BOSTON — The Emerging Companies Showcase & Awards at TiECON East 2025 delivered one of the most electrifying moments of the conference, celebrating standout startups shaping the future of AI, Life Sciences, and India–US innovation.
Out of 82 Seed-to-Series A funded applicants, 18 high-potential finalists pitched before a packed audience of investors, mentors, and global leaders.
The results? Three startups emerged as top winners:
- The Overall Winner & the Life Sciences Track Winner: HaystackAnalytics Pvt. Ltd. – for groundbreaking work in genomics-based diagnostics.
- India–US Innovation Track Winner: JetLearn – recognized for advancing global edtech collaboration.
- AI Track Track Winner: Swirepay – awarded for their AI-powered payment platform.
The Showcase was co-chaired by TiE Charter Members, Alok Prasad, Chairman of TiE Boston Angels, and Baldev Singh Rawat, Chair of the Entrepreneurship Department at New England Innovation Academy. The program was backed by $100,000 in prizes, a panel of top-tier venture judges, and support from leading sponsors, including UMass Boston Venture Development Center, GAI World, Carta, Avahi, and Sunoh.ai.
“These founders are building the next generation of companies, not only addressing core problems in society and how we live but also experiencing rapid business growth ,” said Prasad. “This year, VCs, angels, innovation centers, universities, and various TiE chapters came together to create an experience that transcended borders and showcased today’s entrepreneurs who reflect resilience, courage, and clarity.”
“We witnessed founders who didn’t just talk about change — they embodied it,” added Rawat. “From genomics and AI to education reform, each pitch reflected not just innovation, but sustained business growth .”
The judging panel included Rick Grinnell (Founder & Managing Partner at Glasswing Ventures), Nilesh Kumar (Private Biotech Investor at Wellington Management), and Venkat Srinivasan (Founder and Managing Partners at Innospark Ventures), who evaluated startups on innovation, scalability, and impact.
“Participating in TiECON East was like stepping into the global epicenter of life sciences innovation,” said Dr. Anirvan Chatterjee, CEO & Founder at HaystackAnalytics. “Pitching in Boston, winning both the Life Sciences and Overall Showcase tracks, and engaging with trailblazers who’ve built iconic companies was a huge validation of Haystack’s vision. The opportunity to set up at VDC UMass Boston and explore the U.S. market marks a pivotal step in our journey, and events like these are a powerful boost for India’s deeptech ecosystem.”
“TiE Boston and TiECON East have been invaluable in helping JetLearn take our global AI learning mission to the next level,” said Jatin Luthra, Co-Founder of JetLearn. “The introductions, credibility, and momentum we gained from the showcase are already turning into exciting investor and partnership conversations.”
Also recognized was Jane Lo, CEO of Ping, who was named TiE Boston’s Regional Winner and will represent the chapter at the TiE Global Summit 2026 in Jaipur, India.
A Showcase That Reflected the Heart of Entrepreneurship
The Showcase was part of TiECON East 2025, a day-long gathering of over 450 entrepreneurs, investors, and industry leaders at the Sheraton Boston Hotel. Co-hosted by TiE Boston and TiE New York, this year’s conference theme, “The Heart of Entrepreneurship,” spotlighted the emotional resilience, courage, and clarity it takes to build ventures that matter.
“It went straight into the heart of entrepreneurship—what drives people to build, take risks, and overcome adversity,” said Purnanand Sarma, President of TiE Boston. “The energy was undeniable. We want to continue offering something truly unique every year.”
