Mumbai: Thirty start-ups have made it to the business plan showcase at TiE-ISB Connect 2007, which closed submissions on 30 September. The annual networking event for entrepreneurs organized by The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE) along with the Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, will be held from 14-16 November in Hyderabad.

TiE received close to 400 entries this year, which were narrowed down to 135 business plans. A selection panel chaired by Shatanu Paul, head of global delivery operations, Virtusa Corp. and Laxmi Akkaraju, director, operations and professional services, MuSecurity Inc., shortlisted 30 plans for Start Connect (for early stage firms) and Growth Connect (for growth-stage firms) categories of the showcase.

These firms have been asked to submit detailed business plans based on which they will be selected to make presentations before venture capitalists at the event. Another 20 plans have been selected for making an elevator pitch, a five-minute presentation to venture capitalists there. This year’s entries have focused on sectors such as technology products and services, mobile applications and e-learning.

The event has received confirmation from 20 venture capital firms so far. “We expect to add many more before the event,” said Paul. The organizing committee will finalize 12 jury members across three panels by the end of the month to judge the business plans at the event.