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Nidhi-Accelerator Programme

DST

About

Nidhi Accelerator is a nine month acceleration program under the aegis of National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board (NSTEDB) of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of India. This program is intended to tap innovations and technologies for venture creation by utilizing expertise and infrastructure of the host institution i.e., Maker Village.This accelerator program aims to create a successful mechanism to enable fast-tracking the seed and early-stage start-ups through deep and intensive engagements. The program focuses on start-ups who are developing innovative products in the medical/health care domain.

Objective

    • To fast track the growth of potential start-ups through rigorous mentoring and networking support in a short span.
    • To associate start-ups with subject matter experts, mentors through a structured accelerator program.
    • To connect start-ups to a network of academia, financial institutions, angel investors, Industrial Stakeholders and institutions related to medical & healthcare.

    • Benefits

    • Fast track structured programme helping ideas get accelerated to the next level
    • Introduction to entrepreneurial development & identifying business opportunities
    • Validate product ideas
    • Engage with potential customers
    • Building a scalable business model
    • Building upon MVP/POC
    • Manage team dynamics
    • Pitching sessions to investors
    • Demo day at the end of the programme – up to INR 10 Lakhs prize money for best-performing start-ups

    ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA FOR NIDHI ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

    • The applicant (Founder/Director) must be an Indian citizen
    • The applicant (Founder/Director) age should be above 18 years.
    • The applicant (Founder/Director) should have exposure in the domain of life sciences, Engineering, medicine, human biology or equivalent
    • The applicant shall possess educational qualification ranging from graduate (B.Tech, BE, MBBS or equivalent) or postgraduate (MSc, MS, M.Tech, MPhil, MD or equivalent) & PhD or equivalent in the mentioned domain.
    • The start-up company should have registered at the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
    • Shareholding by Indian promoters in the start-up should be at least 51% at the time of application to the incubator for the scheme, as per Companies Act, 2013 and SEBI (ICDR) Regulations, 2018
    • The period of existence of the start-up company should not be greater than 5 years
    • The start-up must have a working MVP/POC with a Minimum TRL of 5 which is market fit, viable commercialization, and scope of scaling
    • The start-up should be using technology in its core product or service, or business model, or distribution model, or methodology to solve the problem being targeted
    • Start-ups creating innovative solutions in Medical devices, Medicare, Health care, and other allied domains seeking mentorship for technical and business guidance which may include support in designing, producing/manufacturing, scaling up, marketing, commercialisation etc can apply for the program

Disclaimer

    • The application received under the program, are subject to due diligence of screening process. Only shortlisted participants will be notified/informed about the final presentation to the monitoring committee.
    • Screening will be subject to the parameters other than the eligibility, such as Innovation, Potential for commercialization and venture craetion, Team capability and Commitment etc.
    • The decision of the screning committee for approval and funding support will be final, firm and binding.
    • The final decision of screening committee will be communicated only to the approved applicants via email.
    • The approved applicants will have to agree for Pre incubation/ Incubation with Maker Village as per its incubation policy/terms.
    • Screening of applications will take 6-8 weeks, from the date of closure of online applications. Only selected candidates will be notified. No communication from Maker Village within the timeframe may be deemed as non-selection of your application for the program.
    • Maker Village will not provide any suggestion/explanation with regards to the application that are not selected.

Extended Last date for application: 25th July 2022


For enquiries please email: makervillage@iiitmk.ac.in