Build Your Startup with Mukul Khadke, a graduate of SRM and Founder of Inventeurs

It is important to seize every small opportunity… Moreover, it is more important to connect with people and it requires confidence. I believe that building confidence to make and keep relationships is a quality every student should learn.

Can You Tell Us a Little Bit About Yourself? 

I am a postgraduate student at SP Jain School of Global Management. I am specializing in Global Supply Chain Management and Logistics. Alongside this, I am the Founder and CEO at Inventeurs. I completed my engineering degree from Sri Ramaswamy Memorial Institute of Science and Technology (SRM IST) in the discipline of Mechatronics.

What made you want to apply to the GLOBE program?

I found out about the GLOBE program from the International Relations office at SRM IST. My undergraduate institution and UC Berkeley had signed a memorandum of understanding for the same year.

I was fascinated by the programs that were offered by the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology (SCET) and the Jacobs Institute for Design Innovation at UC Berkeley. I was keen to learn about the fundamentals of design thinking and entrepreneurship. So this seemed to me like the perfect opportunity to be a part of UC Berkeley through the GLOBE Visiting Students Program.

What did you like about your experience in Berkeley?

The Berkeley way of life was quite transforming for me. I was quite delighted to get hands-on experience relating to prototyping products and it is here where I designed my first prototype called “Walkity”. Being a part of an entrepreneurship program also gave me an opportunity to be a part of various pitch events and product launches.

Do you find the classes here to be interesting/engaging? How were the SCET courses?

The classes were quite challenging and promoted active learning. I was enrolled in courses like Product management, Technology entrepreneurship, Tech firm Leadership, Introduction to Silicon Valley, Richard Newton Lecture Series, and Challenge Lab- Disaster Management in Puerto Rico. 

Each course was unique and helped me shape my skills regarding product development and day-to-day management.

How was Jacob Institute’s bootcamp and what did you learn?

The courses at Jacobs Institute of design and Innovation included Design Bootcamps and Design thinking. Here, I learned how to prototype using a 3D printer, laser cutter, and various other industrial equipment. The Design Thinking Bootcamp was scheduled during the Spring break where we solved real-life problems around Berkeley and tried implementing those across the campus.

How do you like classes at Berkeley? What are some differences and similarities between classes in SRM vs Berkeley?

The classes were quite challenging and informative here at Berkeley. Specifically, the classes were so different from what we have been through in SRM because we had to think from scratch. No resources were handed directly to us, so we had to adapt to finding and gathering relevant resources in a small amount of time. We needed to spend a lot of time in the Moffit library where we spend our days and nights learning new knowledge and meeting new people with whom we do work and assignments. 

My lectures at SRM taught me the fundamental concepts of engineering; on the other hand, at Berkeley, I was given an opportunity to implement these in real life. The courses at Berkeley are peer-learning based while SRM courses focus more on self-development through projects and internships.

The Berkeley way of understanding and approaching teaches me more in depth knowledge, whereas SRM I would have to learn from internships. We also do not have minors at SRM, so it is less incentivized for students to focus on classes beyond their majors. 

I heard you are the CEO of a company called Inventeurs, can you tell us a little more about this company and group? What inspired you to do it and how was your experience with it?

Our start-up is called “Inventeurs”, and the over-aching idea behind Inventeurs is “Curae”. Curae is a concept pertaining to the digital healthcare system. We in Inventeurs have currently ventured out to different software systems such as web and app development, machine learning and artificial intelligence services along with Chatbots. During Pandemic (COVID-19 rise), we realised that there is a sudden boom in requirement to develop apps and websites. Our team includes me, along with three co-founders and eight employees. 

At Inventeurs, we develop different software tools for people and we are launching our own products soon too! All of the co-founders are from different engineering backgrounds and bring in diversity amongst skills. 

We are currently developing and prototyping our startup idea, making appointments at doctor’s clinics and dashboards for patients and a system that allows for patients to get medical records, medicine schedules and provides an easy interface for all of their medical assistance.  We are adding machine learning and artificial intelligence in order to provide a seamless experience to all our customers.

How did you raise seed funding? How does one successfully raise funding?

For Inventeurs, I raised seed funding via SRM’s New Generation Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (New-Gen IEDC SRM). This initiative promotes young entrepreneurs with funds for prototype development.

I believe in working on different ideas at a time to ensure diversification since the Indian government is funding us. This way, at least one of these ideas will successfully become a start-up and grow into a valuable company. It is relatively easy to get fundings at this given point in time in India. There are many Venture Capitalists and Y-combinators coming to India. On top of that, there are different foundations. 

I would say we have so many different incubators and accelerators in India because the Indian government is looking at the ecosystem for start-ups. There have been 900 agencies with 75 million dollars for young entrepreneurs to work on their ideas. Startup India initiative, private startup accelerators, incubators and collaborating spaces are all part of these agencies. Therefore, you can relatively easily get fundings within six months of applying. The government is really supportive of new  start-up initiatives. 

Did you have some start-up ideas during your education here or in SRM? What inspired you to do it? Any challenges you faced during this process?

At SRM, I was a part of another Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre funded start-up called Plasma Push that aims to develop the next generation electric arc propulsion engine. The environmental impacts of excessive usage of fuels currently in the aviation industry inclined us to take up this project. One of the major challenges was to fund this project initially due to the requirement of high capital investment. The product is however still under development.

Did you find your experience here to be helpful for grad school/job? 

One of the major advantages of being at Berkeley was networking. This helped me develop various connections with people already functional in the industry. Such relations have helped me a lot to find internships. Betsy and Olivia were really helpful for me with not just academics but also to guide and show us around in the bay area.

Moreover, the design thinking courses at UCB came in quite handy during my MBA, and it has given me a clear edge over my other peers.

For finding an internship, it is really hard for international students to find an internship due to current visa issues.

Why did you decide to go to graduate school instead of the industry at the moment? How and when did you make this decision? 

While working to build Inventeurs, I realized I needed to develop my management and leadership skills. This is why I opted for a Global MBA program to give me more perspective about global scenarios. 

Choosing to pursue an MBA was a very spontaneous decision for me. Additionally, the COVID made me realize I couldn’t travel for a degree thus, I chose this program that gives me an opportunity to enhance my skills even when at home.

What personal advice, observation or caveats would you like to share as a grad student?

One thing I have realized while working for my startup as well as studying an MBA is that it is really important to have industrial experience and this is the only way to develop oneself. It is important to seize every small opportunity and speak your mind. Moreover, connecting with people is an important aspect of this job profile and it requires confidence. I believe being meticulous and attentive is a quality every grad student should have.

Is there anything you would have done differently in the program? Do you have any advice for future GLOBE students? 

I would like to have made more connections with various start-up founders, mentors and investors during various pitch events and visits to Incubators, accelerators such as Plug and Play.

As a personal example, I am currently a full-time MBA student and working on my start-up at the same time. What keeps me sane and helps me make progress are my connections. For example my friends from Chile, Dutch, and all around the globe give me great advice when I hit a roadblock or encounter other forms of challenges. So I would urge future GLOBE students and engineers in the Berkeley community to make connections with new people.

Another advice I would give to future GLOBE students is that you should really understand what you want to get out of being here in UC Berkeley. Specifically, your big picture goal should be well-defined so that this amazing experience will help you get further along your goal. Furthermore, Berkeley is full of astonishing people, but do not be overwhelmed by them. You should always stay true to yourself and march to the beats of your own drum. Lastly, be open-minded, and experience all that is available to you.

What are your future career goals?

I am currently working on my start-up, so a short-term goal I want to hit is to successfully implement this across India with the support of the Government.

In the long-term, I wish to become a start-up investor and accelerator director.