Bengaluru, India: A select group of SaaS, AI and Fintech founders came together in Bengaluru on 23 November for a morning that blended pickleball, breakfast and candid conversations. The gathering, hosted by Aditi Aggarwal (GTM Unbound) in partnership with Anand Balaji (Xflow) and Nithin Reddy (FinStackk), was designed to create a setting where founders could meet without presentations or formal networking rituals.
The morning unfolded in two parts - a pickleball session to break the ice, followed by purposeful peer-led discussions over breakfast . On the court, the friendly matches created an ease and energy that set the tone for the rest of the morning.
The relaxed pace encouraged exchanges that felt natural rather than rehearsed. As Aditi Aggarwal, Founder of GTM Unbound, noted, “At growth stage, relationships become one of the most enduring advantages a founder can cultivate. Curated formats like this help those relationships form in a more considered way. When the environment is not too formal, the dialogue becomes more honest and that honesty often leads to clarity on partnerships, expansion paths and the decisions that truly matter.”
Following the matches, founders gathered over breakfast for deeper discussions about what it takes to build globally from India. Topics ranged from emerging AI-powered financial systems to the realities of fundraising in an increasingly global market. Several founders reflected on how AI is changing the way early-stage companies think about cash flow, forecasting and decision-making.
Anand Balaji, Founder and CEO of Xflow, shared that mornings like these are becoming essential as more companies build across borders. “Indian companies today operate in a landscape where ambition is global from day one. Settings like this allow founders to compare notes on the practical realities of expanding across markets. These exchanges are valuable because they combine experience with perspective, which is essential when you’re building for a world that is changing in real time.”
The discussions highlighted how today’s founders are navigating AI-driven financial tools, modern CFO stacks and the operational demands of selling internationally. Nithin Reddy, Co-Founder of FinStackk, said that the setting played a big role in the quality of the discussions. “Founders often underestimate how much operational discipline shapes long-term outcomes. Conversations in smaller groups bring that as lived experience. When you hear how peers are structuring systems, building financial visibility or preparing for multi-market scale, it gives you a more calibrated lens. Mornings like this help founders realign on what ‘ready to scale’ actually means in practice.”
The morning reflects the broader work GTM Unbound has been doing to support cross-border founders through high-signal gatherings. Over the past year, the organisation has hosted founders through formats such as walks, roundtables, mixers, summits and community-led sessions that prioritise relationship-building over programming. The pickleball morning added a new dimension to this series by combining movement, community and strategic exchange in a way that felt both energising and substantive.
About GTM Unbound
GTM Unbound supports growth-stage technology companies in expanding across the US–India corridor through ecosystem evangelism, strategic partnerships and event-led go-to-market initiatives. The organisation works with founders to shape market entry strategies, build high-impact partnerships, access capital more effectively and plays an active role in strengthening cross-border innovation and enabling tech companies to scale globally.
About XFlow
Xflow simplifies cross-border payments for Indian startups. With a secure, compliant and founder-friendly platform, Xflow enables companies to collect international revenues, manage treasury, and access global growth opportunities without friction. Backed by leading investors, Xflow is building the financial rails for India’s next generation of global companies.
About FinStackk
FinStackk empowers startups with a modern CFO stack automating books, payroll and investor reporting. By transforming finance from a manual chore into a strategic asset, FinStackk enables founders to make confident decisions, scale efficiently, and build lasting trust with stakeholders.
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