Kerala to Have 15,000 Startups, 2 Lakh Jobs in 5 Years: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

CM opens state’s first Fintech Accelerator as KSUM’s Huddle Global 2022 kicks off

Kerala has set an ambitious target of having over 15,000 startups and 200,000 jobs in emerging technologies in five years, Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan today said.

He was inaugurating the third edition of the ‘Huddle Global 2022’, organised by the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM).

The Chief Minister also opened the state’s first Fintech Accelerator and Finishing School on the sidelines of the two-day big-ticket conclave that brings together global leaders from the startup ecosystem to strengthen networking and forging partnerships.

Shri Vijayan said the state government has plans to set up an emerging technology startup hub in the state capital, on the lines of the facility existing in Kochi, considering the vital role of the startups in the emerging scenario.

“Startups being the future of the country, Kerala is committed to providing the right ecosystem. Our startups have raised Rs 3,200 crore as equity investments since 2015. Along with startup infrastructure in the Technology Innovation Zone Kochi, the government is considering a similar campus at Thiruvananthapuram, focusing on emerging technologies,” the Chief Minister said.

‘Huddle Global 2022’ offers startups a platform to showcase products and interact with technology/industry leaders, besides providing them the scope to explore ways on moving ahead in the world emerging from Covid-19.

“Given that India is the world’s third-largest startup ecosystem with more than 55,000 startups, the government is aware of the significance of each state’s contribution to the overall development of this national startup ecosystem. Startup India ranking places Kerala as one of the top Indian states for startup environment,” Shri Vijayan said.

“The approach adopted from schools, colleges and to the professional ecosystem has created innovative startups in the state. Various government initiatives such as IEDC (Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centers, for colleges), YIP (Young Innovators Programme), programmes for incubation and acceleration, corporate innovation, besides Center of Excellences, infrastructure facilities, government as a marketplace scheme, innovation grants, Fund-of-Fund and International Exposure programmes have made Kerala the best place to start and grow enterprises,” the Chief Minister added.

Minister for Industries, Law and Coir Shri P. Rajeeve, in his presidential address to the meet, said Kerala has built a unique model to nurture startups from ideation to the scale up stage.

“KSUM is dedicated to fostering global entrepreneurship to strengthen the startup community in the state as well as across the nation. The goal of Huddle Global is to create an environment where the passion meets the purpose to learn, network, bridge the gap between business, expose potential and see actual result,” Shri Rajeeve added.

In his video message, Mr Alderman Vincent Keaveny, The Lord Mayor of the City of London, and partner in business law firm DLA Piper, said India is on to the way to becoming Asia’s top fintech hub just as the UK is Europe’s top fintech hub. Mr Keaveny added that Kerala is scaling new heights in technology by becoming a stable model ecosystem for startups.

The Fintech Accelerator and Finishing School is an initiative of Kochi-based Open Financial Technologies in collaboration with KSUM to support startups coming up with fintech solutions. Open will be investing Rs 200 crore for the next five years as part of the Centre of Excellence (CoE) and Fintech Accelerator.

Open Fintech Accelerator, which will launch its first cohort from March 1, is led by Anish Achuthan, Mabel Chacko, Deena Jacob and Ajeesh Achuthan.

On the first day of the event, KSUM has signed MoUs with Google for Startups, Habitat, Jetro, Global Accelerator Network, I Hub Gujarat, NASSCOM and CSL, among others.

One of Asia’s largest startup ecosystem congregations and India's biggest networking platform for entrepreneurs, the event focuses on business, investment and partnership opportunities for startups amid sustained fights against the pandemic-induced stalemate.

The event, featuring keynote sessions, leadership talks, tech talks, startup demo and other business-oriented activities, has a startup expo of both global and Kerala-based startups. Also, there are pitch sessions and dedicated mentoring sessions.

The event is being held on a platform created by KSUM to accommodate more than 2,000 people. Kerala IT Parks are also joining hands with KSUM in the conference.

Kerala Startup Mission and Aries International Maritime Research Institute (AIMRI) Tie Up for Maiden Edition of Indywood Billionaires Club Startup Awards 2021

AIMRI, in association with Kerala Startup Mission and Indywood Billionaires Club (IBC), has announced the maiden edition of Indywood Billionaires Club Startup Awards.

 The event will be a virtual award show scheduled for February 23rd, 2021.

Indywood Billionaires Club Startup Awards 2021 aims to recognize and provide business collaboration opportunities to outstanding startups that build innovative products and solutions. They must also have a high potential to generate wealth, employment, and demonstrate measurable social impact. Indywood Billionaires Club Startup Awards 2021 will incorporate a virtual award ceremony, panel discussions, and product presentation opportunities for organizations to present their concept. Besides offering organizations a chance to pitch their products in front of investors, AIMRI shall also open incubation possibilities for deserving projects.

Dr. Sohan Roy, Founder President of Indywood Billionaires Club, stated, "This is the first time we have initiated such a concept. As part of the 'Made in India' vision, our aim is to promote indigenous products and innovative concepts and have the potential to simplify lives globally. This unique initiative will be a golden opportunity for startup owners to showcase their brands and raise their brand value. This will also be a perfect platform for organizations to raise investments by promoting their winning products/concepts in the Indywood Billionaires Club circle. So, if you have a product/concept which you believe in, then this is the platform for you."

Some of the award categories include Innovative Startup of the Year, Technology-Based Startup of the Year, Art & Craft Startup of the Year, Digital Startup of the Year, Promising Startup of the Year, Mobility Startup of the Year, Energy Startup of the Year, Logistics Startup of the Year, Food & Beverage Startup of the Year, Healthcare Startup of the Year, Education Startup of the Year, retail Startup of the Year, Tourism & leisure Startup of the Year, Real Estate Startup of the Year, Social Impact Startup of the Year, E-Commerce (B2B) Startup of the Year, Rural Startup of the Year, Agricultural Startup of the Year, Women-led Startup of the Year, and Green Startup of the Year.

Preliminary Evaluation & Filtering will be conducted by the Research & Incubation Hub of the project – ARIES INTERNATIONAL MARITIME RESEARCH INSTITUTE (AIMRI). Initial Filtering of the registrations will be performed from February 01st, 2021 - February 05th. Detailed Evaluation from February 5th, 2021- February 12th, 2021, and Jury Evaluation will be conducted from February 13th, 2021 - February 20th, 2021. Virtual Event & Winner Announcements: February 23rd, 2021The Final Evaluation will be conducted by INDYWOOD BILLIONAIRES CLUB (IBC). The last date for nomination is January 31st, 2021.

To nominate your organization or to know more details visit: http://indywoodbillionairesclub.com/startup/ or contact +91 – 9539000509 (India), +971 – 566796096 (UAE) or email startup@indywood.co.in

Startup Genome and Kerala Startup Mission partner to bring Kerala’s startups to the Global Stage

Startup Genome and Kerala Startup Mission, working together to build on entrepreneurial successes.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. — December 16 , 2020 — Startup Genome and Kerala Startup Mission, which forges and implements forward-looking policies, today announced a partnership to help Kerala’s entrepreneurs by studying and showcasing its startup ecosystem. 

With more than 100 clients in 38 countries across five continents, Startup Genome is the leading research and policy advisory organization for governments committed to advancing their startup ecosystems. Startup Genome’s Global Startup Ecosystem Report (GSER) 2021, the world’s most comprehensive research on startups, along with Startup Genome’s focused sub-sector reports, will include Kerala and notable local startups. 

“Kerala’s innovation ecosystem has the potential to greatly impact the economy locally and create an example nationally,” said Marc Penzel, Founder and President of Startup Genome and recent appointee to the CII Startup Council. “We are proud to feature this growing ecosystem to help the community gain global exposure as a leading Indian tech hub.” 

Kerala Startup Mission plays a pivotal role in local vibrant ecosystem development. Kerala possesses a unique model of connecting academics, industries, R&D institutions and startups. The Government of Kerala initiated the startup movement through Kerala Startup Mission to create a vibrant startup ecosystem in the state and foster the growth of innovation-lead technology entrepreneurship.

The organization’s new partnership with Startup Genome will create more opportunities for local startups to get national and international exposure.

Ashok Kurian Panjikaran, Head-Business Development & Incubation at Kerala Startup Mission, said “The entrepreneurial wave in Kerala needs to be showcased to provide valuable insights to

the stakeholders of the Ecosystem. Few States in India have such a strong network of Schools, Colleges, Incubators, Research centers, Government institutions and Startups aligned and interlinked together to bring out success stories. Kerala has always been a land of high literacy rates and skilled labours. Now it has become an excellent host and enabler for world-class entrepreneurs, innovators, investors and startups.”

About Startup Genome

Startup Genome’s mission is to enhance startup success and ecosystem performance everywhere. Startup Genome is the world’s leading policy advisory and research organization for governments and public-private partnerships.. Its impact is rooted in the world’s largest entrepreneurship research with data on over a million companies across 250 cities. Learn how Startup Genome accelerates global startup ecosystems by contacting Adam Bregu at adam@startupgenome.com and on startupgenome.com, LinkedIn, Twitter.

About Kerala Startup Mission 

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is the central agency of the Government of Kerala for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in Kerala, India. KSUM was primarily founded to undertake the planning, establishment, and management of the Technology Business Incubator, a startup accelerator in Kerala, to promote technology-based entrepreneurship activities, and to create the infrastructure and environment required to support high-technology-based businesses.