From 1,600 Applications to 8 Finalists: Afreximbank Launches First-Ever Accelerator Cohort to Empower African Startups

• Eight visionary startups selected to advance Africa’s intra-continental trade and industrialisation goals
• Finalists are eligible subject to selection criteria to receive up to US$250,000 in equity investment, expert mentorship, and exclusive market access. 

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) is excited to announce the selection of the top 8 finalists of the first cohort for its pioneering Afreximbank Accelerator Program. This dynamic three-month initiative, that kicks off in March 2026 is designed to empower Africa’s most promising startups that are driving innovation in intra-African trade.

The finalists were carefully selected from a highly competitive pool of over 1,600 applications, showcasing the continent’s most promising entrepreneurial talent. The rigorous process included detailed business assessments, interviews, and pitch sessions, overseen by a panel of Afreximbank trade specialists alongside leading external experts from the venture capital and innovation ecosystem.

The selected finalists embody Afreximbank’s mission to drive measurable progress in intra-African and global African trade. Representing innovations in sectors such as agriculture, e-commerce, market access, financial technology solutions, supply chain enhancement and manufacturing, these startups are poised to address critical trade challenges affecting both continental and diaspora markets, while also advancing intra-African trade and industrialisation.

The geographic diversity of applications, from across Africa, the diaspora, and CARICOM demonstrates the programme’s broad reach and stands as a testament to Afreximbank’s commitment to integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). By prioritising solutions from Seed to Series A - maturity and applying a robust three-stage evaluation that combines expert insight, practical business assessment, and strategic innovation criteria, the programme aims not only to accelerate start-ups growth but also to foster a sustainable ecosystem for trade-led development across Africa.

Afreximbank Accelerator Program will provide finalists with a comprehensive package of support including:

• Equity Investment: Equity financing- subject to selection criteria-of up to $250,000 through Afreximbank’s impact equity investment arm, Fund for Export Development in Africa (FEDA), enabling rapid scale-up and operational growth.
• Mentorship: Access to seasoned experts, as well as industry leaders to refine business strategies and accelerate market entry. These include leading investors, trade specialists, and industry thought leaders committed to fostering Africa’s economic integration under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA).
• Market Access: Connection to Afreximbank’s pan-African trade ecosystem, including trade facilitation programmes, regulatory pathways as well as exclusive opportunities to leverage Afreximbank’s extensive network of government stakeholders, private sector players, and multilateral partners to secure partnerships and funding.

Over the course of the program, finalists will engage in virtual learning modules, hands-on workshops, and in-person sessions hosted across regional hubs such as Abuja, Nairobi and Afreximbank’s headquarters in Cairo. This immersive experience will culminate in a high-profile ‘Demo Day’, where startups will showcase their innovative solutions to an influential audience of global investors, policymakers, and industry champions.

Mr. Haytham Elmaayergi, Executive Vice President, Global Trade Bank at Afreximbank commented:

The Afreximbank Accelerator Programme reflects our belief in the power of innovation to transform intra-African trade and also underscores the important role that Global Africa’s innovation plays in realising the promise of the AfCFTA. This inaugural cohort represents the future of African enterprise, and we are proud to invest in them from vision to scale to nurture solutions needed to unlock trade across Africa, the diaspora, and the Caribbean.

The Afreximbank Accelerator Program exemplifies the Bank’s commitment to fostering homegrown solutions that address critical trade challenges and unlock Africa’s economic potential under the AfCFTA framework.

To view the full list of the top 8 finalists and program details, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/3ZPTXSQ

About Afreximbank:

African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) is a Pan-African multilateral financial institution mandated to finance and promote intra- and extra-African trade. For over 30 years, the Bank has been deploying innovative structures to deliver financing solutions that support the transformation of the structure of Africa's trade, accelerating industrialisation and intra-regional trade, thereby boosting economic expansion in Africa. A stalwart supporter of the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA), Afreximbank has launched a Pan-African Payment and Settlement System (PAPSS) that was adopted by the African Union (AU) as the payment and settlement platform to underpin the implementation of the AfCFTA. Working with the AfCFTA Secretariat and the AU, the Bank has set up a US$10 billion Adjustment Fund to support countries effectively participating in the AfCFTA. At the end of December 2024, Afreximbank's total assets and contingencies stood at over US$40.1 billion, and its shareholder funds amounted to US$7.2 billion. Afreximbank has investment grade ratings assigned by GCR (international scale) (A), Moody's (Baa2), China Chengxin International Credit Rating Co., Ltd (CCXI) (AAA), and Japan Credit Rating Agency (JCR) (A-). Afreximbank has evolved into a group entity comprising the Bank, its equity impact fund subsidiary called the Fund for Export Development Africa (FEDA), and its insurance management subsidiary, AfrexInsure (together, "the Group"). The Bank is headquartered in Cairo, Egypt.

For more information, visit: www.Afreximbank.com

SOURCE
Afreximbank

UST and IIT Madras Incubation Cell Sign MoU to Accelerate Deep Tech Startups in Healthcare and Life Sciences

• Mentorship & Funding Support announced for Winners of Pitch to Win - Pharma 4.0
• Strategic partnership to accelerate deep tech startups in India developing breakthrough solutions in healthcare and life sciences
• Top three winners of the innovation challenge, Pitch to Win: Pharma 4.0 announced
• Winning startups gain mentorship, and total conditional funding support of up to ₹45 lakh

UST, a leading AI and technology transformation solutions company, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC), India’s premier deep tech startup hub anchored at IIT-Madras, to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and research-driven solutions in the healthcare and life sciences sector.

The MoU aims to create a collaborative framework between UST and IITMIC to drive innovation through joint programs, engagement with incubates, and industry partnerships, especially in high‑impact domains. This agreement establishes a scalable, structured yet flexible partnership between UST and IITMIC to identify high‑potential startups, provide them with mentorship and targeted funding, and systematically expand pilots and proof‑of‑concepts, form strategic collaborations, and create go-to-market opportunities.

A first in a series of joint innovation programs, this collaboration of UST and IITMIC, in partnership with Pfizer as Knowledge Partner and AWS as Technology Partner, jointly conducted the Pitch to Win: Pharma 4.0 Edition. The innovation challenge received over ninety startup applications from 32 cities across India, reflecting the growing momentum of India’s healthcare and life sciences startup ecosystem. The top ten finalists received a month’s worth of mentorship support from UST and finally presented before a distinguished jury panel at the final pitch day, held at IITMIC, Chennai.

The top three winners of the Pitch to Win – Pharma 4.0 Edition were Nucleo-Vir Therapeutics (Winner), ChemBioSens (First Runner-Up) and LN Infosphere Tech Transformers (Second Runner-Up). They received cash awards of ₹1,25,000, ₹75,000 and ₹50,000 respectively. In addition, UST will offer a total conditional funding of up to ₹45 lakh to the three startups, along with GTM and other strategic support.

Manu Gopinath, President, UST, said, “Our partnership with IIT Madras Incubation Cell is a strategic leap in how we harness deep tech innovation across industries. With IITMIC’s proven incubation ecosystem and access to cutting-edge research, we are not just backing startups; we are nurturing bold founders, accelerating research-driven ideas, and building a strong pipeline of solutions that can transform businesses, communities, and society at large. By combining IITMIC’s cross-domain innovation capabilities with UST’s global reach, industry partnerships, and mentorship, we are creating a scalable platform to bring impactful, next-generation technologies from the lab to the market.”

Dr. Tamaswati Ghosh, Chief Executive Officer, IITMIC, added, “This collaboration with UST reflects our shared vision to advance India’s deep-tech innovation landscape, particularly in healthcare and life sciences. Through initiatives like Pitch to Win: Pharma 4.0, we’re not only nurturing high-potential startups but also building bridges between academia, industry, and investors to scale impactful solutions that can improve lives globally.”

This partnership underscores UST’s dedication to advancing research-driven innovation and entrepreneurship, leveraging its global expertise to accelerate next-generation solutions within India’s Life Sciences 4.0 ecosystem.

India’s SanchiConnect and KickSky Ink Pact to Accelerate Global SpaceTech Innovation

The accelerator program is designed to nurture and propel early-stage spacetech startups and is set to further unlock private sector support for pre-seed and seed-stage spacetech innovators

SanchiConnect, India’s leading DeepTech startup network, has entered into a strategic partnership with KickSky Space Lab, an accelerator program focused on early-stage SpaceTech startups. Facilitated by Riceberg Ventures, this collaboration aims to scale KickSky’s vision to propel space tech startups for the global landscape, and reach customers worldwide. KickSky is a joint initiative by venture capital funds Riceberg Ventures and E2MC Ventures, along with Aniara Consulting, and has already gained significant traction since its launch.

Dr. Sunil Shekhawat, CEO, SanchiConnect, remarked, "We are excited to join hands with Riceberg Ventures to accelerate the growth of India’s spacetech ecosystem. Our combined strengths will empower startups to move beyond proof-of-concept, access global markets, and attract the right capital partners. Together, we are committed to making India a powerhouse in the new space economy."

Riceberg Ventures, with offices in Bangalore, Zurich, London and San Francisco, has been at the forefront of deeptech investments globally. Its early-stage spacetech accelerator program has attracted some of the most promising founders in the sector. SanchiConnect, seeded within Baring PE Partner-India, has a proven track record of running high-impact investment and go-to-market (GTM) led accelerators for VC funds, consistently delivering successful cohorts and enabling startups to scale rapidly.

"KickSky was envisioned as a launchpad for the boldest minds in spacetech. With SanchiConnect’s unmatched network and accelerator expertise, we are poised to take KickSky to new heights, offering startups not just capital, but the strategic guidance and global connections needed to solve some of humanity’s most ambitious challenges," said Mr. Ankit Anand, Founding Partner, Riceberg Ventures.

Mr. Govindrajan, Director, KickSky Space Lab, commented, "Our mission at KickSky is to democratize access to the space economy for Indian founders. The partnership with SanchiConnect will help us provide a robust platform for founders to experiment, validate, and scale their ideas, while leveraging the best of industry, academia, and investor networks."

This partnership comes at a pivotal time for India’s spacetech sector, where IN-SPACe has been the public face of support for emerging startups. The SanchiConnect–Riceberg Ventures alliance aims to complement these efforts by unlocking new avenues of funding, mentorship, and global market access for the next generation of spacetech entrepreneurs. The team also plans to launch a global spacetech community of founders, investors, experts, and suppliers from around the world to be accessible and available for early-stage startups.

About Riceberg Ventures

Riceberg Ventures is a deeptech-focused venture capital fund with a presence in Bangalore, Zurich, London and San Francisco. The firm invests in transformative technologies across Spacetech, Life Sciences, AI, Quantum, and Advanced Engineering.

About SanchiConnect

SanchiConnect is India’s premier deeptech startup network, renowned for running investment and GTM-led accelerator programs. Seeded within Baring PE Partner-India, SanchiConnect has enabled the success of numerous deeptech startup cohorts across the country.

Maruti Suzuki India's Accelerator Program Now Open for Global Startups as Well

Maruti Suzuki India Limited has opened applications for the 9th Cohort of its Maruti Suzuki Accelerator program, which now includes global startups. This initiative aims to create an enabling ecosystem for startups with technology-driven innovations in the automobile manufacturing and mobility space. Here are the key benefits for startups:

1. Guidance from Mentors: Startups receive guidance from mentors associated with domestic and international startup ecosystems, as well as domain experts from Maruti Suzuki.

2. Paid Proof of Concept: Qualified startups have the opportunity to conduct a Paid Proof of Concept with Maruti Suzuki.

3. Educational Visits to Japan: Participants can engage in educational visits to Japan, fostering global market connections.

4. Funding: Startups may secure funding through the Maruti Suzuki Innovation Fund.

Since its inception, the program has screened over 2,000 startups across 8 cohorts, engaging with 56 startups. Notably, 18 of these startups have become business partners, generating a combined business of over INR 1 billion. Starting with Cohort 9, the program has been rebranded as the Maruti Suzuki Accelerator, emphasizing its commitment to innovation and growth. Interested startups can apply [here].

In the previous cohorts of the Maruti Suzuki Accelerator program, several startups have made significant strides. Here are some notable success stories:

1. Woloo: Woloo emerged as one of the winners in the program. Their innovative solutions likely address specific challenges within Maruti Suzuki's business verticals. 
2. Hala Mobility: Hala Mobility, another winning startup, showcased promising technology relevant to the automobile manufacturing and mobility space.
3. SwitchON: SwitchON, the third winner, impressed with their solutions. Their contributions may enhance customer convenience or improve business processes for Maruti Suzuki.

Maruti Suzuki has engaged with a total of 56 startups across eight cohorts. Out of these, 18 startups have become business partners, collectively generating over INR 1 billion in business. These success stories demonstrate the program's commitment to fostering innovation and driving technological advancements in the automotive industry.

Here're 12 Startups Shortlisted by Panasonic and 100X.VC as Part of the 1st Cohort of "PANASONIC IGNITION" Corporate Accelerator Program

Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) and Panasonic Corporation (PC) in collaboration with a leading seed stage venture capital (VC) - 100X.VC announced the shortlist of 12 start-ups from over 140 entries received for the ‘Panasonic Ignition’ Corporate Innovation accelerator program. Panasonic aims to mentor, guide, and fund early to mid-stage startups that are creating innovative solutions in the field of Energy Management for commercial spaces.

A total of over 140 startups applied for the program that was launched earlier this year in October 2023 under the guidance of Mr. Kunio Gohara, the Chief Transformation Officer of Panasonic Corporation. After a robust evaluation process, 12 startups were shortlisted. These startups will participate in the ‘Panasonic Ignition’ program over the next three months. They will receive comprehensive support from both Panasonic and the 100X.VC teams, in form of mentorship sessions, guidance, and financial resources to complete their project. As part of this engagement, Panasonic will also roll out challenges for the startups and based on regular reviews. The final winner will be announced in March 2024.

"We are thrilled to launch the ‘Panasonic Ignition’ program in collaboration with 100X.VC, marking a pivotal moment in driving innovation within the energy management sector," said Mr. Manish Misra, the Chief Innovation Officer, at Panasonic Life Solutions India. "This initiative underscores our commitment to fostering groundbreaking technologies and solutions that address the evolving needs of commercial spaces while contributing to a sustainable future."

"It has been a rewarding experience working closely with the Panasonic Corporation teams, from both Japan and India. Due to joint efforts by both the teams, in a very short span of time, we were able to attract so many applications from high quality startups. We look forward to working with the shortlisted startups and contribute to their journey over the next 12-14 weeks" said Mr. Yagnesh Sanghrajka, Founder and CFO at 100X.VC.

Following is the list of the 12 promising startups:

1. SustLabs - Develops consumer IoT solutions for home energy monitoring.
2. MinionLabs - Develop a product for measuring individual energy consumption in buildings.
3. Clairco - Develops IoT-based smart air purification devices & space optimization.
4. Enlite - Provides an AI-enabled wireless building management system
5. Zodhya - Provider of energy optimization solutions for commercial spaces
6. Living Things - Provider of a smart control hub for air conditioners
7. Sensiable - Provider of an IoT-enabled workplace space management solution
8. Carbon Minus - Provider of cloud-based solutions for energy plant management
9. Nebeskie - Provider of a SaaS, AI & IoT-powered electricity management platform.
10. Quebeq Venture  - Integrates a Virtual Power Plant with proprietary energy solutions
11. Blaze - Provider of IoT Gateway energy monitoring, and smart control system.
12. Cymbeline - Developer of industrial IoT with diverse hardware, middleware, analytics, and cloud.

Please visit the https://ignition.in.panasonic.com/ for more developments.

The accelerator program ‘Panasonic Ignition’ has been designed by Panasonic India Innovation Centre (IIC), part of Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) to create a platform in collaboration with 100X.VC, where selected young founders of emerging startups, will receive investment, access to various masterclasses, expert mentorship, and support around product strategy and growth that would assist them towards building innovative technologies and products while solving real-life challenges related to energy management in spatial infrastructures.

About Panasonic Group

A global leader in developing innovative technologies and solutions for wide-ranging applications in the consumer electronics, housing, automotive, industry, communications, and energy sectors worldwide, the Panasonic Group switched to an operating company system on April 1, 2022, with Panasonic Holdings Corporation serving as a holding company and eight companies positioned under its umbrella. Founded in 1918, the Group is committed to enhancing the well-being of people and society and conducts its businesses based on founding principles applied to generate new value and offer sustainable solutions for today’s world. The Group reported consolidated net sales of around 8,500 billion yen for the year ended March 31, 2023. Panasonic Life Solutions India (PLSIND) is a subsidiary of Panasonic Holding Corporation (PHD). To learn more about the PLSIND, please visit: https://www.panasonic.com/in/

About 100X.VC:

100X.VC is India's first SEBI Registered CAT-1 VC fund, which invests in early-stage startups through ISAFE Notes. Since its launch in July 2019, 100X.VC has invested in 145 startups and mentored them to enable them to further raise $75 mn. The CVC/CI arm of 100X.VC works closely with corporates and helps them in making strategic investments/ acquisitions in new disruptive ideas of early-stage startups that can add long-term value to the corporates and all its stakeholders. To learn more about 100X, please visit: https://100x.vc

iTIC Incubator, IIT Hyderabad and US based DeepTech Accelerator H4XLabs Jointly Launch Accelerator Under INDUS-X

• Initiative part of INDUS-X innovation bridge aimed at linking Indian and United States defence ecosystems.
• Accelerator focuses on equipping defence startups to expand and navigate to the US defence markets.
• Collaboration between iTIC Incubator and H4XLabs to provide tailored go-to-market strategies and access to investors and defence stakeholders.

INDUS-X (India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem) is an initiative to build a defence innovation bridge by Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX), the Ministry of Defence, and the US Department of Defence (DoD). A collaboration agenda under INDUS-X includes an accelerator program for defence start-ups to be steered by iTIC Incubator at IIT Hyderabad and H4XLabs. Acting over the same, a workshop was organised by iTIC and H4X to initiate the INDO-US CrossLinX accelerator program.

The CrossLinX accelerator would prepare Indian defence startups to expand to the US markets. Once the startups are ready, they would embark on a trip to the US for 7-10 days to engage with government officials, investors, defence contractors, and stakeholders. At the program's culmination, startups would showcase their products as part of Demo Day in India.

Team iTIC-IITH & H4X Labs during INDUS-X Accelerator launch event at Hyderabad

The launch event included a series of sessions on the US defence landscape by experts from diverse domains. The event saw the participation of various defence startups and MSMEs from across India. Other dignitaries witnessing the event included D. Alan Johnson (Lt Col-United States Air Force, Director-Defense Cooperation in Armaments DCA, U.S. Embassy, New Delhi), Jonathan Mangrum (Policy Advisor for South Asia, OSD - OUSD Policy- Indo Pacific Security Affairs), ecosystem partner EriK Azulay (Director and Founder-ACIR), Capt. Roy Joseph, Program Director, iDEX) and team from iDEX.

Conveying his best wishes for the success of the Accelerator, Prof B S Murty, Director, IITH, “We are confident about the blooming strategic cooperation between India and the US through various initiatives like iCET and INDUS-X and assure the support of IITH to such initiatives.”

At the launch event, Prof Suryakumar S, Dean ITS, IITH, said, “The Joint Accelerator Program is a testament to the collaborative spirit of INDUS-X and we hope that it will galvanise the Indian startups for a global presence”.

Capt. Roy Joseph talked about INDUS-X and the opportunities for startups under the Indo-US collaboration agenda. He also gave an overview of iDEX.

About iTIC Incubator at IIT Hyderabad:

iTIC is a Technology Business Incubator (TBI) under the aegis of Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) and supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. iTIC is a Not-For-Profit Society that focuses on creating a supportive and nourishing environment for budding entrepreneurs in the field of technology. The focus areas of iTIC incubator are deep tech sectors such as Healthcare, AI/ML, Quantum Computing, AR/VR, Cybersecurity, Robotics, IOT, Industry 4.0, Blockchain, Electronics, Advanced materials, Drones, Biotechnology, etc. iTIC aims to help entrepreneurs leverage a premier quality research and startup ecosystem with the goal of building a comprehensive platform to practice innovation and entrepreneurship so that these entrepreneurial ideas can be turned into sustainable, scalable, profit-making business ventures. iTIC provides support to startups such as Mentoring, Financial Aid, IP Support, Networking, and access to Dedicated office/ Coworking space, Software, IITH Technological Infrastructure, and Makerlab. Since its inception in 2015, iTIC has supported 130+ startups through Pre-incubation, Incubation, and Acceleration programs and has directly sanctioned more than INR 8 crores to startups. So far, the iTIC startups have generated over INR 1200 crores of revenues and created 1000+ jobs.

To know more, please visit https://itic.iith.ac.in

Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IITH) is one of the eight IITs established by the Government of India in 2008. In a short span of 15 years, the institute has become one of the top-ranked institutions in the country and has received global recognition. It has 300+ full-time faculty, ~4,800 students, 18 Departments + 1 Centre for Interdisciplinary Programs, nearly 500+ state-of-the-art Research Facilities, and five research and entrepreneurship centres. The institute has a strong research focus with approx. Rs 900+ crores of sanctioned research funding, with PG+PhD students accounting for about 60% of total student strength. IITH has more than 9200+ research publications with 1,35,000+ Citations, 190+ Published Patents, 2,200+ sponsored/consultancy projects with 500+ running projects, and about 135+ startups that have generated 1000+ jobs and a revenue of Rs. 1200+ Cr. Follow us on Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Koo, and YouTube for the latest updates.

India's 1st Marketing Accelerator for Hotels & Homestays Launches

It been over a year when we featured a promising Chandigarh-based startup, Stay On Skill, that allows people with skills to travel the world and get free homestay, in exchange of helping their host learn a skill they are gootd at.

In the last one year, the startup has helped numerous commercial properties across India in different aspects and during this period the founders realized that hotels and homestays in India are mushrooming like never before and this in turn has created a visibility problem for such properties where not every plausible customer knows about the existence of them.

In the city of Ooty itself there are more than 2000 hotels (and these are just the ones that are listed online). Across India, more than 1,75,000 properties are taking online bookings. Amid all of this, the problem is - how do you make people know that you exist. Listing on platforms like Airbnb or Booking doesn't ensure you visibility or bookings. If your property shows up on the second page of airbnb, you might as well forget that prospective customers will get to know about it. One good way to stand out from the crowd is to create a brand for yourself digitally - through social media, blogging, and video creation.

Unfortunately, not all homestays or hotels are aware of to how to go about it. Additionally, an analysis by Sat on Skill show that many of homestays in the past have been cheated by fake bloggers and instagram influencers, who either don't have authentic following or high traffic.

Stay On Skill, thus decided to launch India's first Marketing Accelerator for hotels and homestays to make these things transparent for properties and provide them some real value, by bringing to them real, verified, tested and authentic influencers.

[caption id="attachment_125761" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Team of Stay on Skill[/caption]

The idea behind the accelerator is to help the deserving properties get the visibility they require, and the complete 3 months program is designed around that. The second aspect of the accelerator is to help the properties learn how to make more revenue through digital marketing and how to perform well on booking portals like airbnb. For this we have special masterclasses designed by experts, and office hours, where in the properties tell us about the specific challenges that they are facing and our expertise can benefit them.

Stay On Skill is expecting over 100 properties to apply for its first batch. The applications are open only till 31st August.

Interested properties can apply here - http://stayonskill.com/accelerator.html

Benefits for Hotels & Homestays

Besides gaining visibility, which the company claims to be minimum of 1.2 Million in 3 months, through the accelerator program, hotels & homestays will get access to star influencers who have the ability to make their property viral.

The participants will also get access to Masterclasses on different aspects of Social Media, Digital Marketing, Web Booking, so that after the accelerator they can take forward the learnings and start executing it themselves.

The properties may also able to Build a brand value, as when some good influencers get associated with your property, it creates a great brand value for you, which most properties don't know how to capitalize on it, says Arjun Tuli, founder of Stay On Skill. "Increase in brand value and visibility lead to increase in revenue," Arjun added.

[caption id="attachment_125760" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Influencer Community of Stay On Skill and The Accelerator[/caption]

Selection Criteria

The accelerator program is looking for boutique hotels and homestays who are looking to stand out from the crowd. To select a property, the company will analyse it's uniqueness factor based on the following parameters -

1. Stay and lodging


2. Location


3. Culture


4. Food


5. Experience

This particular batch of the Stay On Skill accelerator is Not For Profit . All that we'll be receiving from the properties will go towards payment of the bloggers, influencers, graphic designers and social media experts - we won't be making a profit of a single penny from it. The idea behind it is to provide the accelerator as a medium to share our knowledge and expertise with the properties and help them benefit from it. If we are able to make it happen at a small scale for 10 properties, next time around we'll try to make an effort to reach a wider audience and help more properties benefit from it, told Arjun, founder at Stay On Skill.

[Top Featured Image  by Kyle Glenn on Unsplash]

Lodha Group and Zone Startups India launch Palava Accelerator

Considering the growing startup ecosystem in the country, another startup accelerator not only makes sense but might also be the need of the hour. According to a report in Economic Times (ET), real estate developer Lodha Group has joined hands with Zone Startups India (ZSI) to announce the launch of the Palava Accelerator.

The accelerator will be selecting 30 startups will be identifying every year through an application process. The chosen startups will be going through a four-month long acceleration program.

The program, which will be working on a non-cohort based model, will be providing a testing field for startups working with emerging technologies to conduct their pilots at Palava, which is a privately-developed greenfield smart city located in Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Out of the 30 selected startups, 8 to 10 will get to work out of Palava’s center at any given time.

The accelerator, which is being operated by Toronto-based Ryerson Futures, will announce the first set of companies in mid-November.

For the uninitiated, Zone Startups India is the Mumbai location of the famous Toronto-based Ryerson Futures Inc. – the technology accelerator and investment arm of Ryerson University. Zone Startups India is a collaboration between BSE Institute (a subsidiary of the Bombay Stock Exchange), Ryerson University’s Digital Media Zone (incubator), Ryerson Futures Inc and Simon Fraser University, British Columbia, Canada.

Commenting on his firm's newest association with Lodha Group, Ajay Ramasubramaniam, Director (India), Zone Startups spoke to ET, "Partnering with Lodha Group on the Palava Accelerator is an exciting opportunity for us. It helps us expand our corporate accelerator and innovation work in India beyond FinTech, and further strengthens our presence within the Indian startup ecosystem. We strongly believe that a thriving startup hub helps build cities ground-up, as we have seen globally. More so, such a program, co-located with a growing, new-age city, acts as a solid test bed for numerous consumer tech startups."

Lodha Group has decided to invest in the Palava Accelerator from its flagship Startup Investment Fund for Real Estate and Smart Cities. The fund has a corpus of a whopping Rs. 50 crore.

Shaishav Dharia, Regional CEO, LodhaGroup also spoke to ET about the newly formed accelerator that they have founded with ZSI. Dharia shared that the one of the aims of Palava Accelerator is to invigorate economic growth of Palava and bring in the first set of jobs within the city.

He further added, "Through the program, Palava would provide entrepreneurs an opportunity to work in the city and with the city management body, provide mentorship with reputed mentors in these fields, provide access to investors and a stimulating environment to work in. We are hopeful that this initiative will encourage startups to create disruptive ideas, technologies for the real estate sector and take government's smart city mission a notch higher."

Meet The 6 Startups That Will Join NetApp's First Accelerator Cohort

NetApp, a Fortune 500 American multinational storage, and data management company had announced the launch of the NetApp Excellerator programme in Bengaluru in July 2017. NetApp Excellerator programme is company’s first startup nurturing initiative in India that is designed to help startups create world class products and innovative solutions that are market ready.

The programme which was launched at the new 15-acres NetApp campus has recently taken in six startups as a part of its first startup accelerator cohort. The startups were selected from over 200 applications and will get a $15,000 grant from NetApp.The company has selected startups that have a B2B focus.

Commenting on the development, Ajeya Motaganahalli, Leader NetApp Excellerator Program said, “In India, we have seen there is a lot of stress on B2C. But, we are focused on the B2B space. We believe there is long-term value creation in that space.

The four-month programme will provide selected startups with an equity-free grant of $15,000 after the completion of the programme. Selected startups will receive technology and business mentorship as well as access to markets and investors to realize the full potential of their ideas and products in the global marketplace.

The NetApp Excellerator program will provide startups with access to collaboration and productivity tools, co-working space out of the company’s global centre of excellence in Bengaluru as well as networking opportunities with potential investors, partners, and customers.

Apart from this selected startups will have access to NetApp platforms and technologies, tools, co-working space, HR, marketing, legal and tech support.

NetApp has selected companies which strive to bring in automation and data analytics capabilities across sectors.

Going forward, the company wants to have two cohorts, each year. Startups selected in this cohort include Adya, Lightmetrics, Enclouden, Scalend Technologies, Vaultedge and Vitacloud Digital Health.

Fintech Valley Vizag Launches Accelerator Program For Tech Startups

A sustainable global Fintech ecosystem, Fintech Valley Vizag has launched the Fintech Valley Accelerator Program for tech startups in India. The Vizag has launched this program to develop a high potential fintech ecosystem focused on co-creating innovative solutions to address the evolving needs of India’s dynamic financial services landscape.

The accelerator program is in collaboration with ICICI Bank and Mahindra Finance as corporate partners and Microsoft as the technology & acceleration partner.

Commenting on the development, J A Chowdhary, Special Chief Secretary & IT Advisor to the Chief Minister- Government of Andhra Pradesh said, “The Government of Andhra Pradesh and Fintech Valley Vizag are committed to developing Fintech Valley Vizag as the epicentre to converge finance and technology and thereby create a high potential global fintech ecosystem and catalyse the sector’s growth in India. The accelerator program aims to act as a catalyst in the growth of startups by connecting them to the leading Fintech ecosystem players. We are excited to have partners like ICICI Bank, Mahindra Finance and Microsoft who have always leveraged technology by pioneering digital innovations to provide world-class banking experience to their customers.”

This four-month residential program will provide selected fintech startups an opportunity to grow their development through a combination of support, guidance, and training.

The first cohort of the accelerator program will have a group of selected finalists working to develop solutions for four key focus areas- financial inclusion, security, and fraud prevention and customer and risk analytics. The selection process for the accelerator program has commenced and will finalize 10-12 startups by mid-September. The first cohort will commence in the first week of October.

The program promoted by the government will further support the selected startups by providing access to technology resources, mentoring on fund raising, legal guidance, market access to over a million of customers from partner financial institutions amongst many other initiatives to speed up the process of scaling their businesses.

The selected participants of the accelerator program will also receive a financial incentive of Rs 4 lakhs to provide for any operational exigencies during the four-month duration.

Apart from this, ICICI Bank and Mahindra Finance will provide business mentorship to the selected fintech startups and explore partnerships with them by implementing their solutions in their ecosystem. Whereas Microsoft will provide technology and business mentorship to the selected startups and access to Microsoft products and services under its Bizspark program.

The program will conclude with a grand demo day in January 2018, in the presence of corporates, mentors and investors from across the world.

The AP Government is leaving no stone unturned to make AP the digital state in India. Andhra Pradesh’s new startup initiative, Fintech Valley Vizag, a flagship initiative is intends to bring together industry, academia, and investors to innovate, co-create, and build the fintech ecosystem, with the intent of making Visakhapatnam the fintech epicentre of the world.

Chowdary is hopeful that they will be able to create as many successful fintech startups as they can through their initiatives. He believes that India is a technology hub and is currently in a golden era where it has a lot of untapped opportunities to capitalize.

Global Startup Incubator Techstars Is All Set To Make Its Debut In India; Enters Into JV With ANSR

To tap the country’s aggressively growing startup ecosystem, the US-based incubator Techstars is all set to make its debut in India. The global incubator is going to launch its new startup programmes over the coming weeks and months. For the same, Techstars has entered into a joint venture (JV) with Bengaluru-based ANSR that provides enterprises to build and manage in-house or external accelerators and other such startups-focused infrastructure. ANSR also has an innovation arm called Kyron.

The financial details of JV are undisclosed. With this JV, Techstars aims to open centres across multiple locations in India in a few years. The firm will launch its first centre in Bengaluru next year.  Commenting on the development, Lalit Ahuja, CEO, ANSR told ET, "The launch of Techstars India will provide an impetus to the rapidly growing startup ecosystem and the emergence of India as a dominant entrepreneurial network."

Through its programme in India, Techstars also wants to bring its other global portfolio startups and corporate partners to India and vice-versa.

Techstars help entrepreneurs and early-stage ventures by providing them with office space, mentoring and seed funding to early-stage startups for about 3-6 months. The selected startups are offered $20,000 in exchange for 6% common stock and a $100,000 convertible note upon acceptance.Techstars operates four divisions -a startup programme, an accelerator, corporate innovation partnerships, and a venture capital fund.

Founded in 2006 by Cohen, Brown, Brad Feld and Jared Polis, Techstars fund technology oriented companies, typically web-based or other software companies.Operational in countries such as Australia, Canada, Israel, France, and across the US, Techstars, over the past decade has accepted over 1,000 early-stage ventures globally into its programs. According to Techstars its portfolio companies have collectively raised over $3.8 billion.

Some of the notable companies that have graduated from the accelerator include Digital Ocean, Localytics, SendGrid, Contently, Occipital, Next Big Sound to name few.

Invest Spain Launches Innovation Program 2017, An Opportunity For Indian Startups To Expand Globally

A great opportunity for Indian startups to expand to Spain and go-through an accelerated incorporation process. Invest Spain has launched its flagship Innovation program 2017- ‘Rising Startup Spain’. It is a program aimed at foreign startups and entrepreneurs who contribute to fostering entrepreneurial activity in Spain through scalable and innovative projects.

This is a nine month program from the start of the incubation period. It offers the following support services for Startups:

• Free workspace in Madrid and Barcelona, two hotspots for Startups
• Prize money of €10.000 to cover initial Startup expenses
• Easier access to Visa and Residence permits
• Instrumental Mentoring to help you connect with potential investors

Startups Need To Meet Following Requirement:

To take part in the program, startups established in Spain must meet the must have atleast 10% of the startup's capital which should belong to a foreign natural person or legal entity, or a Spanish non-resident provided that he/she is a natural person. Also startup must be formed or in the process of being formed when the assistance is granted. If the company has already been formed in Spain, it must be less than one year old.

The maximum level of assistance is 10,000 euros per beneficiary. To receive this assistance, the Startup must incur minimum costs of 20,000 euros between the time at which the assistance is awarded and the end of the 6 month incubation period. These costs must include at least two of the following- Costs of constituting the Startup in Spain and feasibility studies. Purchase and hire of technology and industrial equipment, instruments and/or material, Staff costs. Acquisition and registration of licenses, patents and trademarks. Technological consulting. Promotional expenses. Travel of company staff related to the company's activity to attend events, courses and visits to customers and investors.

Last date to submit application is July 31, 2017. So hurry up startups, don’t miss this golden opportunity. Startups can fill the form here.

Missed Your Startup Updates? Here is Weekly News Roundup for You to Stay Tuned

This week was filled with new launches, renaming of startups, government announcements and how can we forget Google joining 1000 club. So in short, this week was a cheerful one for the startup world. And If you have missed any such happening, not to worry. We at IndianWeb2 brings for our reader a weekly dose of startup world.

Here are 10 news from startup ecosystem which you should not have missed:

A New Incubator for AgriTech Starups

Jindal Stainless Ltd. has formed the collaboration with the Japanese company Future Venture Capital Company Ltd. (FVCCL) to launch an incubation centre for agritech startups in India. The announcement was made at the ‘Krisi Unnati’ event organised by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in Bhubaneswar.

The Agritech Incubator Will Select 5–10 Startups for the first batch.

Israel Calling Women-Led Indian Tech Startups

Embassy of Israel in India has officially launched the fifth edition of the Start TLV Competition in India, on Thursday. The competition is for women-led startups (or at least one co-founder should be a female). In order to provide maximum benefits to all its participants, the Embassy of Israel has joined hands with the Indian government's Startup India programme, TiE-NCR, YES Bank & YES Global Institute and CNBC-TV18. Last day to apply to the competition is July 7th, 2017.

Shocking! An Entrepreneur Receives Notice To Cancel His Firm’s Web Identity

A Delhi-based entrepreneur has received an email by the National Internet Exchange of India (NIXI) seeking the cancellation of his company’s domain by the name of “Startupindia.in”. NIXI demands the cancellation of the domain as it is “misleading and is in violation with the Startup India program.” This email was sent by NIXI on a request from Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) as it is creating a problem for the government who is currently using the “startupindia.gov.in” for its Startup India initiative.

Freshdesk Renames Itself To Freshworks

One of India’s most well-funded and Software as a Service (SaaS) startups, Freshdesk has rebranded itself as Freshworks Inc. It is a new umbrella brand that will bring together the company’s growing suite of business software. Following breakout growth of the company’s customer support software, and the introduction of new products for IT Service Management (ITSM), customer relationship management (CRM) and cloud-based call centers, Freshworks products are designed to help companies better engage and communicate with their customers and employees. Precisely six years after launching Freshdesk, Freshworks has became a SaaS powerhouse with five offices in Chennai, San Bruno, London, Sydney and Berlin.

Google Lovers Here Comes The News Of Google Joining $1,000 Share Club

Alphabet, Google’s parent company has joined $1,000, a share club. And this news comes just six days after e-commerce giant Amazon accomplished the same milestone. The California-based company’s Class-A shares crossed the $1,000 per share threshold and climb as much as 1.13 percent to $1,007.4. The tech giant’s shares have surged by a quarter since the start of 2017. Alphabet’s stock success can be attributed largely to its continued dominance in the search engine market with Google search, and the ad revenue that comes along with it.

Launch Of Accelerator Programme In Bengaluru By NetApp

Us-based storage and data management company, NetApp has launched the NetApp Excellerator programme in Bengaluru. It is the company’s first startup nurturing initiative in India which is designed to help startups create world class products and innovative solutions that are market ready.

The applications, for the four-month programme are invited from startups working in the areas related to IOT, cloud, big data and analytics, machine learning, virtualization, data security, storage and data management, and other adjacent areas. Selected startups will receive technology and business mentorship along with the access to markets and investors.

Airtel Business Rolls Out Digital Platform To Serve SMEs & Startups

Bharti Airtel’s B2B ARM, Airtel Business has launched a dedicated digital platform to serve the growing connectivity, communication and collaboration requirements of emerging businesses, including SMEs and Startups. The platform will offer solutions to emerging enterprises to enable ease of business and faster time to market.

Airtel’s new digital platform will offer connectivity solutions to start with and will be integrated with more solutions periodically. Emerging businesses can now discover and buy connectivity plans in just three easy steps which will eliminates multiple layers of traditional processes to offer a fast and convenient way to identify connectivity solutions.

Good News For Indian Subcontinent. India Leaves China Behind In Ease Of Doing Business

According to the 2017 Global Retail Development Index (GRDI), India has emerged at the top position among 30 developing countries in ease of doing business and what came as a surprise was, India leaving China behind.

Yes, the study, which ranks the top 30 developing countries in the world for retail investment worldwide and analyses 25 macroeconomic and retail-specific variables, explained that India’s stupendous performance on the index can be attributed to relaxation of FDI rules introduced by the central government and a consumption boom being witnessed in the South Asian country. The consumption boom is courtesy the country’s growing middle class and rapidly increasing consumer spending.

Now Entering German Market Becomes Ease For Indian Startups, Here’s How

After the news of India leaving China behind in ease of doing business, here comes the another good news for Indian startups. According to a startup exchange pact, which is likely to designed between Govt of India’s Startup India and German Startup Association, Indian startups may soon get easier access to the German market.

A formal agreement between the two countries is being worked upon and is likely to be signed soon. The agreement will be signed between Startup India and the German Startups Association, which has about 650 startups and 50 partners, including corporate entities and venture capital firms, and coordinates with the United States, China, India and Israel.

Acquisition Time. Product Discovery Platform Shoppist Gets Acquire By Roofpik

Real estate property and broker review platform, Roofpik has acquired product discovery platform, Shoppist. The acquisition will strengthen Roofpik core team and bring personalized property recommendations to its users.

The acquisition was driven by Roofpik’s interest in Shoppist’s use of NLP technology, which helps consumers discover the most relevant products based on their user persona. With this technology, Roofpik will be able to validate reviews and generate meaningful analytics from over 5,000 user reviews that are currently live on the platform.

Israel’s OurCrowd Enters Into Strategic Collaboration With India’s Reliance Private Client

Jerusalem-based equity crowdfunding platform, OurCrowd has entered into a strategic collaboration with India’s Reliance Private Client, in which the Indian wealth management firm will be offering its clients the option of investing in the Israeli company’s funds and startup portfolio.

The agreement between Israel’s OurCrowd and India’s Reliance Private Client will aim to build the former’s presence in the Indian subcontinent. Once this aim is substantially conquered, the equity crowdfunding firm hopes that it will be possible for its portfolio companies to export their products to the Indian market.

Israel To Support Women Entrepreneurs, Launches Start TLV Competition In India

The Embassy of Israel has launched the fifth edition of the Start TLV Competition in India. The competition is a platform to support women entrepreneurs in the country and helping them in accelerating the growth of their startups. In order to provide maximum benefits to all its participants, the Embassy of Israel has joined hands with the Indian government’s Startup India programme, TiE-NCR, YES Bank & YES Global Institute and CNBC-TV18. Last day to apply to the competition is July 7, 2017.

The ‘StartupIndia.in’ website which belongs to Startup India Advisory Services Pvt Ltd was incorporated in the Ministry of Corporate Affairs in July 2015. The company, which provides advisory services to tech based entrepreneurs has now even put up a disclaimer on the website stating that it has no relation whatsoever with the Indian government’s Startup India initiative.

Brigade REAP – The First Accelerator Program in India to Focus on Technology Innovations in the Real Estate Sector

Brigade Group, one of India’s leading real estate developers has announced the launch of its latest initiative - Brigade Real Estate Accelerator Program (REAP).  A brainchild of Nirupa Shankar, Director, Brigade Hospitality and daughter of Brigade Group’s Chairman Mr. M. R. Jaishankar, Brigade REAP is the first initiative of its kind in India, set up with the aim to give innovators and inventors in India, in sectors relevant to real estate, an organized approach to help build sustainable and scalable businesses.

The real estate sector is one of the most globally recognised sectors contributing a significant number of jobs and GDP growth. In India, real estate and allied industries is the second largest employer after agriculture and is slated to grow at 30 per cent over the next decade.

A report by the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) says that the Indian real estate market is expected to touch US$ 180 billion by 2020. The housing sector alone contributes 5-6% to the country's Gross Domestic Product (GDP). Retail, hospitality and commercial real estate are also growing significantly, providing the much-needed infrastructure for India's growing needs.

Speaking on the subject, Mr. M. R. Jaishankar, Chairman and Managing Director, Brigade Group, said, “To keep pace with the ever changing needs of the business it is imperative to accelerate the pace of adoption of innovation and disruptive technologies in the industry.  Brigade REAP has been conceptualised to combine resources within the group, as well as with partners and well-wishers to add value to young companies and help them build innovative and path-breaking companies from India.”

A vastly untapped and isolated range of work lies in sectors such as (IoT), Big Data, VR/AR, Nanotechnology, Cleantech & renewable technology, Visual Computing, Supply Chain & logistics. The Brigade REAP has focus on these sectors in partnership with industry leaders to create a structured program that, mentors a pool of high quality tech focused start-ups adding value to the real estate industry at large.  The 6 key pillars of engagement with young companies will be:

•         Product Development


•         Technology road map


•         People Strategy


•         Go-to-market Strategy


•         Marketing, Branding, PR Strategy


•         Investment Readiness

The strength of REAP lies in its straight-forward approach to streamlining the business potential of an innovation, with on-ground challenges and realities. Its mentor list includes a veritable who’s who from the corporate, start-up and investment.

Speaking on the launch of Brigade REAP, Nirupa Shankar said, “The purpose of this program is to help bring about exponential operating efficiencies  not only to our business but the industry at large. The accelerator will give young companies access to deep domain knowledge in the real estate sector and the focus to solve real, on-ground issues that plague the industry.”

Speaking on the program construct, Apul Nahata, Mentor-in-Residence, Brigade REAP said, “The objective of the program is to help young companies scale in size and market their product/service in a more effective manner. We have been able to get Industry leaders from across sectors and disciplines including from within the Brigade group to spare their valuable time in helping these young companies succeed.”

Applications are solicited into the program from young companies with the following criteria:

•         Minimum 2 promoters with impeccable credentials


•         Angel funding/seed investment a must


•         Must have customer traction


•         Must have a revenue stream


•         Strong technology play

Speaking on the objective of Brigade REAP, John Kuruvilla, Chief Mentor, Brigade REAP said, “ at REAP we work on ensuring that innovative ideas are not lost in execution and find the perfect application in the real estate industry”.

Key Highlights of Brigade REAP

• Initiated by a veteran innovator in the field of real estate – The Brigade Group


• The first accelerator program with efforts focused on innovation in the Real Estate  sector, relatively untouched by innovation


• Mentors who have been game-changers in their respective fields for interaction. (Please visit www.brigadereap.com for details)


• Bridging the gap between isolated efforts in innovation across various fields of real estate by bringing in the vast domain expertise available within Brigade Group across Residential, Commercial, Retail and Hospitality verticals.


• Providing a structured program that ensures acceleration towards success based on strengths.

There have been several innovations across the world and some in India in the field of construction, real estate and infrastructure. The endeavour at Brigade REAP is to provide young companies in India with innovations and inventions relevant to the Real Estate industry with the required resources and tools to build and scale successful companies.

What sectors will Brigade REAP focus on?

The sectors in focus at this point in time are those where technology and innovation can deliver significant impact to the Real Estate, Retail and Hospitality domains.

Startups with innovative and disruptive technology solutions for the following sectors should apply:

1. IoT -Internet of Things – Smart homes, Smart communities, Smart cities, Home Automation, Building Management Systems (BMS), Analytics & Enterprise Data Management, Construction Management etc.


2. Nano Technology – Nano Tech advancements to make lighter structures, stronger concrete composites, Energy efficient glasses, Self-cleaning paints etc


3. Cleantech and Renewables – Alternate energy, improved technology for higher efficiencies, Waste & Water Management etc.


4. Visual computing – Facial recognition, Video security & surveillance, Video analytics, Augmented Reality & Virtual Reality etc.


5. Logistics - To address issues faced in logistics and supply chain, improve efficiency etc.

What is the duration of the program?

• The program structure has been created post discussions with Startups, Industry leaders and corporates. It is a highly interactive program of 4 months and will help young companies identify key issues and challenges and help them address the same in a tangible and sustainable manner.  It is imperative that members of the team attend every session that has been painstakingly created by the team and involves valuable time from very senior and seasoned mentors who have agreed to devote their time in their pursuit to help add value to each one of you. 

 What are the benefits for a Startup in the program?

• All efforts will be focused on providing tools and resources to help a startup address issues and challenges that will help them scale, including but not limited to:

1. Office space: A fully functional state of the art office space at Brigade Gateway. Including co-working space at different locations in Bangalore, Chennai and Hyderabad.


2. Mentorship: Based on individual company requirements mentors will be identified who will be able to help guide a company or an individual through specific issues relevant to a specific industry and/or the company


3. Guest Faculty: Guest faculty have been identified to come and share insights and experiences that will be of help to the company and team


4. Other resources: Support will be provided from companies in specific areas like Legal, HR, Finance, and Tax.


5. POCs and Test beds: Leaders at Brigade group including other Industry leaders  have offered to spend time to help validate products and services and where possible, offer to test products in a ‘beta environment’. Having said this it is imperative for a Startup to showcase its differentiation and value add to be able to catch the attention of such domain experts.


6. Partnerships: are underway with academia and global technology companies to help identify trends, issues and challenges and help when Startups hit a ‘wall’.

What are the timelines?

• Applications are open from 24th August. 2016 and will close on the 15th of September 2016


• An initial screening through presentations and telephonic calls will happen parallel


• Between 20th – 25th of September, 2016 shortlisted companies will need to come for a face-to- face meeting with the selection team comprising of leading investors from the venture community, corporates and a team from Brigade.


• The program will commence early October, 2016.

About Brigade Group

Innovation is a core value for Brigade Group. The company has always been at the forefront of innovation in the fields of real estate, retail, hospitality and education for the last 30 years. Some of its pioneering works have been:

• Developed Brigade Towers, the tallest building built by a private developer in Bangalore, completed in 1990. The Record was broken only in 2002


• Entering the Hospitality Sector with Brigade Homestead Serviced Residences in the year 2000. It was the 1st chain of professionally managed serviced apartments in Bangalore


• Created Brigade Gateway, the most integrated mixed use enclave in the country. With the 2nd largest mall in Bangalore, largest multiplex in the city, school, hospital, man-made lake etc.


• Launched the World Trade Centre in Bangalore in 2010, the first privately owned WTC in India. 2nd WTC in the country and South India’s tallest commercial building


• Brigade Group has recently been selected as one of India’s Top Builders for 2016 at the Construction World Architect and Builder (CWAB) Awards.

Co-Working Space Wired Hub Launches Accelerator Program for Tier II Cities, Starting with Jodhpur

With the recent surge of the entrepreneurial ecosystem across the country, even in Tier II and III cities with Chandigarh, Jaipur, Pune etc. becoming the new startup hubs, Wired Hub taken the initiative of helping startups and entrepreneurs in these cities to create substantial business models and scalable startup ideas by short accelerator programs.

Wired Hub's Co-Working Space in Jaipur has proved to be a catalyst in the fast growing startup ecosystem of the city in last six months and is now recognized as a bridge between startups and mentors.

In an attempt to fuel the growth of startup culture, they have initiated a 2-weeks program for Jodhpur and have introduced a rigorous, highly curated "Startup Accelerator Program" starting September 4, 2016.

"Since Jodhpur has a lot of young enthusiastic entrepreneurs and a great business spirit, some great ideas came out after the recently organized Jodhpur Startup Meet-up done by Wired Hub. We now wish to connect these idea / early stage startups to mentors and networks across the country, provide the right exposure, and help them in building a business through daily workshops, intensive training sessions around brand building, market validation, financial, legal support, technical support and then raising funds", Himanshi Goyal, CEO of Wired Hub said.

Wired Hub has tied up with Rajasthan Angel Innovators Network and TiE Rajasthan to provide expert guidance and funding support for the startups participating in the program. The program is supported by one of the most prominent startups that came out of Jodhpur, Qriyo (funded by Idein Ventures).

The program will end with a Demo Day to be hosted by IIT Jodhpur and will accelerate around 10 startups from the city of Jodhpur. This surely is a great initiative by a Co-Working space to develop the spirit of entrepreneurship in upcoming Tier II cities.