IIITB Innovation Centre
International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT Bangalore)
इलेक्ट्रॉनिक्स सिटी में आईआईआईटी बैंगलोर का स्टार्टअप इनक्यूबेटर, जो ATOM प्री-इनक्यूबेशन, Orbit इनक्यूबेशन, FLASH एक्सेलेरेशन और MeitY TIDE 2.0 चलाता है।
IIITB Innovation Centre at a glance
| Part of | International Institute of Information Technology Bangalore (IIIT Bangalore) |
|---|---|
| Established | 2009 |
| Address | IIIT Bangalore Innovation Centre, 26/C, Hosur Rd, Electronics City Phase 1, Electronic City, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560100 |
| Programmes | 13 standing programmes |
| Stages supported | Idea, Prototype, MVP, Early revenue, Growth |
| Fees | 0 of 7 programmes that state a policy are free |
| Official website | ic.iiitb.ac.in |
| manager-incubation@iiitb.ac.in |
Programs by IIITB Innovation Centre
4 past programs · Filter all programs
आगे क्या?
यह हाल ही में बंद हुआ है। "मुझे बताएँ" दबाएँ, दोबारा खुलने पर हम ईमेल करेंगे।
आगे क्या?
यह काफ़ी पहले बंद हुआ था और हमें नहीं पता कि यह फिर चलेगा या नहीं। "मुझे बताएँ" दबाएँ, चलने पर हम ईमेल करेंगे।
आगे क्या?
यह काफ़ी पहले बंद हुआ था और हमें नहीं पता कि यह फिर चलेगा या नहीं। "मुझे बताएँ" दबाएँ, चलने पर हम ईमेल करेंगे।
आगे क्या?
यह काफ़ी पहले बंद हुआ था और हमें नहीं पता कि यह फिर चलेगा या नहीं। "मुझे बताएँ" दबाएँ, चलने पर हम ईमेल करेंगे।
Which IIITB Innovation Centre programme fits you
13 programmes compared by who they are for, the stage they accept, how long they run and what they cost.
By stage
- Idea
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program, ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness, ATOM Pre Incubation — Water and Sanitation, ATOM and ORBIT — Smart Manufacturing & Industry 4.0/5.0, Startup Readiness Bootcamp 2026, RBIH–IIITB Fintech Pre-Incubation Program, Agri Pre Incubation Program
- Prototype
- MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence, MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program, ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness, ATOM Pre Incubation — Water and Sanitation, ATOM and ORBIT — Smart Manufacturing & Industry 4.0/5.0, Startup Readiness Bootcamp 2026, RBIH–IIITB Fintech Pre-Incubation Program, Agri Pre Incubation Program
- MVP
- Orbit Incubation Program, MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program, ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness, ATOM and ORBIT — Smart Manufacturing & Industry 4.0/5.0, Startup Readiness Bootcamp 2026, RBIH–IIITB Fintech Pre-Incubation Program, Digital Health Accelerator Program (DHAP)
- Early revenue
- Orbit Incubation Program, FLASH — MedTech Acceleration Program, FLASH Sustainability — Sustainability Acceleration Program, Digital Health Accelerator Program (DHAP)
- Growth
- FLASH — MedTech Acceleration Program, FLASH Sustainability — Sustainability Acceleration Program
| Programme | Best for | Stage | Duration | Format | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orbit Incubation Program | Indian deep tech startups with an alpha prototype or MVP ready to take to market | MVP – Early revenue | 18–24 months (other pages describe the follow-on incubation as 12 months and as 24 months) | — | Paid, takes equity |
| MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-ResidenceWith Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), MeitY Startup Hub | Indian entrepreneurs at prototype stage with a defined idea in the scheme's focus sectors | Idea – Prototype | 12 months | — | — |
| MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup GrantWith Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), MeitY Startup Hub | Indian startups with a working proof of concept ready to become a product | Prototype – MVP | 12 months | — | — |
| ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation ProgramWith Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), FSS (BLAZE), Wadhwani Foundation | Early-stage fintech founders with a proof of concept or MVP, company registration not required | Idea – MVP | 12 weeks | Online | Paid |
| ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & WellnessWith Wadhwani Foundation | Early-stage founders with a digital health or wellness idea | Idea – MVP | 12 weeks | Online | Paid |
| ATOM Pre Incubation — Water and Sanitation | Early-stage startups building water and sanitation solutions | Idea – Prototype | 3 months | — | — |
| ATOM and ORBIT — Smart Manufacturing & Industry 4.0/5.0With Wadhwani Foundation, COMET Foundation | Startups in smart manufacturing, industrial automation, robotics, IIoT and Industry 4.0/5.0 | Idea – MVP | ATOM 12 weeks; Orbit 18–24 months | — | — |
| FLASH — MedTech Acceleration ProgramWith BPL Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd. | Post-MVP medtech startups with early deployment or revenue and regulatory clearances | Early revenue – Growth | 6 months | — | Paid |
| FLASH Sustainability — Sustainability Acceleration Program | Growth-stage sustainability, cleantech, smart manufacturing and EV startups | Early revenue – Growth | 6 months | — | Paid |
| Startup Readiness Bootcamp 2026With AWS | Anyone at idea to MVP stage who wants a short, structured start — students, professionals and first-time founders | Idea – MVP | An introductory session, five sessions and a demo day across about eight weeks | Online | Paid |
| RBIH–IIITB Fintech Pre-Incubation ProgramWith Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) | Early-stage fintech founders, students and professionals taking an idea to MVP | Idea – MVP | Roughly four months | — | Paid |
| Agri Pre Incubation Program | Agri startups, innovators, researchers and students working with Farmer Producer Organizations | Idea – Prototype | About four months | — | — |
| Digital Health Accelerator Program (DHAP) | Karnataka-registered healthtech startups with a deployed or deployment-ready solution | MVP – Early revenue | 6 months | — | — |
Track record
What IIITB Innovation Centre reports about its portfolio.
The counters on the centre's homepage are self-reported and carry no date; we read them in September 2026. They do not reconcile with the portfolio pages, which name roughly 45 companies in total, and the centre's own history page says that by 2014 it had nurtured around 20 startups and invested in 7 of them under the TIDE scheme. The alumni listed here are the companies the centre names as graduated.
All figures self-reported — ic.iiitb.ac.in, as of Sept 2026.
Programmes they run
Standing programmes at IIITB Innovation Centre, separate from the funding calls above.
Cost and equity differ by programme and are stated separately on each entry — this is not an equity-free incubator. Incubation takes a service charge and convertible debentures under the April 2024 incubation policy; the pre-incubation and acceleration cohorts are paid courses that state no equity position; and several cohort pages state neither. IMACX, the zero-fee, zero-equity hundred-day civic-tech accelerator the centre ran from 2015, ended in July 2020 and is not listed here. The centre also publishes an explainer page for the national Startup India Seed Fund Scheme that links to the national portal; it does not say it is an approved seed fund incubator, so we have not listed it as a programme. IIITB COMET Foundation is a separate organisation with its own website.
Orbit Incubation Program
IncubationThe centre's incubation programme for deep tech startups that already have an alpha prototype or MVP, taking equity under its published incubation policy.
Best for: Indian deep tech startups with an alpha prototype or MVP ready to take to market
- MVP – Early revenue
- 18–24 months (other pages describe the follow-on incubation as 12 months and as 24 months)
- Paid, takes equity
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
Orbit is the incubation route at IIITB Innovation Centre, for Indian deep tech companies moving from proof of concept to market. The page carries a live apply link and no deadline, so treat it as rolling and confirm the current window.
What you get
- A programme shaped around your company rather than a fixed curriculum
- Product development support and technology validation
- Mentoring matched to the startup
- Go-to-market support and access to funding
Who can apply
- Indian deep tech startup companies with an alpha prototype or an MVP ready
- The centre's incubation policy requires the applicant to be a private limited company registered under the Companies Act 2013
- A promoter employed by a government body, or by any organisation outside IIIT Bangalore, must supply a no-objection certificate
What it costs: the incubation policy of April 2024 has incubatees pay a service charge at a rate the centre sets, and issue convertible debentures that convert into shares in the range of two to five per cent of equity, agreed before final acceptance. The Orbit page itself states neither.
How selection works: submit the online application, the internal team screens it, shortlisted startups pitch to the Orbit committee, and selected companies are onboarded. The incubation policy describes a fuller version — screening, a business plan on the centre's template, business, financial and technical due diligence by a screening committee, and a presentation to that committee, which may be held over a video call. Admission is at the centre's sole discretion.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the Orbit page.
MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence
Grant schemeGrant support under MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme for prototype-stage founders validating and developing an idea into a proof of concept, over twelve months.
Best for: Indian entrepreneurs at prototype stage with a defined idea in the scheme's focus sectors
- Idea – Prototype
- 12 months
- Grant support for selected startups
With Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), MeitY Startup Hub
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
IIITB Innovation Centre says it is a TIDE 2.0 G2 Centre approved by the Ministry of Electronics and IT as part of MeitY Startup Hub, and runs the scheme's Entrepreneur-in-Residence track for individual entrepreneurs at prototype stage. The most recent call on the centre's site closed in August 2025.
What you get
- Entrepreneur-in-Residence grant support to validate an idea and build it to a proof of concept
- Twelve months of support
Who can apply
- Indian entrepreneurs with a well-defined business idea in the centre's focus sectors — healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure and transportation, financial inclusion including digital payments, and e-governance
- Ideas are expected to use emerging digital technologies such as SaaS, PaaS, IoT, AI, blockchain or robotics
What it costs: the TIDE page states no fee and no equity position.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the centre's TIDE page, when a call is open.
MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant
Grant schemeGrant support under MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme for startups turning a working proof of concept into a product, over twelve months.
Best for: Indian startups with a working proof of concept ready to become a product
- Prototype – MVP
- 12 months
- Grant support for selected startups
With Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), MeitY Startup Hub
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The second TIDE 2.0 track the centre runs, for startups that already have a well-developed proof of concept and need to turn it into a product. The most recent call on the centre's site closed in August 2025.
What you get
- Startup grant support for translating a proof of concept into a product and beyond
- Twelve months of support
Who can apply
- Indian startups with a well-developed proof of concept in the centre's focus sectors — healthcare, education, agriculture, infrastructure and transportation, financial inclusion including digital payments, and e-governance
- Startups are expected to be working with emerging digital technologies such as SaaS, PaaS, IoT, AI, blockchain or robotics
What it costs: the TIDE page states no fee and no equity position.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the centre's TIDE page, when a call is open.
A twelve-week online pre-incubation cohort for early-stage fintech founders, run with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub as knowledge partner; the 2025 cycle has closed.
Best for: Early-stage fintech founders with a proof of concept or MVP, company registration not required
- Idea – MVP
- 12 weeks
- Online
- Paid
With Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), FSS (BLAZE), Wadhwani Foundation
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
ATOM Fintech is the fintech version of the centre's twelve-week pre-incubation programme, for founders exploring or building a fintech idea. The 2025 cycle closed to applications in June 2025 and ended with a demo day in September 2025, so watch for the next one.
What you get
- Business model design using lean-stack methods, then problem/solution fit and solution/customer fit workshops, each followed by one-to-one guidance
- Optional masterclasses in legal, finance, intellectual property, fundraising, sales and marketing
- A mentor panel and expert-led sessions delivered with the Wadhwani Foundation's Liftoff programme
- Sandbox access on the FSS BLAZE platform, two licences per startup, hosted on AWS, with technical mentoring from BLAZE architects
- An enablement kit of developer kits, request collections, interface documentation and build blueprints, plus production readiness support
- Showcase and promotion at partner events
Who can apply
- Early-stage founders working on a proof of concept or MVP in digital payments and infrastructure, financial inclusion, lending and credit scoring, cybersecurity and fraud management, or climate-linked finance
- A registered company is explicitly not required to apply
What it costs: this is a paid programme with a fee payable to the centre before it starts. It states no equity position, and states that no grant or fund is provided at the pre-incubation stage.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page.
A twelve-week online pre-incubation cohort for early-stage digital health and wellness founders; the 2025 cycle has closed.
Best for: Early-stage founders with a digital health or wellness idea
- Idea – MVP
- 12 weeks
- Online
- Paid
With Wadhwani Foundation
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The health and wellness version of ATOM, for founders with an idea they want to turn into a business through a step-by-step process. The 2025 cycle closed to applications in May 2025 and ended with a demo day in August 2025.
What you get
- Twelve weeks of support from the centre's team and industry mentors and advisors, working through problem/solution fit and then solution/customer fit
- A choice of focus areas from a long list of founder skills, addressed in expert-led sessions, including sessions delivered with the Wadhwani Foundation's Liftoff programme
- A pathway into a twelve-month incubation programme with access to grants and funds from IIIT Bangalore, the Wadhwani Foundation and other investor partners
Who can apply
- Early-stage founders with an idea in preventive healthcare, women's health, geriatric care, food and nutrition, fitness and sport, or palliative care
- No incorporation requirement is stated
What it costs: a paid programme — the centre's own pre-incubation pages state a fee for the ATOM programme. No equity position is stated.
How to apply: through the application listing linked from the programme page.
A three-month pre-incubation cohort for early-stage water and sanitation startups; the page takes applications but shows no dates.
Best for: Early-stage startups building water and sanitation solutions
- Idea – Prototype
- 3 months
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
A three-month pre-incubation programme aimed at early-stage startups building across water and sanitation. The page carries a live apply link and no dates at all, and describes the programme as proposed, so confirm with the centre that a cohort is running before you apply.
What you get
- A two-phase lean-methodology programme covering business model design, problem/solution fit and solution/customer fit
- Optional skill areas — legal, finance, intellectual property, raising funds, sales and marketing
- Customer persona work, business model validation and proof-of-concept refinement
- Access to a network of corporates and technology adopters, pitch refinement and investor connects
- Mentorship from domain and industry experts, and a route into a longer incubation programme
Who can apply
- Early-stage startups working on smart water management and distribution, leak detection and monitoring with AI or IoT, affordable purification, desalination or filtration, decentralised wastewater treatment and recycling, smart toilets and sanitation infrastructure, or digital water-quality monitoring
What it costs: the page states neither a fee nor an equity position. Ask before applying — the centre's other pre-incubation cohorts are paid.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page.
A smart manufacturing cohort with two entry points — twelve-week ATOM pre-incubation for early-stage teams, and Orbit incubation for those with a prototype; no dates are shown.
Best for: Startups in smart manufacturing, industrial automation, robotics, IIoT and Industry 4.0/5.0
- Idea – MVP
- ATOM 12 weeks; Orbit 18–24 months
With Wadhwani Foundation, COMET Foundation
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The centre's smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0/5.0 programme, with two doors: ATOM for startups still exploring or validating an idea, and Orbit for those with an alpha prototype or MVP. The page carries a live apply link and no dates, so confirm the cohort is running.
What you get
- Expert mentorship, hands-on workshops and industry engagement
- Support from concept through to commercialisation
- Curated expert-led sessions delivered with the Wadhwani Foundation's Liftoff programme
- Entrepreneur-in-residence support is noted as available through COMET Foundation
Who can apply
- Startups in smart manufacturing and automation, supply chain and logistics, AI and data-driven manufacturing, sustainable manufacturing, workforce upskilling, industrial cybersecurity, or factory infrastructure
- ATOM is for early-stage teams; Orbit expects an alpha prototype or MVP
What it costs: the page states neither a fee nor an equity position. The Orbit half is governed by the centre's incubation policy, which takes a service charge and convertible debentures.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page.
FLASH — MedTech Acceleration Program
AcceleratorA six-month medtech acceleration cohort run with BPL Medical Technologies for post-MVP healthcare startups; applications closed in October 2025.
Best for: Post-MVP medtech startups with early deployment or revenue and regulatory clearances
- Early revenue – Growth
- 6 months
- Paid
With BPL Medical Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
FLASH is the centre's six-month acceleration programme, and this cohort ran with BPL Medical Technologies for healthcare startups already in the market. Applications closed in October 2025; watch for the next cohort.
What you get
- A structured, customised six-month journey to revalidate your business model and technology in the domains BPL works in
- Focused support on design, regulatory pathways, quality systems and corporate collaboration
- Guidance on medical device standards including ISO 14971, IEC 62304 and IEC 60601
Who can apply
- Healthcare startups that are post-MVP with initial deployment or early revenue
- Holding regulatory clearances such as CDSCO, or having completed or nearly completed initial clinical trials
- Working in cardiology, intelligent health systems, ventilation, anaesthesia or imaging
What it costs: a paid programme, with the fee covering programme sessions, mentorship and access to corporate experts. No equity position is stated.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page.
A six-month acceleration cohort for growth-stage sustainability, cleantech and EV startups; applications closed in November 2025.
Best for: Growth-stage sustainability, cleantech, smart manufacturing and EV startups
- Early revenue – Growth
- 6 months
- Paid
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The sustainability and climate-tech version of FLASH, for growth-stage startups. Applications closed in November 2025.
What you get
- Structured mentorship from faculty, industry experts and domain specialists
- Access to labs, robotics testbeds and AI and ML platforms
- Workshops and masterclasses on go-to-market, ESG compliance and intellectual property
- Corporate connects for pilots and co-creation
- Investor connects with venture funds, angels and CSR funds
Who can apply
- Growth-stage startups in climate tech and sustainability, smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, or clean mobility and electric vehicles
What it costs: a paid programme, with the fee covering programme sessions, mentorship and access to corporate experts. No equity position is stated.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page.
Startup Readiness Bootcamp 2026
ProgrammeA short online founder bootcamp of expert-led sessions ending in an investor demo day; the 2026 intake closed in September 2026 and sessions run to November 2026.
Best for: Anyone at idea to MVP stage who wants a short, structured start — students, professionals and first-time founders
- Idea – MVP
- An introductory session, five sessions and a demo day across about eight weeks
- Online
- Paid
With AWS
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The centre's shortest programme — an online bootcamp of expert-led sessions covering how to validate a business model, acquire customers, run pilots, stay compliant and prepare to raise. Applications for the 2026 edition closed in September 2026 and the sessions run to November 2026. The page calls it a five-day bootcamp, but the published schedule is an introductory session, five sessions spread across about eight weeks, and a demo day.
What you get
- Five expert-led sessions plus an introductory session
- A certificate of completion from the centre
- AWS Activate credits, subject to AWS eligibility
- Access to founders, investors and startup mentors
- Practical templates and startup toolkits
- An invitation to the investor demo day for participants who complete the bootcamp
Who can apply
- Students, researchers, faculty entrepreneurs, working professionals, founders at idea to MVP stage, innovators building technology products and aspiring entrepreneurs
- No incorporation or geography requirement is stated
What it costs: a paid programme, with the fee including certification. No equity position is stated.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the bootcamp page.
A fintech pre-incubation cohort run jointly with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, taking founders from idea to MVP; the 2024 cycle finished in February 2025.
Best for: Early-stage fintech founders, students and professionals taking an idea to MVP
- Idea – MVP
- Roughly four months
- Paid
With Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH)
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
A fintech pre-incubation programme the centre ran jointly with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub, with the centre as implementation partner. Applications closed in October 2024 and the cohort was certified in February 2025. It is worth knowing because the relationship continues — the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub is now named as strategic knowledge partner on the ATOM fintech cohort.
What you get
- An incubation opportunity and product development facility
- Fintech masterclasses and mentorship
- Certification on completing the programme
Who can apply
- Co-founders of early-stage fintech ventures, and students and working professionals with an idea
- Fintech only, with no geographic restriction
- Company registration is not required, and solo applicants are accepted
What it costs: a paid programme — selected candidates pay a participation fee to the centre. No equity position is stated.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page when a cycle opens.
Agri Pre Incubation Program
ProgrammeA 2024 agritech pre-incubation cohort built around co-creating a customer-management tool for Farmer Producer Organizations; the cycle has ended.
Best for: Agri startups, innovators, researchers and students working with Farmer Producer Organizations
- Idea – Prototype
- About four months
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
A pre-incubation cohort the centre ran in 2024 for agri startups, innovators, researchers and students, built around co-creating a customer-management tool for Farmer Producer Organizations. Applications closed in August 2024 and the cohort was certified in December 2024.
What you get
- Dedicated Farmer Producer Organization partners to work with
- On-ground validation of what you build
- Technology support
- An opportunity to scale up
Who can apply
- Agri startups, innovators, researchers and students
What it costs: the page states neither a fee nor an equity position.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page when a cycle opens.
Digital Health Accelerator Program (DHAP)
AcceleratorA six-month digital health acceleration programme for Karnataka-registered healthtech startups; applications closed in February 2024.
Best for: Karnataka-registered healthtech startups with a deployed or deployment-ready solution
- MVP – Early revenue
- 6 months
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
A six-month acceleration programme for healthcare startups whose solution is already deployed or ready to deploy. Applications closed in February 2024, though the programme is still linked from the centre's navigation, so check whether another cohort is planned.
What you get
- Investor access and one-to-one mentoring
- A clinical deep dive with mentors and clinicians
- Access to deep tech healthcare research at IIIT Bangalore
- Sectoral workshops
Who can apply
- Healthtech startups registered in Karnataka — the only geography gate on any of the centre's programme pages
- With a solution that is deployed or deployment-ready, in healthcare access and delivery, affordable healthcare or quality of care
What it costs: the page states neither a fee nor an equity position.
How to apply: through the online application linked from the programme page when a cycle opens.
Incubation tracks
IIITB Innovation Centre runs a virtual track, so you can join without relocating.
ATOM is the pre-incubation entry point, Orbit the incubation track, and FLASH the acceleration track for startups already in the market. ATOM and FLASH run as themed cohorts rather than continuously, so the theme that fits you may only open once a year.
| Track | Type | Space | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Orbit IncubationFor deep tech companies with an alpha prototype or MVP. Requires a private limited company. Under the centre's April 2024 incubation policy an incubatee pays a service charge and issues convertible debentures converting into a low single-digit share of equity. | Resident incubation | — | Customised product development support, Technology validation, Mentoring matched to the startup, Go-to-market support, Access to funding |
| Virtual IncubationListed among the centre's offerings alongside a plug-and-play office. No separate page describes how it differs from resident incubation. | Virtual incubation | — | — |
| ATOM Pre-IncubationRuns as themed cohorts — fintech, health and wellness, water and sanitation, smart manufacturing, agri. A paid programme where the cohort page states a fee; the fintech cohort does not require a registered company. | Pre-incubation | — | Business model design, Problem/solution fit and solution/customer fit workshops, One-to-one guidance, Optional masterclasses in legal, finance, IP, fundraising, sales and marketing, Mentor panel access |
| FLASH AccelerationSix-month cohorts run theme by theme, so far medtech with BPL Medical Technologies and sustainability. Paid, with no equity position stated. | Acceleration | — | Structured mentorship from faculty and industry experts, Workshops and masterclasses, Corporate connects for pilots, Investor connects |
Labs & facilities
Equipment and space on campus.
The centre offers a plug-and-play office and sells co-working desks by the month. Lab and testbed access is named inside one programme page; the site does not say whether that equipment belongs to the centre or to IIIT Bangalore.
Plug-and-play office
Listed among the centre's offerings alongside virtual incubation.
Co-working space
Closed private seating rooms and open collaborative workspace, sold per seat per month, with meeting and presentation rooms for members.
Labs, robotics testbeds and AI/ML platforms
Access via IIIT Bangalore
Named as access offered inside the sustainability acceleration programme. The site does not say whether this equipment is the centre's own or the institute's, and there is no facilities page to check.
Support services
Help offered alongside funding and space.
Most of these are delivered inside a cohort rather than as standing services — the masterclass areas are optional and founders pick the ones they need.
Business advisory
Faculty and industry mentors, a mentor-in-residence, and one-to-one guidance through each cohort's fit workshops.
IP & patents
Intellectual property is one of the optional masterclass areas founders can pick in the pre-incubation cohorts.
Legal & finance
Legal, finance and fundraising masterclasses run as optional focus areas in the pre-incubation cohorts.
Market access
Investor connects with venture funds, angels and CSR funds, corporate connects for pilots and co-creation, and access to a community of early adopters.
Technology transfer
An incubatee may ask in writing to license IIIT Bangalore intellectual property — patents, software code, copyright, design registrations or developed products — on terms the institute sets.
Regulatory support
The medtech acceleration cohort covered regulatory pathways, quality systems and medical device standards including ISO 14971, IEC 62304 and IEC 60601.
Recognitions & empanelments
Official approvals this incubator holds.
Both recognitions are the centre's own statements on its own TIDE page. No AIC, DST NIDHI, DPIIT, BIRAC or MSME status is claimed anywhere on the site, and none should be attributed to it.
MeitY TIDE 2.0 G2 Centre
The centre states on its own TIDE page that it is a TIDE 2.0 G2 Centre approved by the Ministry of Electronics and IT as part of MeitY Startup Hub. It runs both TIDE 2.0 grant tracks. Whether the funding period is still current cannot be told from the site — the last call shown closed in August 2025.
Government of Karnataka approved incubation facility
Stated by the centre on its own TIDE page. No approval reference, issuing department or date is given.
How to apply to IIITB Innovation Centre
Pick the right programme
- Still validating an idea, or building a first version? ATOM is the twelve-week pre-incubation route, and it runs as themed cohorts — fintech, health and wellness, water and sanitation, smart manufacturing. You do not need a registered company to apply to the fintech cohort.
- Have an alpha prototype or an MVP already? Orbit is the incubation programme, and it is the one that requires a private limited company.
- Post-MVP with early revenue? FLASH is the six-month acceleration route, run one theme at a time with a corporate partner.
- Want a short, low-commitment start? The Startup Readiness Bootcamp runs online over a few weeks and ends in an investor demo day.
- Prototype stage and looking for grant support? Watch for the next MeitY TIDE 2.0 call; the last one on the site closed in August 2025.
Check cost and equity before you commit
- The pre-incubation and acceleration programmes are paid courses. Confirm the current fee with the centre before you apply.
- Incubation is different: the centre's April 2024 incubation policy has incubatees pay a service charge and issue convertible debentures that convert into a small single-digit percentage of equity, agreed before you are accepted. Ask for the policy and the agreement early.
- Several programme pages state neither a fee nor an equity position. Treat silence as unknown, not as free, and ask the incubation manager.
How applications work
- Every programme has its own online application linked from its own page; there is no single intake form for the centre.
- Most pages carry their cohort dates as a strip — applications open, applications close, cohort selection, kick-off, demo day. Work backwards from the close date.
- Some programme pages carry a live apply button and no dates at all. If you cannot see a deadline, write to the incubation manager and confirm the cohort is running before you spend time on the application.
- One page on the site still shows an older version of the Orbit programme with a 2024 deadline. Trust the Orbit page itself, and confirm the current window.
How selection works
- For incubation, the published process is an online application, screening by the internal team, a business plan on the centre's template, then business, financial and technical due diligence by a screening committee, and finally a pitch to that committee. A video call is accepted for the pitch.
- Admission is at the centre's sole discretion, and it does not have to give reasons for a rejection, so make the application itself do the work.
- For the themed cohorts, selection happens shortly after applications close and the pages do not describe the process; expect a shortlist and a conversation.
What reviewers look for
- A deep tech or technology core. The centre's stated focus areas are healthcare, agritech, space tech, climate tech, defence and cyber security, with AI and ML, semiconductors, blockchain, IoT, quantum computing and robotics as the technologies it names.
- Evidence of stage. ATOM expects an idea being validated; Orbit expects an alpha prototype or MVP; FLASH expects deployment or early revenue, and its medtech cohort also expected regulatory clearances or clinical trials under way.
- A clear reason the cohort's theme is yours — the themed cohorts are narrow, and each lists the sub-domains it wants.
Before you apply
- If a founder is employed by a government body or by another organisation, get a no-objection certificate ready — the incubation policy requires one.
- Incorporation under the Companies Act 2013 is required for incubation, and is not required for pre-incubation.
- The centre also rents co-working desks by the month, which is a separate paid service and not an incubation route.
- General queries go to the incubation manager at manager-incubation@iiitb.ac.in.
About IIITB Innovation Centre
IIITB Innovation Centre (IIITB IC) is the startup incubator of IIIT Bangalore, on the institute's campus at 26/C Hosur Road, Electronics City Phase 1, Bengaluru. It has run since 2009 and is set up as a Section 25 not-for-profit company. Its programmes are open to founders from outside the institute, not only to IIIT Bangalore students and staff.
How programmes work
The centre runs three families of programme plus a government grant scheme. ATOM is its twelve-week pre-incubation programme for founders still validating an idea or building a first version, and it runs as themed cohorts — fintech, health and wellness, water and sanitation, smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0/5.0, and an agri cohort in 2024. Orbit is the incubation programme for startups that already have an alpha prototype or an MVP, described as a deep tech programme that carries a company from proof of concept to market. FLASH is a six-month acceleration programme for more mature startups, run theme by theme with a corporate partner — a medtech cohort with BPL Medical Technologies, and a sustainability and clean-mobility cohort. A Startup Readiness Bootcamp, delivered online over roughly eight weeks and ending in an investor demo day, is the shortest way in.
Separately, the centre says on its own pages that it is a MeitY TIDE 2.0 G2 Centre, and it has run TIDE 2.0 calls with two tracks: Entrepreneur-in-Residence support for prototype-stage founders, and a startup grant for taking a proof of concept to a product. Each track runs twelve months. The last TIDE call shown on the site closed in August 2025, and the site does not say whether the TIDE funding period is still open.
How long incubation lasts depends on which page you read. The smart manufacturing page calls Orbit an eighteen to twenty-four month programme, the water and sanitation page points to a twenty-four month incubation programme, and the fintech page to a twelve-month one. The Orbit page itself gives no duration and no deadline.
IMACX, the zero-fee, zero-equity hundred-day civic-tech accelerator the centre is often associated with, ended in July 2020 according to the centre's own timeline. It is not a route founders can take today.
What each programme costs, and who takes equity
The centre is not an equity-free incubator, and its programmes do not share one cost policy, so check the one you are applying to.
Incubation is governed by the centre's published incubation policy of April 2024. Under it an incubatee company pays a service charge at a rate the centre sets, and issues convertible debentures that convert into shares in the range of two to five per cent of equity, agreed before the company is finally accepted. The Orbit page itself states neither a cost nor an equity position, so that policy document is the only statement covering it.
The pre-incubation and acceleration programmes are paid courses, and none of them says anything about equity. ATOM fintech, ATOM health and wellness, both FLASH cohorts, the 2024 fintech programme run with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub and the 2026 bootcamp each state a programme fee. The ATOM fintech pages also say plainly that no grant or fund is provided at the pre-incubation stage.
Other pages state neither cost nor equity: the water and sanitation cohort, the smart manufacturing cohort, the 2024 agri cohort and the closed Digital Health Accelerator Program. Read those as unstated rather than free, and ask before you apply.
Who can apply
Nothing on the centre's site restricts a programme to IIIT Bangalore's own students or faculty. The incubation policy assumes outside applicants: it asks for a no-objection certificate where a promoter works for a government body or for an organisation outside IIIT Bangalore. That same policy requires the applicant to be a private limited company registered under the Companies Act 2013, so incorporation is a real gate for incubation.
Pre-incubation is looser. The fintech cohort states that a registered company is not needed to apply, and the 2024 programme with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub accepted solo applicants, students and working professionals with no geographic restriction. The 2026 bootcamp invites students, researchers, faculty entrepreneurs, working professionals, founders from idea to MVP stage and aspiring entrepreneurs. The only geography gate found anywhere was on the Digital Health Accelerator Program, which required a Karnataka-registered company and closed in February 2024.
Facilities
The centre offers a plug-and-play office and virtual incubation, and sells co-working desks on a paid monthly basis in both closed private rooms and open workspace, with meeting and presentation rooms for members. Its sustainability programme also offers access to labs, robotics testbeds and AI and ML platforms; the site does not say whether that equipment is the centre's own or IIIT Bangalore's, and there is no facilities page to check against. Incubatees may ask in writing to license IIIT Bangalore intellectual property — patents, software code, copyright, design registrations or developed products — on terms the institute sets.
Scale
The homepage carries counters claiming 112 startups supported, 87 key mentors, 56 investors onboarded and 27 industries onboarded. These are self-reported, carry no date, and do not reconcile with the portfolio pages, which together name roughly 45 companies across the ATOM, Orbit, FLASH, current and graduated lists. The centre's own history page says that by 2014 it had nurtured around 20 startups and invested in 7 of them using TIDE grants.
Who runs it
Day-to-day work is led by Chief Innovation Officer Amandeep Srivastava, with an incubation manager, a programme manager, an incubation associate and a mentor-in-residence. The board of directors is drawn from IIIT Bangalore, IIM Bangalore and IISc, and an advisory council includes people from Athera Venture Partners, TiE Bangalore, TVS Motor Company, FIS and FKCCI.
Locations
The centre works from one address, inside the IIIT Bangalore campus in Electronics City Phase 1, Bengaluru. IIITB COMET Foundation, which runs its own 5G startup programmes, is a separate organisation with its own website; the Innovation Centre names it once, as a source of entrepreneur-in-residence support for its smart manufacturing cohort.
Get in touch
Send a message to IIITB Innovation Centre — we'll forward it on your behalf.
Who they work with
Stage
Sectors
Technology
Tags
Notable alumni
The team
Amandeep Srivastava
Chief Innovation Officer
Natarajan S
Mentor-in-Residence
Swathy Vayakkattil
Incubation Manager
Manugowda M S
Program Manager
Lakshmikanth B N
Incubation Associate
Prof. Debabrata Das
Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Director, IIIT Bangalore
Prof. Srinath Srinivasa
Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Dean R&D, IIIT Bangalore
Prof. Chandrashekar Ramanathan
Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Dean (Academics), IIIT Bangalore
Prof. Kumar K
Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Professor of Entrepreneurship, IIM Bangalore
Prof. Murali CS
Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Chairman E-Cell, SID, IISc
Frequently asked questions about IIITB Innovation Centre
What is IIITB Innovation Centre?
IIITB Innovation Centre is an academic institution based in Bengaluru, Karnataka.
What does IIITB Innovation Centre do?
IIITB Innovation Centre (IIITB IC) is the startup incubator of IIIT Bangalore, on the institute's campus at 26/C Hosur Road, Electronics City Phase 1, Bengaluru. It has run since 2009 and is set up as a Section 25 not-for-profit company.
Where is IIITB Innovation Centre located?
IIITB Innovation Centre is located at IIIT Bangalore Innovation Centre, 26/C, Hosur Rd, Electronics City Phase 1, Electronic City, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560100.
What programs does IIITB Innovation Centre run?
IIITB Innovation Centre runs Orbit Incubation Program, MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence, MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant and ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program, among others.
Which IIITB Innovation Centre programme should I apply to?
It depends on how far along your startup is. Idea stage: MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program, ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness and ATOM Pre Incubation — Water and Sanitation and others. Prototype stage: MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence, MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program and ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness and others. MVP stage: Orbit Incubation Program, MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program and ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness and others. Early revenue stage: Orbit Incubation Program, FLASH — MedTech Acceleration Program, FLASH Sustainability — Sustainability Acceleration Program and Digital Health Accelerator Program (DHAP). Growth stage: FLASH — MedTech Acceleration Program and FLASH Sustainability — Sustainability Acceleration Program. Check the programme's own eligibility before applying — several programmes are sector-specific.
Do IIITB Innovation Centre programmes charge a fee?
Most do not. and undefined are free to join, while Orbit Incubation Program, ATOM — Fintech Pre Incubation Program, ATOM Pre Incubation — Health & Wellness, FLASH — MedTech Acceleration Program, FLASH Sustainability — Sustainability Acceleration Program, Startup Readiness Bootcamp 2026 and RBIH–IIITB Fintech Pre-Incubation Program charge a fee.
Does IIITB Innovation Centre provide funding?
Selected startups in some IIITB Innovation Centre programmes can receive grant support, including MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Entrepreneur-in-Residence and MeitY TIDE 2.0 — Startup Grant. Grant amounts are set per programme and cohort, and selection into a programme does not guarantee a grant — check the programme's own page for current terms.
What sectors does IIITB Innovation Centre support?
IIITB Innovation Centre works with startups in Fintech, Healthtech, EdTech, AgriTech and Social Impact.
What stage of startup does IIITB Innovation Centre support?
IIITB Innovation Centre supports startups at the Ideation, Validation and Early Revenue stages.
What facilities does IIITB Innovation Centre offer?
IIITB Innovation Centre offers Plug-and-play office and Co-working space. Incubatees also get access to Labs, robotics testbeds and AI/ML platforms through its host institution.
Is IIITB Innovation Centre government recognised?
IIITB Innovation Centre holds the following recognitions and affiliations: MeitY TIDE 2.0 G2 Centre and Government of Karnataka approved incubation facility.
How do I apply to IIITB Innovation Centre?
- Still validating an idea, or building a first version? ATOM is the twelve-week pre-incubation route, and it runs as themed cohorts — fintech, health and wellness, water and sanitation, smart manufacturing. You do not need a registered company to apply to the fintech cohort.
Who runs IIITB Innovation Centre?
Prof. Debabrata Das (Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Director, IIIT Bangalore), Prof. Srinath Srinivasa (Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Dean R&D, IIIT Bangalore) and Prof. Chandrashekar Ramanathan (Director, IIITB Innovation Centre and Dean (Academics), IIIT Bangalore).
When was IIITB Innovation Centre founded?
IIITB Innovation Centre was founded in 2009. It is an academic institution.
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