Start-up founders and investors made valuable connections at the tournament organized by BII.
It’s a special date in India’s start-up and investment calendar—and a friendly competition unlike any other: the “Bertelsmann Badminton Championship” (BBC). At the annual tournament organized by the investment fund Bertelsmann India Investments (BII), start-up founders and investors traded business suits for sports gear in a lively mix of competition and networking. This year’s BBC at the DDA–Siri Fort Badminton Stadium in New Delhi brought together more than 80 investors from over 40 marquee funds, including Accel, Infoedge, Innoven, Trifecta, and Chiratae Ventures, alongside founders from successful BII portfolio companies such as Shiprocket, Nat Habit, Univest, Orange Health Labs, and CureBay.
This year’s tournament carried the theme “Rally for Health,” putting the often-overlooked well-being of founders and investors center stage. In an industry seeing rising stress, burnout, and heart-health issues, the BBC encouraged participants to pause, reflect, and prioritize health. It gave busy investors and founders space to connect in a relaxed setting, far from packed calendars and boardroom pressure. The intent was explicitly not to line up pitches to court potential investors.
‘What began as a small gathering is now a tradition’
“Since 2016, the Bertelsmann Badminton Championship has been our annual ritual where investors and founders meet, play, laugh, and connect—without talking shop,” said Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director of BII. “What began as a small gathering is now a tradition that puts health alongside strategy and growth.” Rohit Sood, Partner at BII, added: “The Bertelsmann Badminton Championship has evolved into a trusted, low-friction platform for India’s start-up ecosystem. This year, we are placing a special focus on health and well-being—both within and beyond the boardroom, because ultimately, people make businesses thrive.”
Jai Arora and Rajat Sharma (Univest) won the tournament, with Shashvat Rai (Aavishkar Capital) and Peeyush Asati (Vecmocon Technologies) as runners-up. In the knockout rounds, Dr. Pinak Shrikhande and Nilay Shah (HealthKois) came out on top, followed by Tejas Bode (BII) and Manoj Satti (Penguin Random House India).
‘I wouldn’t want to miss the BBC again’
Participants rated this year’s BBC a complete success: “Building a company is a marathon, not a sprint. I’m glad BII is putting well-being front and center with ‘Rally for Health,’” said Akshay Gulati, Co-Founder and CEO of Shiprocket. “The conversations about sleep, recovery, and balance were as valuable as the tournament itself.” And Amit Jhunjhunwala, CFO at Accel, said: “The theme ‘Rally for Health’ is pretty much my mantra—I run, I work out, I eat healthy. With the stress in our ecosystem, this is exactly the focus we need. It was my first time at the Bertelsmann Badminton Championship, and I wouldn’t want to miss it again.”
