April 19, 2018

Our SonderFellows Dr Fathima Benazir, co-founder of Azooka Life Sciences, and Neha Satak, founder of Astrome Technologies, are incubated at the Indian Institute of Science!

March 07, 2018

"Started as an angel fund for female entrepreneurs, SonderConnect has pivoted to become an accelerator programme for startups led by female founders.

SonderConnect was started in 2015 by Lathika Pai, managing partner, Tekinroads Consulting, along with former president of Time Inc India Sejal Shah Gulati, former Goldman Sachs MD Vaishali Kasture, and Anju Shenoy, VP of human capital at Sequoia Capital. The pipeline of viable businesses started by women entrepreneurs at the time was limited. Now that there are more women entrepreneurs, the focus has shifted to helping them scale their ventures and raise funding. "

March 07, 2018

"Namu Kini laughingly says she chose entrepreneurship because she was a “terrible employee”"

February 06, 2018

"Serial entrepreneur and technology mentor Lathika Pai talks to YourStory about what organizations can do to help women advance as business leaders, and what women can do to advance their own cause."

December 13, 2017

"Several women-led leadership and mentorship programs such as Sonder Connect are gaining traction in India, with corporates and technology companies also actively promoting inclusion of women in the workforce"

December 29, 2016

"My challenge was compounded by what I had read and heard: namely, that achieving success as a start-up in the field of education technology (edtech) will be extremely difficult & painstaking."

February 13, 2018

"Led by a husband-wife duo, MyEdge connects parents with tutors; the startup is betting on the tutor-cum-counsellor model to coach students and help them handle academic stress."

August 22, 2017

"Merxius’ biggest innovation is RealSim Editor, or RED, a general-purpose tool for Virtual Reality (VR). RED is currently being tested by the Indian Armed Forces to create a training module for engine maintenance. The biggest advantage of this tool, created by Vaishali and her co-founder Hasan Ali Khan, is that it has been successful in bringing advanced tech down to the layman as simply as possible."

March 18, 2018

"Vidya Vellala is the Founder and CEO of Faasthelp, a 24/7 (round the clock) customer support on any business application through Artificial intelligence powered products. It analyzes what the customer is asking using natural language processing, machine learning and processes that to give the accurate responses to the customers instantly. "

November 20, 2017

"Papagoya is a unique kindergarten started by Helen Issar and Darshana Rajaram. It follows the Barnehage model and aims to help working women not choose between work and their child."

May 21, 2015

"Chungi was started by Shweta to create livelihood opportunities for handicraft artists across India and provide women with an online platform to showcase their talents. Chungi focuses on enhancing the skill sets of underprivileged women and empowers them to become financially independent."

March 06, 2018

"Rehash is a digital platform to enrich consumer experience after you buy products (home appliances and electronics)"

February 02, 2018

"Vaishali established Sonder Connect, a cohort-based, not-for-profit mentorship programme over and above her day job, with three other friends – Sejal Shah Gulati, Latika Pai and Anju Shenoy. “For six months, we not only mentor them on everything from marketing to digital to fundraising, but also provide them access to networks, through expert voices and veteran players, like IBM, which also provided some funding,” she explains. They are now launching their second batch of 15 women entrepreneurs this month, selected from 100 odd applications. Last year, they even sent two women to the Blackbox in Silicon Valley."

December 13, 2017

"Several women-led leadership and mentorship programs such as SAHA Fund and Sonder Connect are gaining traction in India, with corporates and technology companies also actively promoting inclusion of women in the workforce."

September 28, 2017

"Last week at a mentoring program organised by Sonder Connect ( a not-for-profit trust that nurtures female founders), one of Sonder Connect’s trustees Lathika Pai spoke to women entrepreneurs, looking to scale their business, on the benefits of investing in childcare. Sharing her own experience of hiring a nanny to take care of her daughter when she was a new working mother, Pai said the benefits of a nanny and good early child care are long-term and remarkable. Now, there’s research to prove why you shouldn’t worry if a large part of your pay cheque is going to your child’s kindergarten."

September 03, 2017

 Culturally, women in India hesitate to highlight their personal and professional accomplishments - something that Lathika Pai, founder trustee of SonderConnect is addressing through her organization. "Investors want to support founders who are confident, sincere about scaling and seeking to have an impact on the industry,” says Pai. SonderConnect tailors mentorship programs and technical workshops, where startups can fine-tune business pitches and investor engagement. Seasoned marketing professionals, legal experts, HR personnel and contract negotiation experts provide training, and mentors include senior executives from LinkedIn, Microsoft, Aegis, IBM, Target, Ernst & Young and Deloitte.