Satheesan to inaugurate Huddle Global 2026 in Kovalam tomorrow

Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan will inaugurate the eighth edition of Huddle Global, billed as Asia's largest beachside startup festival, at Kovalam here on November 12, with over 120 venture capital and angel investors expected to participate in the three-day event.

The festival, organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM), will bring together more than 4,000 startups, investors, industry leaders and policymakers to explore business and investment opportunities, KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika said here on Tuesday.
Satheesan will inaugurate the event and also chair the flagship Chief Minister's Roundtable, which will bring together country ambassadors, global innovation pioneers, select startup founders and institutional investors.

The Huddle Global Roundtables will feature 20 to 25 domain leaders in each session, with discussions chaired by the chief minister, ministers, department secretaries, State Planning Board members, university vice-chancellors and the KSUM CEO, he said.
Industries, IT and Future Technology Minister P K Kunhalikutty will deliver the keynote address at the inaugural function, while S Suhas, Special Secretary, Electronics and IT Department, will preside, according to an official statement.

Belgian Ambassador Sophie Karlshausen will deliver the special address. M Vincent, MLA, and actress Keerthy Suresh will also attend.
The event's Investment Track will feature 76 venture capital investors and more than 50 angel investors, offering startup founders opportunities to interact with potential investors and explore funding prospects.
Huddle Global 2026 is expected to attract over 200 high-net-worth individuals, 300 startup mentors, more than 200 corporates, 150 exhibitors and over 300 eminent speakers, Ambika said.

The three-day festival will feature panel discussions, an AI film festival, product launches, roundtable conferences of Global Capability Centre (GCC) leaders, exhibitions, over 500 investor matchmaking opportunities, business networking and mentoring sessions.
Tourism and Culture Minister P C Vishnunadh will inaugurate the AI Film Festival on the opening day.

Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph will launch a flood prediction robot developed by Thrissur-based robotics company, Estrado.
Vishnunadh will attend the valedictory function at 3 pm on November 14, when the Student Unicorn Prize and JPMR Pitchathon awards will be distributed.
Racing champion Mathias Lauda will also attend the festival as part of a project to manufacture affordable Formula One cars in Thiruvananthapuram.

The speakers will include British Deputy High Commissioner to Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry Sutapa Choudhury; UK Government's Director-Investment for South India, Gita Krishnankutty; Welsh Government's Head of India Eoghan O'Regan; KOSME's Global Business Centre Director Jae Kyeong Lee and Startup India's Senior Manager Pratiti Sharma.
The exhibition will showcase innovations across sectors, including artificial intelligence, robotics, healthcare, education, financial technology, space technology, life sciences, blockchain, green technology and e-governance.

Humanoid robots, autonomous drones, sustainable energy solutions, biomedical devices and smart city technologies will also be on display, the statement added. - PTI