NetApp Excellerator Cohort-14 Demo Day Showcases India’s Deep-Tech Startups Driving AI and Cloud Innovation

NetApp, the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, today hosted the Demo Day for the 14th cohort of its flagship accelerator program – NetApp Excellerator. The event brought together some of the most promising deep-tech startups working at the intersection of AI, data, and cloud. The event showcased how the selected startups are redefining possibilities in enterprise technology, responsible AI, and digital infrastructure.

The Demo Day marked the culmination of an intensive, mentorship-driven journey for Synthefy, Filo Systems, TrueFoundry, Sentra, and Genloop.ai — five innovative startups that were part of the current cohort. Over the past few months, these startups worked closely with NetApp’s global leadership and technology experts to fine-tune their solutions, build scalable go-to-market models, and explore proof-of-concept (PoC) opportunities with NetApp customers and partners.

“Through NetApp Excellerator, we aim to nurture innovation that has real-world impact — supporting startups building the next generation of data and AI infrastructure. Each cohort reinforces our belief that collaboration between startups and established enterprises can accelerate meaningful change,” said Vasanthi Ramesh, VP & Engineering Head, NetApp India. “As we celebrate another successful Demo Day, we’re proud to see how these founders are pushing boundaries and strengthening India’s position as a global innovation hub.”

Speaking about the impact of the program, Anuraag Gutgutia, COO, Co-Founder, TrueFoundry, shared, “NetApp Excellerator has been instrumental in refining our platform which will help us scale our business vision. The mentorship, technical guidance, and access to NetApp’s network with real business value delivered, helped us accelerate faster than we imagined while building for global markets with confidence.”

Since its inception in 2017, NetApp Excellerator has emerged as one of India’s leading corporate accelerator programs, dedicated to empowering deep-tech and AI-led startups. To date, the program has accelerated 90 startups over eight years and 13 cohorts. Its alumni have collectively raised over USD 600 million, and eight startups have achieved successful exits. Recognized among the top five accelerator programs in India for corporate innovation by the NexTT Awards, NetApp Excellerator continues to play a pivotal role in building innovation-driven businesses.

As the Demo Day for Cohort 14 concluded, the spotlight was on collaboration, responsible innovation, and the power of India’s deep-tech ecosystem to drive future-ready solutions. With each new cohort, NetApp continues to strengthen its mission to empower startups that are building for scale, sustainability, and global relevance.

About NetApp

For more than three decades, NetApp has helped the world’s leading organizations navigate change – from the rise of enterprise storage to the intelligent era defined by data and AI. Today, NetApp is the Intelligent Data Infrastructure company, helping customers turn data into a catalyst for innovation, resilience, and growth.

At the heart of that infrastructure is the NetApp data platform – the unified, enterprise-grade, intelligent foundation that connects, protects, and activates data across every cloud, workload, and environment. Built on the proven power of NetApp ONTAP, our leading data management software and OS, and enhanced by automation through the AI Data Engine and AFX, it delivers observability, resilience, and intelligence at scale.

Disaggregated by design, the NetApp data platform separates storage, services, and control so enterprises can modernize faster, scale efficiently, and innovate without lock-in. As the only enterprise storage platform natively embedded in the world’s largest clouds, it gives organizations the freedom to run any workload anywhere with consistent performance, governance, and protection.

With NetApp, data is always ready – ready to defend against threats, ready to power AI, and ready to drive the next breakthrough. That’s why the world’s most forward-thinking enterprises trust NetApp to turn intelligence into advantage.

NETAPP, the NETAPP logo, and the marks listed at www.netapp.com/TM are trademarks of NetApp, Inc. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

i-Hub Gujarat and India Accelerator Launch ‘Sanjeevan Healthcare Accelerator Program’ to Empower Healthcare Startups

i-Hub Gujarat, the state’s flagship startup and innovation hub under the Education Department, Government of Gujarat, in collaboration with India Accelerator (IA), India’s leading fund-led accelerator, has launched the Sanjeevan Healthcare Accelerator Program—a 12-week initiative to nurture and scale promising healthcare startups.

The program is designed to strengthen India’s healthcare ecosystem by helping startups achieve market readiness, access funding, and grow sustainably. Selected ventures will benefit from structured capacity-building sessions, one-on-one mentorship with healthcare experts, tailored go-to-market strategies, and access to industry networks and investors. The program will conclude with a high-impact Investor Demo Day, giving founders a platform to showcase their innovations to top venture funds and healthcare leaders.

Hiranmay Mahanta, CEO, i-Hub Gujarat, said: “At i-Hub Gujarat, our vision is to create pathways from ‘Mind-to-Market’ by fostering innovation and entrepreneurship across the state. The Sanjeevan Healthcare Accelerator, in collaboration with India Accelerator, marks an important step in empowering innovators to deliver impactful healthcare solutions that strengthen India’s healthcare ecosystem and reinforce Gujarat’s position as a leading hub for innovation.”

Munish Bhatia, Co-Founder, India Accelerator, added “At India Accelerator, we believe in fund-led, ecosystem-driven growth. Sanjeevan is designed to empower healthcare entrepreneurs with the right mix of mentorship, networks, and capital. This accelerator will act as a catalyst for early and growth-stage startups, helping them scale innovations that can touch lives at large.”

The 12-week Sanjeevan Healthcare Accelerator will provide startups with expert mentorship, tailored go-to-market support, and access to networks, markets, and strategic partners. The program will conclude with an Investor Demo Day, giving founders the chance to pitch to leading funds and healthcare stakeholders.

Applications are open for early and growth-stage healthcare startups until 15th September 2025, with the cohort starting in September 2025.

• More details: indiaaccelerator.co/sanjeevan-accelerator-program.

About i-Hub Gujarat

i-Hub Gujarat, established under SSIP by the Education Department, Government of Gujarat, is a Section 8 company envisioned as a catalyst for building an end-to-end innovation and entrepreneurial ecosystem in Gujarat. With modern infrastructure, focused mentoring, and access to networks and capital, i-Hub empowers young innovators to transform ideas into impactful enterprises. Gujarat’s pioneering efforts through SSIP have earned it the title of Best Performer in State Startup Ranking 2018 by the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, Government of India.

About India Accelerator

Founded in 2017, India Accelerator is a multi-stage, fund-led accelerator recognized as one of India’s leading platforms for nurturing startups across diverse sectors. With expertise spanning Defense Tech, AI, Energy, Mobility, Sustainability, Healthtech, Consumer and more, IA provides startups with mentorship, industry linkages, capital access, and global networks. Through its fund-led model and collaborative ecosystem, IA has emerged as a key player in supporting early-stage and growth-stage startups in India and abroad.

Tata Steel, IIT Bhubaneswar & India Accelerator Launch TomorrowLAB to Fast-Track Startup Innovation

Tata Steel signed an MoU with IIT Bhubaneswar Research & Entrepreneurship Park (IIT BBSR REP) and India Accelerator (IA) to jointly launch a 6-month long TomorrowLAB Accelerator Programme for emerging startups, on August 13, 2025. This programme will go live in September 2025, and aims to empower startups, offering a tailored environment that nurtures their growth, facilitates industry connections, and accelerates their journeys.

TomorrowLAB Accelerator Programme is planned as one of the initiatives under the MoU signed between Tata Steel and IIT BBSR REP in February 2024 to foster innovation. The programme aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry, creating a dynamic environment for startups to thrive while providing valuable resources and mentorship to turn entrepreneurial ideas into viable and sustainable businesses. Startups looking to apply for this programme should ideally possess a minimum viable product (MVP) and demonstrate early market traction.

Subodh Pandey, Vice President - Technology, R&D, NMB and Graphene, Tata Steel, said: “Tata Steel has been working with industry and academia partners for the last several years to accelerate our sustainability agenda. We see huge potential within the startup ecosystem in India where young innovators are working to build solutions for some of the most difficult business challenges. Odisha is playing a significant role in boosting the startup ecosystem with initiatives such as ‘100 Cube’. TomorrowLAB Accelerator Programme is yet another step in the same direction and holds great potential to become the innovation hub of Eastern India.”

The programme would entail engagement with startups across India. IIT Bhubaneswar will be the hub of all the activities, supported by India Accelerator. The key objectives of the programme are:

• Facilitating mentorship, capacity-building workshops, and technical assistance for startups.
• Providing access to funding, business advisory services, and commercialisation opportunities.
• Leveraging IA’s and IIT BBSR REP’s network for strategic partnerships, business development, and market access for startups.
• Strengthening Tata Steel’s engagement with the dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Odisha and beyond.

The programme will also serve as a structured engagement for Tata Steel with startups working in areas relevant to its growth journey such as water, waste heat recovery, and robotics & automation. The Company will engage select startups from the cohort with relevant solutions for doing a pilot after the programme ends.

Tata Steel has also been closely collaborating with India’s and the international startup ecosystem under TomorrowLAB, the Company’s flagship start-up engagement programme, to address challenges in the steel value chain and other identified interest areas.

From Cloud Security to Custom LLMs: NetApp’s Cohort 14 Powers AI’s Boldest Leap Yet

• 90 startups now benefit from this flagship program
• 29 POCs executed by participant startups

NetApp, the intelligent data infrastructure company, kicked off a new chapter in innovation with the launch of Cohort 14 of its flagship startup accelerator program - NetApp Excellerator. The cohort reflects the growing influence of AI in business, featuring five high-potential startups—from pre-seed to Series B funded, focused on cutting-edge innovations in AI infrastructure and allied offerings.

The five startups that form Cohort 14 include: Synthefy, Filo Systems, Sentra, TrueFoundry, and Genloop.ai. The startups were chosen for their works across areas including customisable LLMs, cloud security, multi-modal generative AI models, and more. The startups from Israel and the USA demonstrate India’s mettle as a global hub of innovation and its leadership in advanced technologies.

The participating startups bring to the table a range of innovative solutions that support the growth of AI infrastructure. Synthefy develops advanced algorithms, neural networks, and deep learning models, including the world's first foundation model for multi-modal time series data. Filo Systems’ offerings are designed to optimise storage and bandwidth usage, while Genloop.ai enables rapid deployment of LLMs, transforming proprietary data into tailored AI solutions.

Speaking on the launch of the cohort, Vasanthi Ramesh, Managing Director, NetApp India, said, "We're excited to welcome and partner with startups that are building transformative solutions using advanced technologies. The maturity stage and the focus area of each of the participating startups reflect our ongoing commitment to innovation with AI. Through the program, we offer resources, mentorship, and technological expertise they need to scale. I am looking forward to the collaborative success and witnessing how these AI-focused startups will shape the future of tech on a global stage."

The NetApp Excellerator program was launched in 2017 and has evolved to become one of the most sought-after accelerator programs in the country. Alumni from the program have collectively raised over $600Mn, out of which $25Mn was raised in the last three months alone - serving as a testament to the success of the program.

Talking about the expectation from the program, Yoav Regev, CEO, Sentra, said, "As organisations rapidly adopt AI, the need for intelligent, scalable, and privacy-first security is pivotal. We see this program as an incredible opportunity to combine forces, deepen our technology, provide better solutions to our customers, and help global organisations safeguard what matters the most: their data. And we are excited that we are partnering with a leader in the space that shares our vision!”

The program, recognised as one of the top five accelerator programs in India for corporate innovation by NexTT Awards, includes a proof-of-concept (PoC) model that allows entrepreneurs to demonstrate the effectiveness of their solutions in the real world. In collaboration with NetApp, the startups refine their minimum viable products (MVPs) and identify new use cases. This information is then used to develop their go-to-market strategies.

For more information or to apply, please visit http://startup.netapp.in/ and follow #NetAppExcellerator on social media at @NetAppIndia

NetApp Excellerator Cohort 14 startups, at a glance:

S.No.	Startup	Focus Area	Website	Brief Description
1	Synthefy	advanced algorithms, neural networks, and deep learning models	https://www.synthefy.com/	Synthefy develops advanced algorithms, neural networks, and deep learning models, including the "world's first foundation model for multi-modal time series data?. Their GenAI technology allows customers to unlock insights from their time series data. They synthesize a digital twin for a network based on application traffic types, network topology, cell location, and system logs.
2	Filo Systems	Data compression technology	https://www.filo.systems/	Filo Systems offerings are designed to optimise storage and bandwidth usage. Their flagship product offers a high-performance compression engine that significantly reduces data size, improving download speeds and network efficiency. By leveraging cutting-edge technology, Filo Systems helps businesses lower operational costs, accelerate data transfers, and enhance overall system performance.
3	Sentra	Cloud security	https://www.sentra.io/	Sentra employs advanced ML techniques for autonomous classification of both structured and unstructured data, ensuring accurate identification and management of sensitive information across diverse environments, including cloud and on-premises systems.
4	TrueFoundry	ML training and deployment	https://www.truefoundry.com/	TrueFoundry provides a cloud-native Platform as a Service designed for machine learning teams to build, deploy, and manage ML and LLM applications on their own cloud or on-premises infrastructure, offering significant scalability and cost efficiency
5	Genloop.ai	Customised LLMs	https://genloop.ai/	Genloop.ai?s platform enables rapid deployment of LLMs, transforming proprietary data into tailored AI solutions while ensuring 100% data privacy through secure ingestion and automated data cleaning.

IDSR, Gujarat University and IA (India Accelerator) Launch Accelerator for Defense & Aerospace Startups — 'ADVAIT’

In a bold move to strengthen India's defense innovation ecosystem, Institute for Defence Studies and Research (IDSR), Gujarat University and India Accelerator (IA) have announced the launch of ADVAIT — a strategic accelerator program designed to empower startups building cutting-edge technologies for defense and aerospace applications.

Coming at a time when India’s defence budget has surpassed ₹6 lakh crore and with a growing thrust on self-reliance under the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, ADVAIT is poised to play a catalytic role in nurturing next-generation defence startups. The program will focus on early and growth-stage ventures working in key areas such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, space tech, advanced materials, cybersecurity, and surveillance.

Sharing his thoughts and vision for ADVAIT, Ashish Bhatia, Founder & CEO, IA, said-

India is at an inflection point where our startups are not just solving commercial problems but are stepping up to serve national priorities. With ADVAIT, we’re creating a platform that gives these startups the tools, mentorship, and ecosystem support they need to build for Bharat’s strategic edge.

Echoing this vision and elaborating on the program’s strategic framework, Mr. Arindam Mukhopadhyay, Partner at IA commented,

ADVAIT is not just another startup program — it’s a mission to fast-track national security innovation. By bringing startups, academia, and industry into one unified platform, we’re building an engine for next-generation defense capability.

At its core, ADVAIT is structured around the Tripod Approach — a unique model that leverages the combined strengths of Industry, Academia, and Startups. This ensures that innovations emerging from the program are not only technically sound but also market-ready and strategically aligned with national priorities.

This collaborative framework delivers distinct value to all participants. The applications for the program are open from 5th May’25. Selected startups will gain access to domain-specific mentorship, opportunities to work on live problem statements from the defence sector, collaboration avenues with established industry players, and potential funding support. This initiative also gives academia a meaningful platform to translate its research into real-world impact, while fostering entrepreneurship on campus. Industry players, meanwhile, benefit from access to disruptive, cost-effective innovations with faster go-to-market timelines.

“This is a unique moment for India’s defense sector — one where innovation is no longer limited to labs or large contractors. Through ADVAIT, we’re enabling a new breed of defense-ready startups,” said Mr. Srinivasa Rao Sureddi, CEO, IDSR.

With this initiative, IDSR, IA and Gujarat University are laying the foundation for India’s future in defense tech, one startup at a time.

Hyundai Motor Group Invites Startups for 2024 First-half ZER01NE Accelerator

• Hyundai Motor Group invites startups to apply for the 2024 first-half innovation program to collaborate with Hyundai and Kia on future technologies
• Startups can apply to one of seven projects under three different tech themes, including Software-Defined Vehicle, Smart Factory, and ESG
• Submissions are to be accepted from February 19 to March 10, and results will be announced in April

Hyundai Motor Group (the Group) announced its 2024 first-half ZER01NE Accelerator program, an open innovation platform to facilitate collaboration between startups and the Group on various projects. This program aims to discover valuable startups and explore the possibilities of strategic use of their innovative technologies.

Startups can apply to one of seven global projects derived by the Group’s internal teams under three key themes: two Software-Defined Vehicle (SDV) projects, two Smart Factory projects, and three Environmental·Social·Governance (ESG) projects. Each startup is limited to one specific project.

The Group’s organizations that are responsible for technology developments are directly involved in reviewing and recruiting the applicants for each project. Only registered corporations will be eligible for consideration and can submit their proposal on the official application website from February 19 to March 10. Results will be announced in April.

Selected startups will be provided with a project development budget and could be evaluated for equity investments.

Since the Group introduced the ZER01NE Accelerator in 2018, 150 teams from 11 affiliates of the Group and 177 startups have worked together on 128 collaborative projects. This has led to 96 startups successfully receiving equity investments from the Group.

Last year, three global startups were selected and are currently engaged in collaborative projects focused on lithium metal battery, teleoperation, and cold-spray metal 3D printing solutions.

More details about the ZER01NE Accelerator can be found on the program’s official website.

Amazon India Named Mirana Toys, Avimee Herbal, Performa As Winners of Its Propel Startup Accelerator Season 3

• Winners get a cumulative $100K in grant from Amazon
• The season 3 finalists get a cumulative $1M+ in AWS credits, logistics support, account management support and more.
• In three seasons, Propel Accelerator has helped 150+ Indian startups launch in global markets.

Amazon India has announced Mirana Toys, Avimee Herbal and Perfora as winners of the Amazon Global Selling Propel Startup Accelerator (Propel Accelerator) Season 3. The winners cumulatively got $100K in grant from Amazon. Mirana Toys, combines digital and physical play through app-controlled augmented reality games and offers a range of innovative smart toys. Avimee Herbal, founded by 85-year-old Radha Krishna Choudhary, aka Nanaji, is a hair care solution brand rooted in Ayurveda, offering effective, century-old remedies for everyday hair concerns. Perfora focuses on elevating everyday oral care with clean ingredients and good design. It is India's first made-safe certified oral health brand and a member of the "1% for the planet" community.

Propel Accelerator Season 3 was launched in March 2023 in association with VC (venture capital) firms Accel, Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund, DSG Consumer Partners, Fireside Ventures, Peak XV, V3 Ventures as well as revenue-based-financing firms including Klub and Velocity. The third season got an overwhelming response with 1,200+ applications by startups and emerging brands from 140 cities across India. 47 startups were selected as finalists including brands like Giva, Mokobara, Open Secret and others. The winners and all the finalists also received $1 million (cumulative) in AWS Activate credits.

The program included an 8-week accelerator as part of which Amazon leaders from India, VC partners and others engaged with the finalists through focused workshops, 1:1 mentorship on the global demand patterns and insights on building successful exports businesses through e-commerce. Amazon also hosted virtual mentorship sessions focused on peer learning by inviting veteran entrepreneurs to interact with the cohort. For the first time, the program featured a unique bootcamp to help the season 3 finalists launch their products on at least one Amazon marketplace globally. As part of this, they received dedicated 1:1 support from Amazon account management teams, along with guidance on their product category and advertising support.

Finally, the 10 top finalists shortlisted by a multidisciplinary panel got an opportunity to pitch to a distinguished jury including Prayag Mohanty from Fireside Ventures, Shraeyansh Thakur from Peak XV, Preetham N from Amazon Smbhav Venture Fund, Pooja Shirali from DSG Consumer Partners and Abhiram Bhalerao from V3 Ventures. The jury evaluated the pitches on a variety of parameters including business idea and story, product market fit, business metrics in launched markets and global expansion plans. The jury announced Mirana Toys, Avimee Herbal and Perfora as winners of the Propel Accelerator Season 3.

Bhupen Wakankar, Director Global Trade at Amazon India said - “I would like to congratulate all the winners and the finalists from Propel Accelerator Season 3. It’s heartening to see such entrepreneurial spirit, innovation and the ambition of building global brands from startups in different parts of the country. It’s a testament to the rapid adoption of ecommerce exports amongst Indian small businesses and D2C brands. I would also like to thank all our partners for their support in creating a springboard for Indian entrepreneurs to create global brands from India. We will continue to work with businesses of all sizes, helping them take their products to customers across the world and enable $20B in cumulative ecommerce exports from India by 2025.”

The winner of Propel Accelerator Season 3, Devansh Sharma, Co-Founder of Mirana Toys, said – “Mirana Toys was established with the aim to be a global toy brand with its foundation being engineering and technology to deliver innovative toys to kids around the world. Amazon marketplace has been the most important partner in fulfilling our vision in India. The Propel programme guided us to explore the global market and it has been the most wonderful opportunity to take our products global. Amazon propel has helped us in every aspect of selling globally. Over the past few months, we've had numerous opportunities to engage with industry leaders, venture capitalists, and peers, gaining invaluable insights into the intricacies of establishing a global business, catering to diverse global customer preferences. Using the above support and guidance we did our pilot of selling on Amazon USA in past 6 months and it has grown successfully, we are now confident to scale our business to multiple new global markets in the coming years.”

“One of the most memorable experiences of being in Propel Accelerator Season 3 was the peer networking meet up in Delhi where we spent the afternoon with other brand heads selling on the program. It was a tremendous value add to be in the room with peers and the Amazon Global Selling team learning from their experience and insights” – Chef Gauri, Founder, Confect.

More about Amazon Global Selling Propel Accelerator

Launched in January 2021, Amazon Global Selling Propel Accelerator is designed to help early-stage startups in the consumer products space expand globally and become international brands. Through the program, Amazon has enabled over 150+ Indian startups to launch in global markets. As a part of the program, a cohort of select startups receive 1:1 mentorship from industry leaders, a platform to interact with investors and receive handholding support in going global. Solethreads, EcoRight and Go Desi were the winners of the second season, whereas Slurrp Farm, Sirona and Wellbeing Nutrition were the winners of the inaugural season in 2021.

About AWS Activate Credits

All finalists of the Propel Accelerator season 3 got $1M+ (cumulative) in cloud computing credits through the AWS Activate program, which provides early-stage startups with a host of benefits, including AWS credits, technical support, and training.

About Amazon Global Selling

Amazon Global Selling is a flagship program that helps lower the entry barrier for Indian MSMEs to start or expand their exports business using ecommerce. The program was launched in India in 2015 to support Indian exporters to reach customers worldwide through Amazon’s international websites and marketplaces. It provides an avenue for businesses of all sizes to build global brands. Today there are more than 1.25 lakh exporters across India on the program, showcasing millions of Made in India products to customers in 200+ countries and territories across the world. Many of these businesses are first generation entrepreneurs and emerging brands. Amazon Global Selling has been witnessing remarkable growth and Indian MSMEs exporting through the program have surpassed $8 billion in cumulative sales till now. Amazon has pledged to enable $20 billion in cumulative. 

AWS Launches Its 1st Space Tech Accelerator Program in India, with T-Hub, and Minfy

14-week dynamic program to propel innovation in India’s space economy, which is poised to reach USD 44 billion by 2033[1]

Amazon Web Services (AWS) India Private Limited* today announced the AWS Space Accelerator: India, a technical, business, and mentorship opportunity designed to foster startups focused on space technology, and accelerate their development, with support from, T-Hub, and Minfy. This is AWS’s first accelerator program in India focused on startups in the space sector, and follows the MoU it signed with ISRO and IN-SPACe in September last year, which envisions to nurture startups in space-tech, and support innovation in the sector.

The 14-week accelerator program will provide India-based startups dedicated business resources, expertise, and guidance around technology and business capabilities, and help them leverage AWS to build, grow, and scale their missions. The program is open to both early-stage and mature startups based in India whose missions support the space sector, who need a technology platform for their ideas, and are looking to accelerate their growth and investment opportunities.

Interested startups can learn more and register at this link by March 17th, 2024.

Space tech startups operate in a high-risk environment that requires significant capital investment and access to a skilled workforce, and need to undertake significant technology development and testing. The accelerator program seeks to address these challenges by providing space tech startups an opportunity to build and test their solutions using simulation technologies on AWS before making capital investments, allowing them to rapidly experiment at a low-cost, and enhance their solutions, before launching and scaling them.

Startups qualifying for the program can receive an array of benefits, including: up to US$100,000 in AWS credits, as well as guidance from experts at ISRO, IN-SPACe, and AWS, and business and technology support from T-Hub and Minfy, an AWS Premier Partner. Startups will learn about space domain technologies and applications, and how to leverage space data and build scalable solutions using cloud computing, data analytics, and machine learning, including the potential to apply generative artificial intelligence (AI).

There are various use cases for space technology, including in agriculture, aviation, climate change, disaster management, financial services, maritime, and wildlife and environment conservation, where startups can play a key role to develop impactful solutions. For example, as per an AWS commissioned report titled “Realizing a Cloud-enabled Economy: How Cloud Drives Economic and Societal Impact Through Small Businesses”, cloud-enabled small businesses in India can help unlock ₹1.1 trillion in annual productivity benefits in agriculture, and one in nine farms will use precision agriculture solutions that enhance productivity by 2030, representing a 300% increase compared to the current usage rate.

“Cloud computing is crucial to power the future of the space industry. It enables space-tech startups to harness high-performance computing resources to perform intensive data analysis, apply machine learning models, and innovate in their missions, while achieving lower cost of operations, faster time-to-market, and deployment at scale,” said Clint Crosier, Director, Aerospace and Satellite, AWS Inc. “Technologies such as generative AI open transformative opportunities for space-tech, and we are committed to help startups innovate and develop sustainable solutions for the space sector.”

“The launch of AWS’s first space accelerator for India-based startups directly supports our commitment to the Indian space industry through our MoU with ISRO, and IN-SPACe, announced last year,” said Shalini Kapoor, Director and Chief Technologist, Public Sector, AWS India Private Limited. “India has world-class talent in the space sector, and we look forward to collaborating with ISRO, IN-SPACe, T-Hub and Minfy through this initiative to nurture space-tech innovation in the country.”

ISRO, as part of its focus to create awareness on space-tech and develop India’s space sector, will explore the provisions of the MoU with AWS, and extend the necessary support, in line with the prevailing guidelines of the department, to foster startup innovation in the country, including supporting the accelerator program through educational workshops and seminars for startups. It will facilitate and inspire budding startups, nurturing the next generation of space technologists from India.

IN-SPACe, based on the Government of India’s vision to boost the country’s space economy and to promote private sector organisations in the space sector, will support the accelerator program as per the framework in place within the Department of Space, to collaborate with the space-tech community in India.

T-Hub will provide startups insights into essential aspects such as business establishment, fundraising strategies, and finetuning pitch presentations. “We are excited to support the AWS Space Accelerator program in India,” said Mahankali Srinivas Rao, CEO, T-Hub. “This program is set to propel innovation, foster collaboration, and strengthen the startup ecosystem in India. With T-Hub’s dedicated mentorship, hands-on technical support, and a vibrant alumni network, we are committed to helping startups reach new heights in the space sector."

Minfy will run a series of sessions by its technical experts, covering topics including foundational AWS knowledge, advanced cloud architecture, aligning with the AWS Well-Architected Framework, and securing workloads, enabling startups for accelerated development. “Through the AWS India Space Accelerator program, we aim to empower startups to build secure and scalable solutions by leveraging cloud and AI,” said Raj Chilakapati, global pre-sales leader, Minfy. “With our years of knowledge and experience of helping hundreds of customers build successfully on AWS, we are committed to help startups be well poised for innovation and growth.”

Applications for the AWS Space Accelerator: India program are now open for submission. Applications will be judged on several factors, including the unique or innovative scope of the startup’s solution, product-market fit, the overall value the solution can bring to space-tech innovation and space sustainability, the creative application of AWS technology to solve problems, and the team’s ability to deliver on the identified opportunity.

The AWS Space Accelerator: India is part of AWS’s commitment to support startup innovation in the space sector globally. AWS has previously conducted three editions of the AWS Space Accelerator program for startups to participate from around the world, which are being leveraged by multiple startups to strengthen and scale their solutions, including startups like Blue Sky Analytics, founded in India and based in the Netherlands, and Kawa, headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in India.

About Amazon Web Services (AWS) 

Since 2006, Amazon Web Services has been the world’s most comprehensive and broadly adopted cloud. AWS has been continually expanding its services to support virtually any workload, and it now has more than 240 fully featured services for compute, storage, databases, networking, analytics, machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI), Internet of Things (IoT), mobile, security, hybrid, media, and application development, deployment, and management from 105 Availability Zones within 33 geographic regions, with announced plans for 12 more Availability Zones and four more AWS Regions in Malaysia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the AWS European Sovereign Cloud. Millions of customers—including the fastest-growing startups, largest enterprises, and leading government agencies—trust AWS to power their infrastructure, become more agile, and lower costs. To learn more about AWS, visit aws.amazon.com.

*About Amazon Web Services (AWS) India Private Limited

AWS India Private Limited undertakes the resale and marketing of AWS Cloud services in India.

Meet The 20 AI-first Startups from Google for Startups Accelerator: India Class-8 Program

Google has announced the eighth class of Google for Startups Accelerator: India, featuring 20 AI-first startups in the Seed to Series A stage who were selected from over 720 applications across the country.

From antibody discovery to identifying fraud detection, SMB outreach, & streamlining developer tasks, these selected startups are solving diverse challenges & crafting solutions using AI.

Meet the 20 startups joining the eighth class of the Google for Startups Accelerator: India program that are innovating responsibly with AI:

1. Beatoven.ai - AI-powered royalty-free background music creation platform for content creators.
2. DhiWise - An AI-powered DevTool that enables developers to deliver production-ready source code for Web and Mobile apps 10x faster for all kinds of apps.
3. Endimension - End-to-End AI platform for radiology diagnosis.
4. FilterPixel - AI software that saves hours by automatically selecting the best photos from thousands of photos & then editing them automatically as per the style of the photographer.
5. GalaxEye Space - Building next-generation imaging satellites using multiple sensors and Generative AI for night/cloud-proof imaging.
6. Gan.ai - A video personalization platfor3m that leverages Generative AI to create personalized videos at scale from a single recording.
7. Goodmeetings - A Generative AI-driven video sales platform that helps salespeople sell 10X better on video.
8. immunitoAI - A TechBio company developing AI-generated novel antibody therapeutics with pre-defined drug properties.
9. Kalam - A personalized mentorship and discipline-facilitating learning ecosystem using AI, addressing the challenges of affordability and accessibility to quality education in India.
10. Keploy - Open-source TestGPT toolkit for automating integration testing, converting network calls to test cases and data mocks for APIs, and enabling production incident replays.
11. Mugafi - Reshaping entertainment through Ved, an AI copilot that empowers storytellers to effortlessly create captivating novels or scripts, transcending traditional storytelling boundaries.
12. NeuroPixel.AI - A deep tech startup working in the intersection of Generative AI and Computer Vision, primarily focused on fashion e-commerce.
13. Onward Assist - Helps improve cancer outcomes by assisting the cancer biopsy reporting process through an AI-based solution that assists cancer pathologists with accurate scoring, tumor detection and workflow software.
14. Pepper Content - A content marketing platform that helps companies scale content marketing through expert talent and Generative AI.
15. Prescinto - AI-powered SaaS platform that regularly collects renewable energy plant (solar, wind, storage) data, applies ML/AI models to this data to identify causes for underperformance and suggests work orders to increase electricity generation from these renewable plants.
16. Presentations.AI - An AI-powered platform that lets everyone effortlessly create stunning presentations faster than ever before.
17. SpoofSense.ai - Helps businesses detect identity fraud using computer vision.
18. Wright Research - Revolutionizes investment in India with AI-driven, personalized quantitative strategies, delivering exceptional performance and risk management through a user-friendly, transparent digital platform.
19. Zocket - AI-powered SaaS platform for SMBs to grow their business with high-performing digital ads.
20. ZuAI - AI self study buddy for students.

The program has been kickstarted this week with a week long in-person bootcamp that includes training workshops and mentorship support around product, design, tech, growth, and people.

Since 2016, Google's accelerator programs have played a pivotal role in helping leading startups in India and worldwide to grow and address some of the world's most pressing challenges. Google has recently launched its inaugural Accelerator Impact Report, highlighting the impact that over 1100 startup alumni from the Google for Startups Accelerator programs have made within their industries and ecosystems.

Google for Startups Accelerator: India program offers 3-month, equity-free accelerator programs for Indian technology startups between Seed to Series A.

Selected startups receive expert mentorship and support around AI/ML, Cloud, UX, Android, Web, Product Strategy and Growth. In addition to Google technical project support, Accelerator programs include deep dives and workshops focused on product design, customer acquisition, and leadership.

IIT Ropar Launches Deeptech Startup Accelerator Program for Innovation in Agriculture and Water Technology

SAMRIDHI Conclave, a deeptech startup acceleration drive inaugurated at IIT Ropar

IIT Ropar has announced the launch of SAMRIDHI, a Deeptech Startup Accelerator Program. SAMRIDHI, is a Holistic Initiative for ICPS Startups, focusing on the transformative domains of agriculture and water.

The Governor of Punjab and Administrator of Chandigarh, Mr. Banwarilal Purohit, inaugurated a Deeptech Startup Accelerator Program dedicated to catalyzing innovation in agriculture and water technology called SAMRIDHI (Strategic Acceleration for Market, Research, Innovation & Development: a Holistic Initiative for ICPS Startups) hosted by iHub AwaDH, a Technology and Innovation Hubs set up UNDER National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS).

The SAMRIDHI conclave in which five strategic collaborations were formalized, featured five deep-tech innovations. A total of 13 startups shortlisted through rigorous evaluation, presented their ideas while 25 startups showcased their solutions at the exhibition. More than 30 experts spoke on strategic acceleration for market research, innovation, and development.

Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Secretary of the Science and Engineering Research Board; Senior Adviser, DST, GoI, reinforced the efforts taken by the NMICPS to orchestrate the Technology Self-reliant Atmanirbhar Bharat. Mission Director of NM on ICPS Dr Ekta Kapoor, projected the key highlights of the mission leading to CPS technology interventions across sectors such as agriculture infrastructure health, defence, and environment.

Prof. Rajeev Ahuja, Director of IIT Ropar, Prof. Renu Vig, Vice Chancellor of Panjab University, Chandigarh, Dr Pushpendra Pal Singh, Project Director, AwaDH and Mr. Amitabh Nag, CEO of Bhashini Digital India were also present on the ocassion. The event emphasized DST's pivotal role in shaping the future of technology in the region through NMICPS. The Mission has led to the generation of 311 technologies, 549 technology products and created 1613 CPS research bases and contributed to more than 60000 cps skilling.

The conclave organised by IIT Ropar’s Technology and Innovation Hub AwaDH was supported by 46 investment partners, and over 50 jury members evaluated and mentored the startups. Over 110 partners nationwide actively contributed to driving innovation and fostering technological self-reliance. The program is executed with the Department of Science & Technology (DST), Government of India, under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM – ICPS), reinforcing DST's commitment to advancing technology and innovation.

IIM Sambalpur Receives $2 Mn Funding for Startup Incubation Center on Its 9th Foundation Day

Also Inks Pact with India Accelerator to Promote Entrepreneurship Ecosystem

IIM Sambalpur celebrated its 9th Foundation Day with the Theme: “Accelerating Startup’s Ecosystems”. Mr. Sushant Kumar, ESKYEN Ventures committed fund of 2 million USD to Incubation Centre of IIM Sambalpur to promote start-ups and entrepreneurship. Also an MoU signed between IIM Sambalpur & India Accelerator to build entrepreneurial capacity for the incubates of IIM Sambalpur.

The program was address by Shri. Dharmendra Pradhan, Hon’ble Minister of Education, Skill Development & Entrepreneurship, GoI as the Chief Guest.

During the event, the Chief Guest, Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Union Education Minister of the Government of India, congratulated IIM Sambalpur on its Ninth Foundation Day through a video message. He praised the alliances and partnerships that IIM Sambalpur has formed with businesses like India Accelerator, SIDBI, and Flipkart, highlighting their importance in fostering entrepreneurs and assisting the livelihoods of local weavers and craftsmen. In his inspirational speech, he urged the students to use innovation, inclusivity, and integrity - the three pillars of IIM Sambalpur - as their compass points in all their activities. He acknowledged that IIM Sambalpur had given them the knowledge and abilities necessary for professional success and urged them to constantly remember their greater purpose, strive for excellence, give back to society, and uphold the values that will cause India to become a developed country by 2047.

The Guest of Honour, Mr. Sushant Kumar, Founder & Principal of ESKEYN Ventures & Indus Capital, USA, underscored the vital role of confidence in early investors like Ram Shriram, who was the first investor in Google and supported Larry Page and Sergey Brin, even during the company's unprofitable years. He shed light on the enormous obstacles that companies must overcome by empathizing with the primary worries that frequently plague them, such as fundraising, loan repayments, and job stability. Additionally, Mr. Kumar revealed major funding for an incubation center at IIM Sambalpur totaling $2 million. He commended the dynamic leadership of Professor Jaiswal and his team, assuring that the project's implementation would commence shortly.

The Keynote Speaker, Mr Hiranmaya Mahanta, CEO, i-HUB Gujarat shared a story of Stanford University's innovative spirit. Stanford got $50,000 from the U.S. State Department's innovation fund when it was established in 1939, but their strategy for fostering innovation made them a force to be reckoned with. In a similar vein, he believed that IIM Sambalpur might take the lead in promoting entrepreneurship and innovation thanks to Dr. Jaiswal's inspirational leadership. The institute, like Stanford University, has a fantastic opportunity to influence the future.

Additionally, he encouraged students to adopt an innovative mindset, take prudent chances, and not be afraid to ask questions.

In the welcome address, Prof. Mahadeo Jaiswal, Director, of IIM Sambalpur stated, "Established on September 23, 2015, within its 8-year journey IIM Sambalpur has carved a niche among the top IIMs. The vision of IIM Sambalpur is to nurture responsible leaders with an entrepreneurial mindset and core values centered around innovation, inclusiveness, and integrity. We are also privileged that Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the institute on January 2, 2021. Some achievements in these 8 years include: In 2019, we created history in top B-schools; in 2019, IIM Sambalpur achieved 50 per cent gender diversity, a milestone followed by all IIMs."

He also spoke about the trend in increasing the percentage of non-engineering students in the MBA batch in which IIM Sambalpur emerged as a leader in the country. The director further informed about the three unique projects namely BunkarValleys.com to promote master weavers and artisans, MineralValleys.com to study the value that mines and minerals are creating for the people of Odisha and DigitalValue.com to promote digital leadership in the country and upcoming MoUs.”

Mr Hiranmaya Mahanta, CEO, i-HUB Gujarat graced the event as the Guest of Honour. On the occasion, Mr Arindam Mukhopadhyay, Partner, India Accelerator; Mr. Deepak Sharma, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, India Accelerator and Mr. Bodhisattwa Sanghapriya, Founder and CEO, IG Drones were also present.

On the occasion, the key achievers in different fields were felicitated by the dignitaries. Mr. Amrut Mohanty, CAO I/C gave the vote of thanks. The event concluded with a roundtable discussion on the topic 'Accelerating Startup’s Ecosystems.

New Global Food and Beverages Accelerator Launched for Food Brands/Startups in India

Sharda Launchpad Federation by Sharda University Partners with FigFax to Launch Sharda Global Food and Beverages Accelerator

• The accelerator program is set to mentor and fast-track over 50 promising food brands in India
• Prototype/MVP, Early Traction and Scale-up All startups can participate

Sharda Launchpad Federation, a business incubator and accelerator by a renowned educational institution Sharda University embarks on its commitment to fostering innovation and growth, is proud to announced a strategic partnership with FigFax (SnackFax) to launch Sharda Global Food and Beverages Accelerator. The program is set to mentor and fast-track over 50 promising food brands under India’s 1st F&B Accelerator in the next one year.

Inviting entrepreneurs and startups in the food sector to seize this opportunity, Sharda Launchpad commenced registrations on 23rdSeptember. This program is open to a wide spectrum of businesses, including those in food processing, dairy and mechanization, quick-service restaurants (QSR), dining establishments, poultry, logistics, warehousing, infrastructure and mechanization, packaging, beverages, and more. The selection process is set to be highly competitive, with only 20 startups advancing to the next round in the 1st Cohort.

In a dynamic and ever-evolving Indian food and beverage sector, startups and emerging brands often face hurdles when accessing the resources and mentorship needed to scale effectively. Recognizing this gap, Sharda University and FigFax have joined forces to revolutionize the food industry in North India. As a promoter of Sharda Launchpad, the university is committed to nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation in the food industry. The collaboration will provide financial support, access to seasoned mentors, and personalized acceleration programs tailored to address the unique challenges faced by food businesses in North India.

On this association,Vice Chancellor of Sharda University, expressed, “Sharda Launchpad, in collaboration with FigFax, embodies Sharda University’s unwavering commitment to fostering entrepreneurship in North India’s food industry. We envision it as a beacon of hope for aspiring food entrepreneurs, offering them the tools, mentorship, and funding needed to thrive in this vibrant sector. With a shared commitment to innovation and growth, we believe that Sharda Launchpad will be a perfect recipe for startup success as well as economic development in the region, creating a lasting impact on the food business landscape.”

Ashu Agrawal, Founder and CEO of FigFax, affirmed, “In the world of entrepreneurship, the challenge for budding foodpreneurs has always been accessing the right resources and mentorship to turn their dreams into reality. Our tie-up with Sharda University aims to address this gap head-on. For entrepreneurs, this collaboration is fantastic news as it offers them a golden opportunity to spice up their businesses and lead a revolution in the food industry. We extend a warm invitation to all aspiring food business owners to join us on this exciting journey.”

Startups and emerging food brands participating in Sharda Launchpad can anticipate a multitude of benefits. This collaboration will provide financial support, access to seasoned mentors, and personalized acceleration programs, all tailored to address the unique challenges faced by food businesses in North India. The partnership aims to equip startups with the knowledge and tools needed to scale their businesses successfully, covering aspects such as product development, marketing strategies, financial management, and more. Furthermore, Sharda Launchpad will cultivate a collaborative community of food entrepreneurs, encouraging the exchange of ideas and best practices.

Startups willing to register for this program can visit at https://launchpad.sharda.ac.in/food-accelerator and register for this specially curated accelerator program.

About FigFax

Figfax is a dedicated platform with a focus on supporting the growth of the food and beverage industry through strategic investments and unwavering commitment to innovation. The platform stands at the forefront of fostering sustainable growth in the sector.

Figfax aims to empower Food businesses to innovate, expand, and captivate taste buds not just in India but across the globe.

For more Details: www.figfax.com

About Sharda

Sharda University established Sharda Launchpad Federation, a section 8 company registered under the companies act 2013, as a centre for entrepreneurship development with a commitment to contribute to the enhancement of the entrepreneurial skills among aspiring entrepreneurs and startup founders and to "Help people help themselves” through innovation and entrepreneurship. Sharda Launchpad provides a platform for new and emerging small and medium – scale enterprise through its ecosystem connect necessary for the development and management of the enterprise. Passionate and visionary innovators working on large impact scalable business ideas are mentored with multiple opportunities enabling them to become successful entrepreneurs.

Website:https://launchpad.sharda.ac.in/food-accelerator

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/innovationsforimpact-slpf-0a08571bb

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ShardaLaunchpad

India Accelerator Begins Gujarat Operations; Bets Big on Tier-2 Sectors with a Vision to Empower 100+ Startups in Gujarat by 2025

Gurgaon-based India Accelerator, a renowned Seed Accelerator, has marked a significant milestone with the inauguration of its Gujarat operations. Demonstrating a strong belief in the potential of startups in tier-2 cities, the accelerator is poised to make a substantial impact in the startup landscape. Expanding its reach through its focus on domestic entrepreneurship, India Accelerator further aims to extend its support to burgeoning startup ecosystems in cities such as Pune, Chandigarh, Orissa and Jaipur.

Gujarat, a leader in innovation, has consistently secured top ranks from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Government of India, in 2018, 2019, and 2021. Under the ambit of the Gujarat Industrial Policy, a remarkable 377 startups have secured funding amounting to Rs. 58 crores. This unwavering support from the government has galvanized the private sector, fostering a conducive environment for startups to flourish. With the inauguration of operations in Ahmedabad, IA's strategic move exemplifies a strong investment in the untapped potential of tier 2 cities and Gujarat's compelling attributes. In a dedicated effort to elevate the startup experience in Ahmedabad, IA has introduced a new co-working space sprawling across 1500 sq. ft., accommodating up to 200 seats. This initiative not only underscores IA's commitment but also augments the entrepreneurial landscape, fostering innovation and collaboration.

With the commencement of operations in Ahmedabad, IA's move signifies a robust bet on the potential within tier 2 cities and Gujarat's compelling attributes. To further enhance the working experience for startups in Ahmedabad, IA has launched a new co-working space over a sprawling area of 1500 sq. ft. with a seating capacity of 200 seats.

"Our current expansion marks the second phase of our journey, where we're not only broadening our geographic presence but also deepening our engagement within local startup ecosystems," articulated Ashish Bhatia, Founder of India Accelerator. He further emphasized, "We are focused on building a dominant, world-class global powerhouse that at the same time can work very local. Hence our vision of going deep into country’s hinterland and build the ecosystem grounds up because the foundation of our business is seeds. At present, almost 10% of the accelerator's startups have their roots in tier-2 cities, which given the rise of local entrepreneurship, is set to increase to one-third of our portfolio, solidifying India Accelerator's commitment to nurturing innovation across diverse landscapes.”

Bolstering its commitment, India Accelerator envisions investing a substantial amount across a diverse array of sectors including Healthtech, Fintech, Agritech, Social Impact, Deep tech, and AI, aiming to empower 100+ startups in Gujarat by 2025. With a track record of backing over 200 ventures leveraging cutting-edge technologies, IA has propelled entrepreneurs with innovative concepts while raising three venture capital funds totaling 350+ crores in just six years. India Accelerator's forthcoming GIFT City Fund, amounting to 150 crore, is poised to further catalyze the ecosystem.

Through its dedicated domain-specific accelerator programs, IA plans to bring unparalleled expertise across India's startup landscape. Collaborative efforts with I-HUB, GIFT City, and educational incubators are envisioned, fostering localized entrepreneurship ecosystems.

Notably, IA extends its network to international regions like Dubai, Silicon Valley and Sri Lanka, enabling Gujarat startups to tap into global opportunities through strategic partnerships. IA's trajectory is marked by exponential growth, transforming from backing 5 startups with an investment of 70 lacs in 2017 to its present robust portfolio of 200+ startups with a collective investment of 50 crore. The accelerator's visionary path projects an investment of 500 crore in 1000 startups by 2030. With an eye on the future, IA envisions creating a combined valuation of $5 billion for its startups by the end of 2025, globally, by expanding into Tier 2 cities and unlocking latent potential.

About India Accelerator

India Accelerator is the first GAN partnered accelerator in India, endeavouring to provide 360-degrees cross-functional mentorship, business growth and funding to entrepreneurs. Government of India has recognised India Accelerator (IA) as the 'Best Accelerator of the Country!'. IA has created a vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country, have got 150+ start-ups under our portfolio, and have 1400+ mentors in our network who help start-ups in our industry-focused specialized verticals (HealthTech, AgriTech, Social, Energy, FinTech, Web 3.0, B2B SaaS, etc.). They work closely with Corporates and academia to help promote the development of an entrepreneurial mind-set and generate innovative solutions to their real-world problems.

Vedanta to Engage with 100+ Startups in Sustainable and Transformative Technologies

Launches Spark 3.0 initiative with opportunities up to USD 5 million for startups

Tied up with industry leaders such as MeitY and Nasscom's CoE, CII, Forge and Austmine

Vedanta announced the launch of the third edition of Vedanta Spark, their global corporate innovation, accelerator & ventures program aimed at providing over 100 projects opportunities worth up to $5 million to startups in sustainable and transformative technologies.

With the resounding success of the previous two editions, engaging over 80 startups for more than 120 opportunities of around $3.5 million, Spark 3.0 is set to contribute significantly to Vedanta’s transformation and the growth of engaged startups.

Ms. Priya Agarwal Hebbar, Chairperson, Hindustan Zinc Limited & Non-Executive Director, Vedanta Limited, said, “Vedanta Spark 3.0 is a testament to our commitment towards fostering innovation and collaboration. Through this initiative, we also aim to inculcate a start-up culture by enabling the businesses to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the nation as well as usher in the next generation of industry leaders. This year we hope to increase focus on ESG transformation through innovative solutions and are also looking to engage with & support more women-led startups.”

Vedanta Spark's approach to fostering start-ups involves inviting solutions for real business challenges. Selected start-ups are provided opportunity to execute projects with Vedanta Group of companies and access to world-class infrastructure, resources, and insights from Vedanta's seasoned in-house experts. This empowers start-ups to refine their products, scale their operations, and achieve sustainable growth.

Mr. Arun Misra, CEO – Zinc Sector, ED - Vedanta Limited, Digital & Spark Anchor highlighted, “The Spark initiative aligns with the Group’s vision of supporting start-ups that leverage ground-breaking technologies to solve real business problems and shape the future of the industry.”

Vedanta has partnered with MeitY and Nasscom's Center of Excellence (CoE) for IoT & AI, CII’s CoE for Innovation, Entrepreneurship, & Start-ups and leading industry players like Forge Innovation & Ventures and to accelerate engagements involving emerging technologies. The program has also collaborated with global partner Austmine for advancing technology within the natural resources sector.

Mr. Amitesh Sinha, Head - Vedanta Spark, said “Spark 3.0 intends to bring forth more than 100 initiatives with opportunities upto $ 5 mn this year by partnering with innovative startups and utilizing their cutting-edge technologies. This collaboration serves as a powerful catalyst for Vedanta's mission of creating large-scale impact by harnessing open innovation and technologies”.

The initiative focuses on three key areas to drive innovation: enhancing business efficiency, digital transformations and achieving Net Zero sustainability goals. The startups will work across the Vedanta group of companies and provide them with an avenue to showcase their innovative ideas.

With the launch of Vedanta Spark 3.0, Vedanta Group reiterates its commitment to foster innovation and inspire startups to drive positive change, disrupt industries, and create a lasting impact on the global stage.

About Vedanta Limited

Vedanta Limited (“Vedanta”), a subsidiary of Vedanta Resources Limited, is one of the world’s leading natural resources companies spanning across India, South Africa, Namibia, Liberia, UAE, Korea, Taiwan and Japan with significant operations in Oil & Gas, Zinc, Lead, Silver, Copper, Iron Ore, Steel, Nickel, Aluminium, Power & Glass Substrate and foraying into semiconductors and display glass. For two decades, Vedanta has been contributing significantly to nation building. Governance and sustainable development are at the core of Vedanta's strategy, with a strong focus on health, safety, and environment. Vedanta has put in place a comprehensive framework to be the ESG leader in the natural resources sector, is committed to reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 or sooner and aims to spend $5 billion over the next 10 years to accelerate this transition. Giving back is in the DNA of Vedanta, which is focused on enhancing the lives of local communities.

Anil Agarwal Foundation, the umbrella entity for Vedanta’s social initiatives, has pledged Rs 5000 crore over the next five years on various social impact programs and its flagship project, Nand Ghar is setting up model anganwadis across India. Vedanta Ltd. has been listed in Dow Jones Sustainability World Index 2022, conferred Golden Peacock Award for excellence in Corporate Governance 2022 and certified as a Great Place to Work 2023. Vedanta Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange.

For more information, please visit www.vedantalimited.com

DeepTech focused SanchiConnect's PreSeed Accelerator Announces Preseed Funding, Market Access Support to 6 Green Mobility Innovations

The program received 552 applications from all over the country of which 6 startups after 75 days of intense screening and diligence were picked for investments

SanchiConnect, a community focused on deep-tech start-ups, investors, and corporations unveiled its PreSeed Accelerator's latest milestone in driving innovation and sustainability. Six exceptional startups have been selected for acceleration and capital infusion of INR 75 Lac, coupled with 100 days of focused market access support, through the pioneering PreSeed Accelerator program. This initiative is set to catapult the development of innovative solutions in the realm of green mobility.

The program received 552 applications from all over the country of which 6 startups after 75 days of intense screening and diligence were picked for investments. The selected cohort startups include EVhicle, Simactricals, Dockervision, Swappdesign, PerUse and The Energy Company.

“India stands on the cusp of a revolution in the field of sustainable mobility, and our partnership with Sanchi Connect for the Green Mobility Accelerator program serves as an exceptional platform to gain access to the entire Indian Mobility landscape along with providing a comprehensive pipeline of ongoing developments across the ecosystem, as we see great potential in these new age tech companies" said Karan Mittal, Partner, Ev2 Ventures. 

Addison Appu, ThinKuvate VP Investments said he and the team is excited to participate in this unique program and believes that “EV sector is going to witness unprecedented growth in the coming years, Be it battery tech, charging tech or EV financing, all the sub sectors present plethora of opportunities where we will see new unicorns emerging”.

The PreSeed Accelerator with cohort 1 as "Green Mobility," is a testament to SanchiConnect's unwavering commitment to fostering entrepreneurial talent and propelling innovation. With the backing of leading micro VC partners Ev2 ventures, Sea Fund, and ThinKuvate, the selected startups will benefit from not only substantial funding but also unparalleled mentorship and strategic guidance. The accelerator was launched in partnership with Yamaha Motors Solutions India, Desai & Diwanji law firm, and IDFC First Bank.

Speaking on the Preseed Funding Mayuresh Raut, Managing Partner at Seafund said “We are extremely bullish about the 6 startups that we are backing in this program. It’s a great representation of Indian entrepreneurs using their domain understanding and technical skills to solve India specific problems in Mobility that is going to change the face of this industry in the coming days.”

"Today, we mark a pivotal moment in our mission to champion innovations in deep and emerging tech," said Dr. Sunil Shekhawat, CEO of SanchiConnect. "Our PreSeed Accelerator program, in partnership with esteemed micro VCs and industry majors is poised to empower these startups to redefine the future of green mobility."

SanchiConnect itself is fortified by the formidable backing of the management of BaringIndia PE fund and IP Ventures, further solidifying the program's foundation. This strategic collaboration reflects a shared vision to foster an ecosystem where groundbreaking ideas can thrive, ultimately contributing to a more sustainable and vibrant future.

In line with its commitment to addressing pressing global challenges, Dr. Sunil Shekhawat announced the imminent launch of the next PreSeed Accelerator cohort, which will centre around climate technology and sustainability. This announcement underscores SanchiConnect's dedication to being a driving force in advancing solutions that hold the potential to reshape industries and positively impact the world.

AWS and Accel Announce Accelerator Program for Generative AI Startups in India

Amazon Web Services (AWS) and venture capital firm Accel have jointly announced ML Elevate 2023, a six-week accelerator program aimed at empowering startups that are building generative artificial intelligence (AI) applications.

In a recent study by the National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM) called Generative AI startup landscape in India -- A 2023 perspective, generative AI startups in the country have raised over US$475 million in private investments from January 2021 to May 2023.

According to an another report by SaaSBoomi and McKinsey, Generative AI based SaaS startups have more than doubled since 2021, in India, and have raised $590 million in funding as of May 2023.

ML Elevate aims to support generative AI startups by providing them access to impactful AI models and tools, business and technical mentorship, curated resources, the AWS Activate program, and up to US$200,000 in AWS Credits. Other benefits include peer support from a community of leading AI and ML startup founders and the opportunity to scale production-ready generative AI applications on Amazon SageMaker JumpStart.

Startups specialising in generative AI who have successfully created a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and have plans to get funding within the next 12-18 months are eligible to submit their applications. The chosen entrepreneurs/startups will participate in interactive online educational sessions, including informal conversations and group discussions with investors, prominent figures in the industry, and professionals with expertise in AWS.

The cohort will also be able to raise money during a week-long event called Demo Week. During this time, they will show their projects to well-known venture capital funds, angel investors, and influential people in the industry.

Over 50 early-stage AI/ML startups in India have accelerated their growth journey through previous editions of ML Elevate, first started in 2020. As of now, ML Elevate has an active community that includes leading Indian AI startups such as AarogyaAI, Dubdub.ai, Vitra.ai, NimbleBox.ai, and others.

Interested startups can register for the program here. Applications for ML Elevate 2023 are open until 25 August, 2023. Results will be announced in September 2023.

CIIE.CO to Accelerate 30 Startups with India's First People and Culture Accelerator for Startups

CIIE.CO at IIM-Ahmedabad announced that it has launched a first-of-its-kind People and Culture Accelerator to accelerate 30 startups. The 3-month program will include startups across pre-series A - series B and will include an intensive bootcamp on IIM Ahmedabad campus, bespoke mentoring and various other benefits for startups to overcome a variety of HR-related challenges including hiring, performance management, attrition, formalisation etc.

The 3-month accelerator program will involve an immersive in-person bootcamp held on the IIM Ahmedabad campus. It will also feature bespoke consulting clinics, weekly collaborative problem-solving sessions, and numerous other advantages. Notably, this is an open enrollment accelerator, implying that participating startups will pay a fee to be a part of this cohort.

During the program, startups will focus on various challenges, including but not limited to hiring, attrition, founder's leadership abilities, culture-building, compensation and benefits, and performance management and appraisals.

“When an average person thinks of a startup, she thinks of a young, recently graduated, group of friends. This is hardly true. Building a startup is serious work and people are at the centre of everything that startups do. We designed this accelerator to help address a variety of people related challenges that every other startup faces. Over our 20 year journey, we have intentionally built people and culture capacities in our supported startups. We are now opening this to the entire startup ecosystem, hoping to aid startups with tools that can enable them to build bigger and better.”, said Supriya Sharma, Partner, CIIE.CO.

People and culture problems are the third leading cause of startups failure. People related problems are severe for startups mainly because of startups’ hyper dynamic environments, fluctuating finances and limited leadership experience. Startups in early stages especially struggle with an inability to graduate from a hustle-oriented, reaction-led, fast-responding team to a more formalised albeit agile, efficient and well-oiled organisation.

CIIE.CO, built at IIM Ahmedabad, is the foremost and largest startup platform in India. Over its 20 year history, CIIE.CO has mentored over 5000 startups, invested in over 700 startups and trained more than 2000 startups as part of its incubation and acceleration programs. CIIE.CO is the pioneer of acceleration programs in India and has run some of the largest and most innovative accelerator programs including The Power of Ideas, India Innovation Growth Program, Financial Inclusion Lab and Accenture Sustainability Accelerator. With the upcoming People and Culture Accelerator, CIIE.CO aims to empower founders with foundational knowledge, tools, frameworks and first principles to safely scale to the next stage.

About CIIE.CO

CIIE.CO is The Innovation Continuum for fearless entrepreneurs that is built at IIM Ahmedabad and is recognised as a Centre of Excellence by the Department of Science and Technology. Founded in 2002, initially as an academic centre, CIIE.CO has since grown and pivoted to address emergent gaps in India’s innovation-driven entrepreneurship ecosystem. Today, this continuum spreads across incubation, acceleration, seed and growth funding, and research. To date, CIIE.CO has accelerated over 1200 startups, funded over 500 startups with 350+ at equity and 25+ at growth stage, mentored and coached over 5000 startups and inspired more than a million with its publication - Stay Hungry Stay Foolish.

 

CIE at IIIT Hyderabad Commences the Summer 2023 Cohort of its AVISHKAR Deep Tech Accelerator

• Cohort started with 4 startups in deep tech, medtech, media tech and mobility domains, selected from over 200 applications.
• Startups will get up to INR 40L seed fund, strategy mentoring, research advisory and market access
• Since 2016, 26 cohorts 48 startups, and about 53% raising follow-on funding.

The Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (CIE) at IIIT Hyderabad announced the onboarding of 4 startups for the Avishkar accelerator 2023 Summer cohorts of Deeptech, Mobility, Healthcare and Mediatech domains. Since the launch of Avishkar accelerator in 2016, there have been over 26 cohorts and 48 startups in AI, ML, IoT, and digital health with about 53% of them raising follow-on funding.

The Accelerator Kickoff was held from 29 May - 2 June 2023 with CIE’s panel mentors and experts from the industry. From an overwhelming application pool of 120+ startups, the selection committee shortlisted 6 startups for the program. The shortlisted startups were from domains of real-time data collection of patients' movements, Brain Health management, lithium-ion cell manufacturing, C-V2X, AI & Digital Twins and Web tools for mobile.

As a part of the Avishkar Accelerator, the selected startups will receive INR 40L seed fund along with a detailed 6-month plan that offers 4 streams of mentorship - Business Strategy, GoToMarket Plan, Technical Review and domain-specific mentorship. The program is facilitated jointly by CIE, IIIT Hyderabad, Co-creation Consulting, and SucSeed Indovation fund among other industry leaders. The program also opens avenues for startups through IIITH’s research support and collated networks and Corporate Connects.

Prof. Ramesh Loganathan, COO of CIE-IIITH says “Very happy to see Avishkar in its 7th year. A program that connects deep tech startups, research and market access, thru a structured 6-month accelerator program”

The startups shortlisted for this cohort are:

• NxtQ aims to provide accurate and real-time data about a patient's movements, allowing prosthetists and orthotics to create customized devices that better match their needs.
• Nirvesh Enterprises aims to provide Post Operative Brain Health Management. They plan to provide this through products related to neuro-care.
• Petrol Social aims to bring all the tools found on PCs and the web to mobile. Tools such as content creation platforms, and smart legos on mobile.
• Eranext Auto enables Vehicles To Communicate With Each Other And Their Surrounding Infrastructure, Including Pedestrians And Other Road Users.

About IIIT-Hyderabad: The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIIT-H) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Cognitive Science, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance.

Website: www.iiit.ac.in

About CIE IIIT Hyderabad: The Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) was set up in 2008 and has since grown to be the largest academic incubator in the country. CIE-IIITH was supported by DST (TBI) and MeitY (TIDE) in the initial years. Today, there are very active programs focused on emerging technology startups, research-based startups, medical technologies, and social technology startups. In the past 14 years, CIE has housed over 300+ startups that have raised about 200 Cr in funding and created over 2000 jobs.

For further information, please contact: Sunory Dutt, Head of Communications, IIIT-Hyderabad.

Marico Innovation Foundation’s Scale-up Program Welcomes 6 New Startups, Program Member S4S Technologies Hits Annual Revenue of INR. 100 Cr

S4S Technologies achieves Growth Milestone THROUGH mentor-led interventions; new cohort features innovations across agri-tech, sustainability and waste management solutions

Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) announced the latest milestone achieved by its Scale-Up Program member, S4S Technologies, as they hit an annual revenue of INR. 100 cr. S4S Technologies is India’s only full-stack food-processing platform that has created a solar-powered dehydration system to unlock value for farmers, industrial customers, and the environment. Sin MIF’s Scale Up Program has worked closely with S4S Technologies since 2019 to help solve their key business challenges. The first innovation to have achieved the soonicorn milestone from the MIF portfolio was Atomberg Technologies in year 2021.

Incepted in 2016, MIF’s rapid acceleration program Scale-Up, provides hand-picked innovations with equity-free support, bespoke mentorship and access to capital and markets. Over the years, the program has supported 50+ innovations to achieve exponential growth.

“Innovations are a vital driver in creating a positive social, economic, and environmental impact for the country. Through MIF’s flagship program - Scale-Up, our goal is to catalyse the growth journey of disruptive innovations like S4S Technologies that are paving the way for India’s new age economy.” said Harsh Mariwala, Founder, Marico Innovation Foundation & Chairman, Marico Ltd.

On its INR 1-100CR growth journey, the Scale-Up Program helped S4S Technologies overcome multiple business challenges through deep rooted strategic and functional mentorship, which helped them build capacity and revenues. The interventions successfully addressed challenges ranging from packaging and procurement inefficiencies to increasing their manufacturing capacities, new product launches to business pivoting from B2C to B2B model.

Vaibhav Tidke, Founder and CEO, S4S Technologies, commented “With Scale-Up program’s deep-rooted intervention and strategic guidance, we are thrilled to have achieved this breakthrough. This association played a critical role in shaping the trajectory of S4S Technologies’ exponential growth. Using this as a steppingstone, we hope our innovation can further disrupt the agri-tech sector through digitalisation and expansion.”

Speaking on the success of S4S Technologies Suranjana Ghosh, Head, Marico Innovation Foundation said, “The bespoke interventions designed by MIF's Scale-Up Program for S4S Technologies have accelerated their growth and resulted in a direct impact on sustainability and livelihoods. At MIF, we are intentional about the innovations we work with, for each of them to have a similar potential to grow exponentially through our strategic support and contribute to the need of the hour - a sustainable future.”

In addition to the success of S4S Technologies, the foundation also announced the addition of six game-changing innovations that were onboarded to the Scale-Up Program in FY 22-23. The Program works with innovations across sectors like agriculture, food supply chain, circularity in plastics, healthcare, education, and clean technology. These members are driven by a common goal of creating social, environmental, and economic impact at scale.

The six new members in MIF's Scale-Up Program are:

1. Uravu Labs

• Founded in 2017
• Headquarter: Bangalore
• Sector: Clean Energy

A pioneering innovation focused on creating 100% renewable water from air, Uravu Labs harnesses the power of atmospheric moisture and intends to address water scarcity challenges and provide clean, safe drinking water to communities in need.

2. Indra Water

• Founded in 2018
• Headquarter: Mumbai
• Sector: Sustainability

Committed to sustainable water management through their advanced techniques and comprehensive solutions, Indra Water is focused on conserving water resources, improving water quality, and ensuring a sustainable water supply for future generations.

3. Wastelink

• Founded in 2018
• Headquarter: New Delhi
• Sector: Sustainability

Dedicated to reducing food waste and its environmental impact by transforming waste food into high-quality animal feed, Wastelink offers an innovative solution that not only mitigates waste but also addresses the challenges of feeding livestock sustainably.

4. Gramcover

• Founded in 2016
• Headquarter: Noida
• Sector: Fintech

An inclusive insurance provider focused on rural India with a mission to protect farmers and vulnerable populations from climate risks, Gramcover offers accessible and affordable insurance solutions tailored to the unique needs of rural communities.

5. New Leaf Dynamic:

• Founded in 2012
• Headquarter: Noida
• Sector: Food tech

This innovation specializes in sustainable refrigeration solutions for perishable food items. By implementing energy-efficient and environmentally friendly technologies, New Leaf Dynamic aims to reduce food wastage and ensure the freshness and safety of food throughout the supply chain.

6. GreenPod Labs:

• Founded in 2019
• Headquarter: Chennai
• Sector: Agri-tech

The start-up provides cost-effective post-harvest solutions to extend the shelf life of fruits and vegetables during storage and transport. They are committed to the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal of halving food waste by 2030

About Marico Innovation Foundation:

With an aim to nurture and propel Indian innovations, Harsh Mariwala founded the Marico Innovation Foundation (MIF) in 2003 as a Not-For-Profit arm of the parent company, Marico Limited. Over the past 2 decades, MIF has become India’s coveted innovation focused platform, which recognizes disruptive Indian innovations and supports their journey to scale impact through its flagship programs:

Innovation for India Awards: Launched in 2006, the biennial Innovation for India Awards is the first Indian platform to recognize and celebrate the pioneering work of disruptive Indian innovations across business and social categories.

Scale-Up Program: Launched in 2016, Scale-Up is a 360-degree, no-equity, sector agnostic rapid acceleration program that provides customized deep-rooted mentorship to help disruptive Indian innovations scale their social, economic, or environmental impact and support them in their growth journey to become a self-sustaining enterprise.

SECTORAL INTERVENTIONS: Sector-specific intervention to hunt, recognize, and scale up innovative organizations, to boost that sunrise sectors innovation ecosystem by rapidly deploying winning solutions.