Bertelsmann India Investments (BII) hosted the eighth edition of the Bertelsmann Badminton Championship (BBC) at the Padukone-Dravid Centre for Sports Excellence in Bengaluru.

The event brought together more than 150 founders, investors and startup leaders for a day of competition, networking and conversations around founder well-being.

The event attracted participants from leading venture capital firms including Accel, Blume Ventures, Innoven Capital, Titan Capital, Aavishkaar Capital, Ascent Capital, Stellaris and Cactus Partners, alongside founders from startups such as Univest, Handpickd, Fairdeal, Inito and Curebay. 

 Organised as a "zero-pitch" event, the championship encouraged relationship-building beyond fundraising discussions.

 Held under the theme 'Rally for Health', the championship underscored the importance of physical and mental well-being in building sustainable businesses. Over the years, the event has evolved into a community platform that brings together India's venture capital and startup ecosystem through sport.

The eighth edition featured 87 teams competing across multiple rounds. Varun Agarwal and Sanatha Kumar of Stride Ventures emerged as the championship winners, while Sameer Mansukhani of Innoven Capital finished runner-up.

In the Knockout category, Faizan Munshi of VC Grid and Mahadev of Handpickd were runners-up. Smita Salgaonkar of Google received the Most Valuable Player award, while Varun Agarwal was named Player of the Tournament.

As part of this year's initiative, BII also conducted the inaugural Founder Wellness Survey, gathering responses from 50 startup ecosystem participants during the event. While not intended as a nationally representative study, the survey offers insights into the health habits and challenges faced by founders and investors.

According to the findings, 88% of respondents work at least 50 hours a week, while 78% believe long working hours are necessary to build a successful company, highlighting the cultural acceptance of extended work schedules.

The survey also found that 41% of respondents sleep five to six hours or less each night, and 71% experience burnout at least a few times a year. At the same time, 68% reported engaging in at least 30 minutes of daily physical activity, although only 22% said their organisations formally promote physical fitness, indicating that wellness remains largely an individual responsibility rather than an organisational priority.

Pankaj Makkar, Managing Director, Bertelsmann India Investments, said the company launched "Rally for Health" to place founder well-being at the centre of conversations around entrepreneurship and encourage long-term behavioural change.

He noted that while startups often focus on growth, fundraising and IPOs, founders frequently neglect their health, adding that regular sporting events can help create a healthier and more sustainable startup ecosystem.

Championship winner Varun Agarwal, Partner – GCC, Stride Ventures, said the event provided an opportunity to compete in the right spirit while connecting with peers beyond routine business interactions.