Evolve – Incubation Program
A programme by AIC-Pinnacle Entrepreneurship Forum
A twelve-month incubation programme in four modules, ending in an investor demo day, for startups at prototype to MVP stage.
At a glance
| Best for | Prototype to MVP startups in the centre's five focus sectors who want a structured year |
|---|---|
| Stage | Prototype – MVP |
| Duration | 12 months |
| Format | Hybrid |
| Run with | AWS, Zoho |
About Evolve – Incubation Program
Evolve is AIC-Pinnacle's main incubation programme. It runs for twelve months and is split into four modules — Idea and Research, Funding Access, Product Development, and GTM Strategies — closing with an investor demo day. The intake on the site is labelled Evolve 3.0.
What you get
- Sessions across the four modules covering the whole build
- Guidance from subject-matter experts on legal, finance, operations and marketing
- Startup toolkits and credits from partners including AWS and Zoho
- Help with company, DPIIT and MSME registration, plus logo, trademark and legal support
- Free co-working space and makerspace, and lab access
- Hiring assistance, legal and accounting support, and IPR support
- Investor exposure through demo days
Who can apply
- Startups at prototype to MVP stage
- Working in EV and mobility, cleantech, healthtech, artificial intelligence, or robotics and automation
How selection works: Not published. Cohorts are capped at twenty-four.
How to apply: Use the Evolve 3.0 application link on the incubation page.
Where to apply
Other AIC-Pinnacle Entrepreneurship Forum programmes
- Idea Utsav – Idea Validation WorkshopA monthly online workshop where founders pitch an idea or prototype to a panel and get feedback on what to do next.
- Emerge – Pre-Incubation ProgramA three-month online pre-incubation programme, taken with no equity, that validates an idea and prepares founders for the full incubation programme.
- Elevate – Acceleration ProgramA six-month, sector-agnostic accelerator for startups already earning revenue, focused on sales, operations and investor readiness.
- EvolutioNari – Women Entrepreneurship ProgramA twelve-month programme for women founders at ideation to prototype stage, built on curated sessions, group mentoring and networking.
- International Incubation SupportA residency route for companies based outside India that want to use the centre's physical incubation programme and reach Indian markets.
- Student Entrepreneurship Development ProgramA structured entrepreneurship curriculum for students, covering ideation, business planning, market research and funding.
- Atal Innovation Mission seed support (AIM-AIC)Seed support for startups already incubated at the centre, given as debt or equity and requiring matching money from non-government sources.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0A MeitY scheme the centre channels, with an entrepreneur-in-residence stipend at idea stage and grant support at prototype and product-development stages.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS)Seed funding for DPIIT-recognised startups under two years old, given as grant and as debt or convertible debentures through the centre.
- MSME Innovative Scheme – IncubationAIC-Pinnacle is an approved Host Institute, so innovators and MSMEs can take an idea through proof-of-concept validation and commercialisation here.
- MSME IPFC – IP Rights Facilitation CentreAn IP facilitation centre under the Ministry of MSME that files patents, trademarks, copyrights and designs for Udyam-registered MSMEs with no professional fee.