Do I have to be from Karnataka?

No. CNEST's TBI 2.0 mandate explicitly covers Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra. There is a stated bias toward founders from North Karnataka and the wider Beyond Bengaluru ecosystem, but applicants from Goa and Maharashtra are equally welcome.

How much funding does CNEST provide?

Up to ₹10 lakh of equity-free seed support per startup, alongside the incubation programme.

What does the programme offer beyond cash?

A dedicated 5,100 sq. ft. incubation facility, structured mentorship, prototype and MVP development support, co-working space, lab and equipment infrastructure at KLE Tech Belagavi, investor readiness, industry networking and national-level exposure.

Does CNEST take equity?

No. The seed support is positioned as equity-free under Karnataka's state TBI / NAIN-2.0 framework.

Where is the programme run from?

CNEST, CTIE Office, KLE Technological University, Dr M S Sheshgiri Campus, Udyambagh, Belagavi, Karnataka. Contact: cnest.mss@kletech.ac.in, 0831-2491836.

CNEST TBI 2.0 — KLE Tech Belagavi, Karnataka – Up to ₹10 Lakhs

CNEST – Centre for Next-Gen Entrepreneurship in Science & Technology Foundation is the Technology Business Incubator (TBI 2.0) at KLE Technological University, Dr M S Sheshgiri Campus, Belagavi. CNEST is one of eleven Technology Business Incubators launched by the Department of IT, BT (Government of Karnataka) under the TBI 2.0 initiative, with each parent institution receiving ₹10 crore in government backing to catalyse deep-tech entrepreneurship in tier-2 / tier-3 Karnataka and the wider "Beyond Bengaluru" startup belt.

CNEST is the successor / scaled-up version of the prior NAIN Centre at KLE Tech Belagavi (operational since 2018). Anchored at the Dr M S Sheshgiri Campus, it runs out of a dedicated 5,100 sq. ft. facility (CNEST, CTIE Office, KLE Technological University, Udyambagh, Belagavi) and offers a structured incubation pathway covering mentorship, infrastructure (co-working space, labs and equipment), prototype and MVP development support, investor readiness, industry networking and national-level exposure.

The current call invites students, faculty-led ventures, alumni, early-stage innovators and registered startups working in Smart Healthcare (MedTech), Sustainable AgriTech, AI/ML and Smart Manufacturing. Adjacent science / technology domains aligned with the wider TBI 2.0 thesis (biotech, clean-tech, robotics, ICT) are also welcomed.

Geographic scope: CNEST's TBI 2.0 mandate explicitly covers deep-tech founders from Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra — positioning Belagavi as a tri-state incubation node rather than a Karnataka-only programme.

Funding: Selected startups receive up to ₹10 lakh of equity-free seed support, deployed alongside the structured incubation programme. Applications close 13 June 2026.

CNEST TBI 2.0 — KLE Tech Belagavi, Karnataka

CNEST TBI 2.0 — KLE Tech Belagavi, Karnataka

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