Who can apply to I-WIN Cohort 5?

Women-led / women-co-founded startups, incorporated for at least 1 year, with at least a proof-of-concept. Sector-agnostic — SaaS, HealthTech, AgriTech, consumer brands, enterprise solutions and more.

Does I-WIN charge any fee?

Yes. There is a program fee of ₹25,000 + GST. In addition, a 2% success fee applies on investments sourced through I-WIN's network. I-WIN does not take equity in the startup.

Does I-WIN provide grant or investment funding?

No direct grant from I-WIN. The program's funding angle is the curated Demo Day investor connect at the end of the cohort, plus engagement with domain experts during the 4 months.

How long is the program and is it virtual?

4 months, fully virtual — designed around the reality of a founder's time.

How is each founder's journey personalised?

Every founder begins with a structured gap analysis tailored to her venture; the 1:1 mentorship and expert sessions are sequenced from there.

ISB I-WIN Accelerator for Women-Led Startups (Cohort 5)

Funding providers

Provider

ISB I-Venture

Hyderabad · Telangana · India

Overview I-Venture @ ISB is the entrepreneurship and incubation platform of the Indian School of Business (ISB), headquartered at ISB's Hyderabad campus with operations also at Mohali. Launched with a vision to build a robust, accessible entrepreneurship ecosystem in India —…

Learn more

Application Process

1
Online Application
Apply on the ISB I-Venture I-WIN page with founder profile, company details, current stage, sector and pitch deck.
You
2
3
4
5

How to apply

Four steps from draft to disbursement — one action each.

1
Draft your application
Answer the form inside the grant tracker — AI drafts each response using your past answers, so you're not starting from a blank page.
2
See the questions before you start
Download every question this programme's application form asks, so you can prepare your answers offline before opening the portal.
3
Line up your documents
Keep every document from the checklist ready in one folder. Missing docs are the #1 reason applications get bounced.
4
Submit on the official portal
Use the official application link and verify all details before final submission.
5
Follow up
Reach out 5–7 days after submitting to confirm receipt and ask about the review timeline.

I-WIN (Women in Innovation) is ISB I-Venture's flagship accelerator built for women founders who are past the idea stage and working through the real complexity of scaling. Cohort 5 is now open for applications.

The program runs for four months, fully virtually, and is built around the specific gaps in each founder's business — not a fixed curriculum. Every selected startup begins with a structured gap analysis to identify the actual growth bottleneck, whether that's GTM, fundraising readiness, revenue quality, or team structure. The program then delivers targeted support across those specific areas.

Founders get access to expert-led live sessions on growth strategy, unit economics, org structuring, and compliance; 1:1 mentorship sessions with industry veterans and seasoned founders; brand and performance marketing labs; structured market access pathways; and investment readiness preparation including pitch clinics and a curated Demo Day for investor conversations. The peer cohort is kept deliberately small for high-signal interactions, and selected founders also gain access to ISB I-Venture's broader alumni network.

I-WIN is designed for founders who already have paying customers and are stuck on specific problems — inconsistent growth, fundraising preparation, or distribution. The program is sector-agnostic and open to startups at pre-seed through pre-Series A.

ISB I-WIN Accelerator for Women-Led Startups (Cohort 5)

ISB I-WIN Accelerator for Women-Led Startups (Cohort 5)

Funding providers

Application Process

How to apply

Sources

Grants closing soon

Competitions closing soon

Equity closing soon

Debt programs

Subsidies

Am I likely to win this grant — and why?

Frequently Asked Questions

About this funding program

Eligibility

Timelines & Process

Benefits & Funding

Grants closing soon

Competitions closing soon

Equity closing soon

Debt programs

Subsidies

Startup Software Credits

Notion

Semrush

Reclaim.ai

Google

IBM

Datadog

Huawei

Akamai Technologies

Microsoft

DigitalOcean

Razorpay

Mixpanel