Hyderabad to host debut ET Soonicorns Sundowner series: India's product-first startup stars step into the spotlight
Empower your mind, elevate your skills
Rohit Chennamaneni , Co-founder, Darwinbox
, Co-founder, Darwinbox Dr. Raj P. Narayanam , Founder & Executive Chairman, Zaggle
, Founder & Executive Chairman, Zaggle Prasad Vanga , Founder & CEO, Anthill Ventures
, Founder & CEO, Anthill Ventures Kavikrut, CEO, T-Hub
The region's P0 sectors, such as HRTech and Healthcare Booking, with over $640M in cumulative funding.
The P1 sectors, such as EV and BeautyTech, which are drawing high-conviction capital and churning out minicorns at speed
Skyroot Aerospace – Why spacetech needs patient capital—and why India can't afford to wait
– Why spacetech needs patient capital—and why India can't afford to wait PURE EV – From garage to gigafactory: Building India's mid-market EV brand
India's next unicorns aren't just coming from the usual suspects anymore. The momentum is shifting. From deeptech disruptors building satellites to electric vehicle (EV) pioneers manufacturing batteries at scale, Hyderabad is quietly emerging as a force to reckon with in India's innovation economy.And now, the spotlight is officially shifting. The ET Soonicorns Summit , India's largest platform dedicated to the next generation of unicorns, is back with its fourth edition on August 22, 2025. But this year, it's not just staying rooted in Bengaluru. It's hitting the road.Kicking off this expansion is the ET Soonicorns Sundowner series , a first-of-its-kind spin-off bringing high-impact startup gatherings to India's most promising, yet undercelebrated, tech corridors. First stop? Hyderabad.On July 31, the ET Soonicorns Sundowner Hyderabad will bring together unicorns, soonicorns, and minicorns, investors, and policymakers for a high-energy evening of panels, storytelling, and pitch-perfect insights.Here's why this event is a must-watch—and why Hyderabad's time has finally come.Think of it as the after-hours accelerator for India's most promising startup hubs. The Sundowner Series is a curated city-level celebration of emerging unicorns, designed to complement the main ET Soonicorns Summit in Bengaluru. Each edition brings regional founders, investors, and ecosystem enablers together in a fast-paced, insight-heavy format—with sharp data drops, real founder stories, and zero fluff.Hyderabad is the first in this series, and its inclusion is no accident.Home to capital-efficient fintech plays, business-to-business (B2B) software-as-a-service (SaaS) champions, private spacetech ventures, and EV infrastructure startups, Hyderabad is writing a new playbook—product-first, hype-last.According to the data intelligence platform Tracxn, the city commands 99.7% of all startup capital in the Andhra Pradesh–Telangana region, making it the undisputed anchor of southern India's deeptech landscape.Founders here build before they broadcast. They prototype before they pitch. And they scale—often profitably—before they seek capital. This is the anti-hype hub India didn't know it needed.The Hyderabad Sundowner promises a rapid-fire, content-rich format over a single evening, and it packs a punch.The evening opens with a keynote panel: 'Built in Hyderabad: The Rise of India's Product-First, Hype-Last Startups.' This conversation sets the tone for the evening, spotlighting Hyderabad's distinctive approach to innovation and company-building.Expect sharp insights from:This session dives into Hyderabad's unique startup DNA—spanning capital discipline, deep R&D, and enterprise-first growth. Case in point? Skyroot Aerospace, which built India's first private rocket not by chasing headlines, but by engineering excellence. Or PURE EV, which prioritised battery tech over buzz and now leads mid-market EV growth.From deeptech to fintech, the panel explores how Hyderabad founders are rewriting India's startup script. These are not outliers but narratives of a regional ethos that values substance over spectacle.To ground these conversations in data, a first-of-its-kind report by Economic Times X Tracxn will unveil the Top Sonicorns and Minicorns across the Top 10 Sectors of the Andhra Pradesh–Telangana startup cluster. Based on investment and growth data from January 2020 to May 2025, the report spotlights:Launching the report will be Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, Govt. of Telangana, underscoring official support for Hyderabad's innovation ambitions.The momentum continues with a high-energy storytelling session, bringing real founders with real inflection points to the forefront. This format gives startup leaders the mic for three-minute lightning stories—no decks, just raw, unfiltered experiences of pivot, perseverance, or breakout wins.Confirmed storytellers include:Each story will be followed by a quick Q&A, creating space for insight, debate, and real-time connection with the ecosystem.The evening culminates in cocktails, conversations, and capital connects. With a curated guest list of founders, venture capitalists, and ecosystem enablers, the networking session is designed for high-value collisions, not just handshakes.What makes the Hyderabad ecosystem different isn't just the companies—it's the culture.Many of Hyderabad's best-performing startups—such as Darwinbox, Skyroot, and Dhruva Space—bootstrapped longer, scaled smarter, and raised later.Founders here are often institutionally rooted (think BITS Pilani, IIIT-H, or ISRO partnerships), which results in deeper tech, cleaner cap tables, and sharper product-market fit. Even VCs agree: late-stage deals are picking up because the groundwork is stronger.In an age where PR often outpaces product, Hyderabad is turning patient innovation into scalable disruption.The ET Soonicorns Sundowner in Hyderabad isn't just a gathering—it's a declaration. Of depth over dazzle. Of product over posturing. And the rise of India's next unicorn belt beyond Bengaluru.So, whether you're an investor looking for uncut gems, a founder seeking like-minded builders, or simply someone who believes real innovation doesn't scream—it scales, this is where you need to be.360 One is the presenting partner of the ET Soonicorns Summit 2025.
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