Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society

Pick the right route

• You are not yet recognised by the state: get the Startup Andhra Pradesh Unique ID first. AP Ignite and AP Build both depend on it.
• You are at idea or early stage: AP Ignite is the one APIS describes for early-stage startups.
• You have a prototype and are building a market-ready product: AP Build is the one meant for prototype-stage product development and manufacturing.
• You need a desk in Visakhapatnam: use the separate incubation call, which is for DPIIT-recognised startups registered in Andhra Pradesh.
• You want to try a government problem statement: watch the innovation challenges portal.

How applications work

• Register on the APIS portal with your company name, verify the one-time code sent to your email, and log in.
• Click Apply next to the Startup Andhra Pradesh Unique ID application and complete each section, from entity details to promoter and founder details and the self-declaration.
• APIS does due diligence and approves or rejects the application.
• After approval you can apply for AP Ignite or AP Build. You can apply for only one of the two.
• The site says the portal is open on a rolling basis, so there is no deadline to chase.

Keep these ready

• Your incorporation certificate and incorporation number and date.
• Your GST details, if you are registered, with the registration in Andhra Pradesh.
• One proof of innovation: DPIIT recognition is the simplest if you already have it.
• Founder and promoter details, including each founder's education, experience and identity details, with promoter shareholding adding up to 100 percent.
• Your incubator's name, if you are already incubated.

What to expect

• The Unique ID is a recognition step. APIS says it does not guarantee any incentive or support.
• No amounts or dates are published on the pages we read for AP Ignite or AP Build, so ask APIS before planning around funding.
• Questions can go to the office phone line, which is staffed from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM.

The Andhra Pradesh Innovation Society (APIS) is the Andhra Pradesh government's nodal agency for innovation, entrepreneurship and startups. It works under the state's Information Technology, Electronics and Communications Department, has its head office in Mangalagiri, and runs its startup programmes under the name Startup AP. Founders in the state deal with it for startup recognition, for the AP Ignite and AP Build grant initiatives, and for subsidised incubation space.

What APIS is

The state's startup policy says APIS was incorporated in 2015 as the State Nodal Agency for promoting innovation, entrepreneurship and startups in Andhra Pradesh. Its stated job is to give entrepreneurs, researchers, students, citizens and the government a platform to work together. It also assists government departments with proofs of concept, hackathons and startup challenges, and it submits the state's information for the national State Startup Ranking. It is a state body first and an incubator second, so it is best read as the front door to Andhra Pradesh's startup support.

How its programmes work

Everything starts with the Startup Andhra Pradesh Unique ID, the state's own startup recognition. You register on the APIS portal, submit your incorporation details and a self-certification, and APIS checks the application and either approves or rejects it. Once you hold the ID, you can apply for either AP Ignite or AP Build, but not both. APIS says the ID alone does not guarantee any incentive or support.

AP Ignite is aimed at early-stage startups. It offers mentorship, incubation, ecosystem access and funding support for selected startups. AP Build is aimed at startups at prototype stage that are building market-ready products, with an emphasis on product development and manufacturing. The site says its application portal is open on a rolling basis, so there is no fixed cohort calendar.

Separately, APIS invites DPIIT-recognised startups registered in Andhra Pradesh to apply for incubation space at its Visakhapatnam centre.

Who can apply

The gate is clear. For the Unique ID the startup must be an incorporated entity registered in Andhra Pradesh, with GST registered in the state unless exempt. It must certify that it is within the state's turnover limit for startups and that it is not a split-up or extension of an existing family business. It also needs one proof of innovation: DPIIT recognition, a published patent filed by the company, a government sanction letter for innovation funding, a letter from a SEBI-registered fund investing not less than 20 percent in equity, a win in a government challenge or hackathon, or a one-page note explaining what is innovative about the product. The Visakhapatnam incubation call is limited to DPIIT-recognised startups registered in Andhra Pradesh. Founders from other states are not the audience for these routes.

Facilities and support

The policy document says APIS has been offering affordable, subsidised incubation spaces in Visakhapatnam, Kakinada, Tirupati and Vijayawada/Guntur, with almost 1 Lakh sq. ft. of space across them. Beyond space, it lists mentorship from industry experts, prototyping support, market access and funding guidance, and IP protection and legal counsel. Its menu also has pages on mentorship, intellectual property, public procurement, women-led startups and social-impact startups, which we could not read in full.

APIS also publishes a downloadable list of incubators across Andhra Pradesh's districts, which is useful if you want a campus or sector incubator close to you instead of a state centre.

Innovation challenges

With other government departments, APIS runs innovation challenges and hackathons for innovators, startups and students. Its challenges portal lists problem statements from departments, and recent listings are from 2025, including an AI hackathon and a healthtech challenge. Entries are judged on novelty and usefulness, feasibility, relevance and how well the idea is communicated, and the solution should already be shown as a model, prototype or minimum viable product. Entrants keep their own intellectual property rights, and APIS says it can help protect them.

State context

The state's startup policy reports that Andhra Pradesh is home to 6,658 startups, including 2,400 recognised by DPIIT. That is a statewide figure, not APIS's own portfolio. The same policy covers wider state incentives such as grants, interest subsidy, patent-cost support and rental support, but the APIS pages we read do not say which of them are paid through AP Ignite or AP Build.

Locations and contact

The head office is at the 4th Floor, Mayuri Tech Park, near the NRI exit on the Bypass Road in Electronic City, Mangalagiri, Andhra Pradesh 522503. Its innovation challenges portal gives a Visakhapatnam address at the Sunrise Incubation Hub, Hill-3, IT SEZ, Madhurawada. The site's contact menu also lists Kakinada, Tirupati and Vijayawada. The office phone line is staffed from 10:00 AM to 5:30 PM, and the site has a Vacancies page for current openings.