Suman Paul | Startup Growth Advisor, Funding & Grants Mentor, Speaker

Track record

Results from the operator's seat

Numbers from roles where Suman was accountable for growth, not just advice.

12+

Years across marketing leadership, strategy & digital transformation

Career
5M+

Registered users on 11Wickets

As CMO, Ability Games
20K+

Daily active users

11Wickets, Ability Games
20%

Repeat rate sustained

11Wickets, Ability Games
40+

Professionals led across 8 departments

As CMO, Ability Games
Since2022

Mentoring founders at E-Cell, IIT Bombay

Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Bombay

About Suman

An advisor who has been accountable for results

Suman Paul is a startup growth and strategy advisor whose career spans more than twelve years at the intersection of marketing leadership, business strategy and digital transformation. Having built and scaled ventures across D2C, e-commerce, gaming, blockchain, ed-tech and healthcare, he brings to every engagement the perspective of an operator who has been accountable for results.

Since 2022 he has mentored founders through the Entrepreneurship Cell at IIT Bombay, helping them refine their value propositions, validate their markets, prepare for investment and chart a credible path to scale.

See his experience

Sectors he has built & scaled in

D2C
E-commerce
Gaming
Blockchain
Ed-tech
Healthcare

Advisory focus

Startup acceleration
Investor readiness
Go-to-market strategy
Performance marketing
Customer acquisition & retention
AI-driven growth

Experience

Where he has led growth

Leadership roles in consumer tech, plus mentoring and teaching that keep him close to founders.

Chief Marketing Officer

Ability Games

Led the growth of the fantasy sports platform 11Wickets while overseeing eight departments and a team of more than forty professionals.
- 5M+ registered users
- 20K+ daily active users
- 20% repeat rate
- 40+ team, 8 departments
Head of Digital Marketing

CFX Technologies

Shaped the growth strategy for the blockchain gaming platform CoinFantasy and established the frameworks for acquisition, retention and performance measurement that guided its expansion.
Startup Mentor

Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Bombay · 2022 – present

Helps founders refine their value propositions, validate their markets, prepare for investment and chart a credible path to scale.
Visiting Faculty, Digital Marketing

Sunstone University

Has served as Visiting Faculty in Digital Marketing.
Advisor

Early-stage B2B ventures

Advised a number of early-stage B2B ventures on retention, content and growth strategy.

Education & credentials

Rigorous academic grounding behind the advice

Doctorate in Business Administration

Doctoral research on the role of artificial intelligence in marketing return on investment.

Swiss School of Business

Certification in Digital Strategy

Cambridge Judge Business School

Executive Programme in Digital Marketing

IIM Kashipur

How Suman helps

Support for every stage of the startup journey

From validating the idea to raising the round, practical help from someone who has done the work.

Investor Readiness & Pitch Deck

Sharpen your story, business model and pitch deck so investors see a credible, fundable business.

Fundraising Strategy

Know how much to raise, from whom and when, with a clear investor narrative, target list and pitch rehearsal.

Government Grants & Schemes

Find the central and state schemes you qualify for, and put together strong, complete applications.

Startup Acceleration Program

Stage-based tracks from idea to growth, with hands-on mentoring and clear milestones at every step.

Go-to-Market & Growth Strategy

Positioning, channels and growth frameworks to acquire, retain and grow customers efficiently.

AI-Driven Growth & Performance Marketing

Apply AI and performance marketing to lower acquisition costs and lift marketing return on investment.

Government grants & schemes

Unlock non-dilutive capital and government support

India's central and state governments offer startups grants, seed funding, collateral-free credit and tax benefits. Suman helps you find the schemes that fit your stage and sector, and apply the right way.

DPIIT · Government of India

Startup India Recognition

The gateway to central startup benefits, including the startup tax holiday: a 100% deduction on profits for 3 consecutive years out of the first 10 (popularly known as Section 80-IAC).

Up to 10 years old (20 for deep tech), turnover under ₹200 crore.

Start hereOfficial site

DPIIT · NCGTC

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups

Collateral-free debt: government guarantees on loans from banks, NBFCs and venture-debt funds of up to ₹20 crore per borrower.

For DPIIT-recognised startups.

Debt fundingOfficial site

DPIIT · SIDBI

Startup India Fund of Funds

Government capital invested through SEBI-registered venture funds, including the new ₹10,000 crore Fund of Funds 2.0 focused on deep tech, early-growth and innovative manufacturing.

Startups raise from SIDBI-backed funds, not from SIDBI directly.

Equity fundingOfficial site

MeitY · via partner incubators

TIDE 2.0

Support for ICT and emerging-tech startups: up to ₹4 lakh as entrepreneur-in-residence support, grants of up to ₹7 lakh and investment of up to ₹40 lakh.

Through MeitY's TIDE 2.0 incubators.

Tech startupsOfficial site

BIRAC · Department of Biotechnology

Biotechnology Ignition Grant (BIG)

Grant-in-aid of up to ₹50 lakh over 18 months to take a biotech idea to proof of concept.

Company or LLP up to 5 years old; calls usually open twice a year.

Biotech & healthOfficial site

DST · via PRAYAS centres

NIDHI-PRAYAS

Up to ₹10 lakh to build a prototype. PRAYAS 2.0 offers up to ₹20 lakh, and up to ₹40 lakh for deep tech at Advance PRAYAS Centres.

Innovators and startups apply through PRAYAS centres at incubators.

Prototype grantsOfficial site

Atal Innovation Mission · NITI Aayog

Atal Incubation Centres

A national network of incubation centres offering early-stage startups mentoring, infrastructure and access to investors.

Startups apply to an individual incubation centre.

IncubationOfficial site

State governments

State Startup Policies

Most states run their own startup programmes with grants, reimbursements, seed funds and incubation, such as Startup Bengal, Kerala Startup Mission and Startup Telangana.

Rules vary by state; check your home state first.

State supportOfficial site

Not sure which schemes fit?

Share your stage, sector and state. Suman will map the schemes you are eligible for and help you apply.

Get a scheme check

Eligibility checkMap your stage, sector and state to the schemes you can actually win.
DocumentationDPIIT recognition, business plan, financials and pitch material in order.
ApplicationA clear, complete and persuasive application for each chosen scheme.
Follow-upPreparation for evaluation committees, pitches and queries.

Scheme details change from time to time. Always check the official website for current terms. Approval is at the discretion of the respective government body; advisory support does not guarantee a grant.

Accelerator program

A track for where you are today

Four stage-based tracks. Each one focuses on what matters most at your stage and gets you ready for the next.

Idea stage

Launchpad

For founders with an idea who want to validate the problem and build the right foundation.

Problem & market validation
Value proposition & business model
DPIIT recognition & grant mapping
MVP scope & go-to-market basics

Outcome: a validated idea and a clear plan to build.

MVP stage

Validate

For startups with a prototype or MVP working towards product-market fit.

Customer discovery & early traction plan
Pricing & unit economics
Pitch deck & investor narrative
Seed grant & scheme applications

Outcome: evidence of traction and a fundable story.

Early revenue

Accelerate

For revenue-stage startups ready to scale acquisition and raise.

Growth & performance-marketing frameworks
Retention & repeat-purchase playbooks
Financial model & valuation basics
Investor readiness & pitch rehearsal

Outcome: repeatable growth and investor-ready metrics.

Growth stage

Scale

For growing startups preparing for larger rounds and expansion.

Scalable growth systems & team structure
AI-driven growth & marketing ROI
Due-diligence readiness
Fundraising strategy & investor outreach plan

Outcome: a business built to scale, and to raise.

Not sure which track fits? Apply and Suman will recommend one after a short assessment.

The process

How an engagement works

Discovery call
Understand your startup, your goals and your timelines.
Startup assessment
Review the business model, traction, team and funding readiness.
Strengthen model & GTM
Close the gaps in positioning, unit economics and go-to-market.
Pitch deck & financials
Build an investor-grade deck and financial model.
Investor & grant applications
Target the right investors and schemes, then prepare and submit.
Closure & ongoing mentorship
Support through investor conversations, due diligence and beyond.

Speaker & faculty

Keynotes, workshops and guest lectures on startup growth

Suman brings operator experience and doctoral research on AI in marketing to campuses, incubators, corporate teams and industry summits.

Spoken at

IIM Kashipur Marketing SummitKeynote address
IIT KharagpurSpeaker, and Chief Judge of the startup pitching competition
ETBrandEquity Gaming SummitSpeaker
IAMAI's GATO 2021Speaker
The Ortus Club, SingaporeSpeaker
Sunstone UniversityVisiting Faculty, Digital Marketing

Talk topics

AI-driven growth and marketing ROI
Scaling consumer platforms to millions of users
Go-to-market for early-stage startups
Investor readiness and fundraising
Government schemes and grants for startups
Growth in gaming and Web3

Formats

Keynote
Workshop
Guest lecture
Bootcamp
Panel
Pitch-competition judging

Audiences

Universities & B-schools
Incubators & E-Cells
Corporate teams
Industry summits

Invite Suman to Speak

Full speaker bio

Suman Paul, Startup Growth & Strategy Advisor | Entrepreneurship Mentor | Startup Acceleration Consultant

Suman Paul is a startup growth and strategy advisor whose career spans more than twelve years at the intersection of marketing leadership, business strategy, and digital transformation. Having built and scaled ventures across D2C, e-commerce, gaming, blockchain, ed-tech, and healthcare, he brings to every advisory engagement the perspective of an operator who has been accountable for results.

As Chief Marketing Officer of Ability Games, he led the growth of the fantasy sports platform 11Wickets to more than five million registered users and over twenty thousand daily active users, sustaining a repeat rate of twenty percent while overseeing eight departments and a team of more than forty professionals. He subsequently served as Head of Digital Marketing at CFX Technologies, where he shaped the growth strategy for the blockchain gaming platform CoinFantasy and established the frameworks for acquisition, retention, and performance measurement that guided its expansion. Alongside these leadership roles, he has advised a number of early-stage B2B ventures on retention, content, and growth strategy.

Since 2022, Suman has mentored founders through the Entrepreneurship Cell at IIT Bombay, helping them refine their value propositions, validate their markets, prepare for investment, and chart a credible path to scale. His advisory focus encompasses startup acceleration, investor readiness, go-to-market strategy, performance marketing, customer acquisition and retention, and the application of artificial intelligence to growth.

His counsel is informed by rigorous academic grounding. He holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from the Swiss School of Business, where his research examined the role of artificial intelligence in marketing return on investment. He also holds a certification in Digital Strategy from Cambridge Judge Business School and completed an executive programme in digital marketing at IIM Kashipur, and he has served as Visiting Faculty in Digital Marketing at Sunstone University.

A respected voice within the startup and marketing community, Suman has delivered the keynote address at the IIM Kashipur Marketing Summit and has spoken at IIT Kharagpur, where he also presided as Chief Judge of the startup pitching competition, as well as at the ETBrandEquity Gaming Summit, IAMAI’s GATO 2021, and The Ortus Club in Singapore. Through each of these engagements, he remains devoted to equipping founders with the strategic clarity and practical frameworks required to transform ambitious ideas into enduring, scalable enterprises.

FAQ

Questions founders ask

Who do you work with?

Founders from idea stage to growth stage, across sectors including D2C, e-commerce, gaming, Web3, ed-tech, health-tech and B2B. Suman also works with colleges, incubators and organisations looking for a speaker, mentor or pitch-competition judge.

Can you guarantee funding or a government grant?

No, and be cautious of anyone who does. Investors and government bodies make their own decisions. Suman's job is to make your startup, your pitch and your applications as strong as they can be, so you go in with the best possible chance.

Do I need DPIIT recognition?

Usually, yes. Recognition from DPIIT (the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade) is required for central schemes such as the Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups, and it unlocks the startup tax holiday. Startups up to 10 years old (20 for deep tech) with turnover under ₹200 crore can apply. Suman can help you check eligibility and apply.

Which government schemes can my startup apply for?

It depends on your stage, sector, state and date of incorporation. Grants for proof of concept, seed funding, collateral-free credit, sector-specific programmes and state startup policies all have different rules. Mapping the right schemes is part of the initial assessment.

How does the accelerator program work?

You join the track that matches your stage: Launchpad, Validate, Accelerate or Scale. Scope, duration and format are agreed after a short assessment, so the program focuses on what will move your startup forward.

Can you help us prepare for investor meetings?

Yes. That includes the pitch deck and investor narrative, the financial model and valuation basics, and rehearsal for investor questions and due diligence.

What does it cost?

It depends on the track and the scope of support. Suman shares a clear proposal once he understands what you need. Apply with your details to start the conversation.

How do I invite Suman to speak at our event?

Use the enquiry form and choose "Invite to speak / workshop". Share the event, date, audience and the topic you have in mind. A ready-to-use speaker bio is available in the Speaking section.

Ready to build something investors want to back?

Tell Suman where your startup is today. He'll help you work out the next step.

Apply Now Invite to Speak

Build an investor-ready startup with an operator who has scaled one.