I hostedBengaluru · Jul 2022
In-person meetups return to Bengaluru, including a Web3 meetup I hostedBengaluru · Jul 2022
Hosting a SaaS session with Srikrishna Swaminathan and Manoranjan IngudamBengaluru · Jul 2022
Hosting a SaaS session with Srikrishna Swaminathan and Manoranjan IngudamBengaluru · Jul 2022
Catching up with my Headstart familyBengaluru · Jul 2022
Hosting eChai Demo Day at WhatfixBengaluru · May 2022
eChai Demo Day, Bengaluru edition: 150+ people, nine startups showcasingBengaluru · May 2022
eChai Demo Day, Bengaluru edition: 150+ people, nine startups showcasingBengaluru · May 2022
eChai Demo Day, Bengaluru edition: 150+ people, nine startups showcasingBengaluru · May 2022
Headstarters at SaaS InsiderMay 2022
eChai Demo Day, Bengaluru editionBengaluru · May 2022
Startup Saturday Ahmedabad, run by the new volunteer teamAhmedabad · Apr 2022
Hosting a meetup with a superb turnoutApr 2022
Planning the return of in-person meetups with the Headstart Ahmedabad volunteersAhmedabad · Mar 2022
Talking Web3, NFTs, marketplaces and crypto investments at eChai’s Web3 Growth Networking MeetupBengaluru · Mar 2022
eChai’s Web3 Growth Networking MeetupBengaluru · Mar 2022
One more trophy for the team at the eChai startup sports networkFeb 2022
An eChai meetup at Draper Startup HouseBengaluru · Dec 2021
GDG Cloud Ahmedabad grew to 2,400+ members in its first yearAhmedabad · Jan 2020
Recognized as a mentor at IGNITE IncubatorJan 2020
A thank-you from Google’s India Developer Ecosystem team for GDG Cloud Ahmedabad’s first yearJan 2020
The opening of Google Cloud Community Day, hosted by GDG Cloud AhmedabadAhmedabad · Dec 2019
With Django Girls participants at DA-IICTGandhinagar · Oct 2019
Hosting a Startup Saturday session on the basics of starting upAhmedabad · Oct 2019
Hosting 20+ women entrepreneurs at the Women Entrepreneurs Meet by WE at HeadstartDevX, Ahmedabad · Sep 2019
Women Entrepreneurs Meet by WE at HeadstartDevX, Ahmedabad · Sep 2019
At the India Community Summit 2019 for Google community leadersJul 2019
At HSX 2019: Bridging EcosystemsHyderabad · Jun 2019
Hosting 150+ people at the Firebase Roadshow, Ahmedabad edition, with GDG Cloud AhmedabadAhmedabad · Jun 2019
A growth session for Headstart volunteers to close HSX 2019Hyderabad · Jun 2019
Headstart Network Foundation signs an MoU with the Government of GujaratMay 2019
Tech talk on artificial intelligence, organized by eChai Ventures and IEEE Gujarat SectionNirma University, Ahmedabad · Feb 2019
After the artificial intelligence talk at Nirma UniversityAhmedabad · Feb 2019
DA-IICT alumni reunionGandhinagar · Feb 2019
A talk on artificial intelligence for faculty at Swarnim Startup & Innovation UniversityGandhinagar · Jan 2019
Hosting a Startup Saturday panel on scaling up a SaaS businessAhmedabad · Jan 2019
Hosting Startup SaturdayAhmedabad · Dec 2018
At the Entrepreneurship Development Institute of IndiaAhmedabad · Dec 2018
Speaking on the basics of cyber security at Elite EntrepreneursOct 2018
Speaking on the basics of cyber security at Elite EntrepreneursOct 2018
Speaking on the basics of cyber security at Elite EntrepreneursOct 2018
A workshop for 40+ HR professionals on enabling technologyOct 2018
Fireside chat with Kiran Reddy for Red Bull Basement University, back at my alma materDA-IICT, Gandhinagar · Oct 2018
A thank-you memento from Elite EntrepreneursOct 2018
Kicking off Headstart’s Surat launch eventSurat · Sep 2018
Speaking at “Experience the Next”, a run-up event to the Vibrant Gujarat Startup and Technology SummitCIIE, IIM Ahmedabad · Aug 2018
ParisParis, France · Jul 2018
Receiving the Gujarat Entrepreneurship Award, with Jatin Chaudhary of eChaiJul 2018
Alumni session with the new PG batch at DA-IICTGandhinagar · Jul 2018
Meeting Prof Asim Banerjee on a campus visitDA-IICT, Gandhinagar · Jul 2018
Meeting Miroslav in person after almost two years of working together across screensJun 2018
On a panel about blockchain and cryptocurrencies at ICTIS 2018Apr 2018
The ICTIS 2018 mementoApr 2018
At the eChai booth at TiECon 2018Mar 2018
Meeting Phanindra Sama, co-founder of redBus, at HSX 2018Bengaluru · Feb 2018
HSX 2018 wraps, thanks to the Headstarters, speakers and attendeesBengaluru · Feb 2018
Our team for the Rajasthan Digifest hackathonUdaipur · Dec 2017
Sharing my take on Gujarat’s startup ecosystem and Headstart with the Startup Jalsa teamAhmedabad · Nov 2017
The DCB Bank fintech hackathonAdani University, Ahmedabad · Sep 2017
With the team at the DCB Bank fintech hackathonAdani University, Ahmedabad · Sep 2017
Speaking to 250+ students at Narnarayan Shastri Institute of Technology for the Startup India YatraAhmedabad · Aug 2017
Meeting student startups at the Startup India Yatra finaleAhmedabad Management Association · Aug 2017
Listening to Venky Iyer, founder of Goli Vada PavAhmedabad · Apr 2017
TiECon Ahmedabad 2017Ahmedabad · Mar 2017
Getting ready for the day’s Startup Saturday panel discussionsAhmedabad · Mar 2017
Team Headstart AhmedabadAhmedabad · Mar 2017
Honoured at the Startup Retreat by iCreate and eChaiAhmedabad · Mar 2017
The Startup Retreat memento from iCreate and eChaiAhmedabad · Mar 2017
An evening eChai at DA-IICTGandhinagar · Mar 2017
Time with Glenn Dietzel as part of HeadstartAhmedabad · Feb 2017
Part of the action seminar on Gujarat’s startup policy at the Vibrant Gujarat SummitGandhinagar · Jan 2017
Summarizing inputs for the state startup policy at the Vibrant Gujarat action seminarGandhinagar · Jan 2017
A round of discussions with women entrepreneurs and mentorsAhmedabad · Jul 2016
Volunteers preparing delegate kits for TiEConAhmedabad · Mar 2016
The full-house tradition at Startup Saturday Ahmedabad continuesAhmedabad · Nov 2015
Full-house events at Java Meetup and Startup Saturday AhmedabadAhmedabad · Oct 2015
Startup Saturday Ahmedabad at CIIEAhmedabad · Aug 2015
Ahmedabad’s communities coming together to support net neutralityAhmedabad · Apr 2015
FOSSASIA 2015 group photoSingapore · Mar 2015
First day at FOSSASIA 2015 with Mario Behling and Hong Phuc DangSingapore · Mar 2015
A Google Summer of Code meetup at FOSSASIA 2015Singapore · Mar 2015
Presenting a Java Meetup T-shirt to Ningxin Hu of the Crosswalk projectSingapore · Mar 2015
Convocation day at DA-IICT with my roommateGandhinagar · Jan 2015
My FOSSASIA 2014 badge, representing the MOST projectPhnom Penh, Cambodia · Mar 2014
Otres Beach, after FOSSASIA 2014Sihanoukville, Cambodia · 2014
Silver PagodaPhnom Penh, Cambodia · 2014
Koh Rong islandCambodia · 2014
Long Beach, reached after a jungle trek across Koh RongCambodia · 2014
Wat PhnomPhnom Penh, Cambodia · 2014
Serendipity BeachSihanoukville, Cambodia · 2014
Koh Rong, after FOSSASIA 2014Cambodia · 2014
Outside the Royal PalacePhnom Penh, Cambodia · 2014
Looking over Phnom PenhPhnom Penh, Cambodia · 2014
Honoured by the Parkar Lohana Yuvak MandalFeb 2013
Winning first prize in a web designing competition at New Progressive CollegeMehsana · Jan 2012
Winning first prize in a national-level quiz competition at Christ CollegeRajkot · Jan 2012
Hosting a GDG Cloud Ahmedabad eventAhmedabad
On stage at a GDG Cloud Ahmedabad eventAhmedabad
Hosting Startup Saturday at the Ahmedabad Management Association (photo from Where Ideas Take Off)Ahmedabad
Speaking at CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad, now IIMA Ventures (photo from Where Ideas Take Off)Ahmedabad
Talking about data-driven marketing at IIM AhmedabadAhmedabad

From the event archive

Meetups, conclaves, and late-night sessions.

A handful of the events I hosted, organized, or spoke at with Startup OG (previously Entrepreneur's Cafe), Headstart, GDG Cloud Ahmedabad, eChai, and others.

Speaking at Product Growth Playbook, Bengaluru editionNov 2025
Speaking at the eChai Bengaluru Startup MeetupDec 2024
D2C Mixer by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe)Oct 2024
Fintech Mixer by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe)Jul 2024
SaaS Founders Meetup by Startup OG (then Entrepreneur’s Cafe), powered by GitHubJun 2024
Headstart Gujarat AMA with Nikunj Kothari at CIIE.CO, IIM AhmedabadDec 2023
Speaking at eChai’s Product Growth MeetupOct 2023
Bharat Pitchathon 2.0Jul 2023
Speaking at the Bangalore SaaS Meetup, Draper Startup HouseMar 2023
Speaking at eChai’s SaaS Founders MeetupFeb 2023
SaaS Founders Meetup at WhatfixOct 2022
HSX 2022 by the numbersOct 2022
CTO Talks by HeadstartSep 2022
HSX 2022: 1,000+ participants and 50+ speakersSep 2022
Bharat Pitchathon: pitch events across 20+ cities for Headstart’s 15th yearAug 2022
Startup Saturday Bengaluru: Decoding D2CJul 2022
Startup September 2022, Headstart’s month-long celebration of entrepreneurshipJun 2022
Startup Saturday Ahmedabad returns offline: growth opportunities in unlocked IndiaApr 2022
Speaking at the CoRise Startup Networking CircleApr 2022
Kickstart: early-stage startups pitch to India’s leading investorsJan 2022
Speaking at eChai’s Startup Growth Networking Meetup, Draper Startup HouseDec 2021
Entrepreneurship 0-1 workshop series: idea validationNov 2020
eChai with Pioneers: Mada Seghete, co-founder of Branch, with Shoppr as supporting partnerAug 2020
Fireside chat on validating your startup idea with Aditi Avasthi of EmbibeJul 2020
Startup Saturday online: how Beardo, The Beauty Co., Rey Naturals and Food Memories were builtJun 2020
Online session: the state of blockchain development in India and how to get startedMay 2020
Virtual Kickstart, Headstart’s investor-connect program, moved onlineApr 2020
eChai Social: eCommerce Entrepreneurs Meet, with ShopprFeb 2020
Talk: the relevance of human intuition in an AI-driven worldFeb 2020
Google Cloud Community Day, the first hosted by GDG Cloud Ahmedabad. Sold out.Dec 2019
Community Day speaker lineupDec 2019
Community Day keynote: Ankur Kotwal, APAC head of Google Cloud developer advocacyAhmedabad · Dec 2019
Startup Saturday: growth hacking for business in 2020Ahmedabad · Nov 2019
Women Entrepreneurs Potluck by Headstart AhmedabadDevX, Ahmedabad · Nov 2019
Big Data in banking workshop at Bank of Baroda’s Baroda Apex AcademyGandhinagar · Oct 2019
HSX 2019: the role of incubators and accelerators for startupsJun 2019
HSX 2019, Headstart’s annual entrepreneurship conclave, with founders from 25+ citiesHyderabad · Jun 2019
Startup Saturday: crafting great user experience, with a design thinking workshopAhmedabad · Feb 2019
Leaf incubation drive with GLS University, run with Headstart AhmedabadAhmedabad · Feb 2019
Showcasing Shoppr at the Vibrant Gujarat Global SummitGandhinagar · Jan 2019
Speaking at eChai’s Startup Growth Series at EDIDec 2018
Speaking at Elite Entrepreneurs: basics of cyber securityOct 2018
Red Bull Basement University, with HeadstartSep 2018
Startup Saturday: digital marketing 101 for startupsAhmedabad · Apr 2018
HSX, Headstart’s startup conclaveBengaluru · Feb 2018
AMA on blockchain development, facilitated by NikunjFeb 2018
Mentoring session for women entrepreneurs by WE at HeadstartApr 2017
Startup Saturday: Basics of Starting UpMar 2017
Startup Conclave with eChai and the IEEE Student Branch at Nirma UniversityOct 2016