Incubation Program

This is the standing way in. The centre describes an intensive programme of about 20 weeks built on what it calls 12 Critical Success Elements, with startups graduating after a gestation period of roughly two years.

What you get

• Space at the incubator: a co-working seat, or a 150 sq ft office inside the building
• Access to the makerspace, fabrication lab, XR lab and the AI, IoT and robotics lab
• Seed grant support for startups the centre backs
• One-on-one mentoring from mentors in India, Silicon Valley and Singapore
• Introductions to angel investors and venture funds
• Branding support, corporate pilot connections, and discounts on accounting and legal services from partner firms

Who can apply

• Individuals or groups of individuals working on an innovative product, process or service with a scalable business model
• Private limited companies, one person companies, registered partnership firms, LLPs, or another commercial establishment allowed under Indian law
• Companies under ten years old, or under fifteen years for biotechnology ventures, within the Companies Act turnover limit, and not formed by splitting up or reconstructing an existing business
• Unregistered teams, provided all promoters are named on the application and the company is registered within one year of starting incubation

How selection works: screening takes at least three to four weeks after applications close. Only shortlisted applicants are contacted and invited to pitch to a Selection Committee. Applications are judged on quality of innovation and technology, potential for intellectual property and commercialisation, ability to build a sustainable venture and create jobs, and the strength and experience of the team. The committee's decision is final, is emailed only to selected applicants, and no feedback is given on applications that are not selected.

How to apply: go to the Apply page on the centre's site and use the Apply button, which opens the incubation application. Questions can go to contact@smutbi.com.