#PitchAhmedabad, a platform for local startups to pitch to the investor community, has helped startups raise seed funding.

The platform, organised here on June 25 by the IIM-Ahmedabad’s technology business incubator, Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE) and The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE), saw eight startups pitching to an invited group of investors. Within five weeks, a significant number of participating startups are already in talks to raise early stage investments from local investors, Khushalee Vakil, Senior Manager, CIIE, said here on Wednesday.

Earlier, Gujarati entrepreneurs seldom ventured into pure-play tech businesses. “Now, along with some very strong tech startups in Gujarat, we also have a savvy investor community to support these startups.”

This way, Trukky, an online last-mile logistics marketplace, has raised funds from local angels and also from one of the co-founders of Make-my-trip. Trukky is essentially an integrated online platform where various service providers like truck owners/operators, movers and packers vendors, labour contractors, delivery boys, local courier service providers and others can reach out to their customers in retail, industry as well as individual households.

“In Gujarat alone, the last-mile segment is valued at over Rs 3,000 crore,” said Subhasish Das, Founder of Trukky.

Almamapper, a utility platform for colleges and students, raised its first round of investment from an angel investor, said Pankaj Kaul, Co-Founder and CEO.

PlexusMD, an online network for medical professionals, founded by doctors with management degrees, is also in advanced stages of raising funds from Ahmedabad-based angels.

CIIE has partnered with SAP India to launch a three-month accelerator programme focused on scalable tech-enabled startups in Gujarat. A pioneer in startup acceleration space, CIIE would help aspiring entrepreneurs create investable startups out of Gujarat, said Priyanka Chopra, Director - Portfolio, CIIE.

The Gujarat Accelerator is open for applications until August 18. Startups can apply via https://www.f6s.com/gujarat-accelerator/apply