APIARY - A Centre of Entrepreneurship in Blockchain Technology

Choose the right route

• Working blockchain start-up, incorporated in the last 10 years: apply to the Idea Challenge Programme.
• Engineering student in your second to fourth year: look at the pre-incubation opportunity.
• Individuals and partnership firms can apply, but must incorporate as a private limited company if selected.

How applications work

• Start from the Apply Now button on the APIARY website. It opens the current call on the STPI Next platform.
• The site does not show the dates of the current call, so confirm it is open before you prepare.
• Email apiary@stpi.in for programme questions, or coo.apiary@stpinext.in for operations.

How selection works

• Applications are shortlisted and then screened in, as the cohort figures on the site show.
• Selected start-ups must finish the incubation tasks before they become eligible for the acceleration programme.

What reviewers look for

• A blockchain focus and an idea that is innovative and scalable.
• A business model with a path to employment or wealth creation.
• Readiness to build a proof of concept, win first customers and set up revenue.

APIARY is the Centre of Entrepreneurship in Blockchain Technology, run by the Software Technology Parks of India (STPI) at its incubation facility in Gurugram, Haryana. It was set up with the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Government of Haryana and industry and academic partners, to find and support early-stage blockchain start-ups. The centre began with a soft launch of its Idea Challenge Programme in 2020.

How the programmes work

Start-ups enter through the Idea Challenge Programme, an open call for Indian start-ups working in blockchain. Selected start-ups move into a three-month incubation at the Gurugram centre, which can be extended to six months. During incubation they validate the idea through industry contact, build a proof of concept or MVP, acquire their first customers, set up a revenue stream and payment cycle, and write a business plan. Start-ups that complete these tasks become eligible for a nine-month acceleration programme, with unlimited mentorship and masterclasses on going to market, data and business models, and pitching to investors.

The site also runs a pre-incubation opportunity for engineering students in their second, third and fourth years, who can be incubated as blockchain start-ups.

The site lists past editions of the Idea Challenge Programme, numbered 2.0 to 5.0. It does not show dates for the current intake, so check the Apply Now link before planning around a deadline.

Who can apply

The Idea Challenge Programme is for Indian start-ups working in a blockchain domain. Start-ups registered with DPIIT under Startup India are encouraged to apply. An applicant must have been registered or incorporated within the last 10 years when the challenge opens, must have an annual turnover within the programme's limit for the financial years since incorporation, and must be innovative and scalable.

Individual academicians, researchers, educators, entrepreneurs, partnership firms and LLPs may also apply. If selected, they must register as a private limited company, preferably within three months.

The pre-incubation opportunity is for engineering students in their second to fourth year.

Facilities

The centre is hosted in the STPI Gurugram incubation facility. The site lists ready-to-work plug-and-play space, high-speed internet, a network operations centre, a workspace that runs around the clock, round-the-clock security and a support team. It states a dedicated 80-seat co-working space and a dedicated blockchain platform. Start-ups developing blockchain platforms and products are offered co-working space during pre-incubation, allocated under STPI policy.

Mentoring and support

Mentors help start-ups validate their ideas, build the product and reach the market. They also connect start-ups with prototyping and manufacturing vendors, and the centre offers mentor access through an online portal. Need-based sessions cover legal, compliance, branding and cyber security. STPI has an arrangement with the National Research and Development Corporation (NRDC) for patent drafting and filing, trademarks and copyright. Marketing support includes an end-to-end marketing plan, knowledge sessions, road shows and networking events.

Who runs it

STPI is an autonomous society set up by MeitY in 1991 to promote software exports. The centre has a governing council, and STPI's Director General chairs it. STPI Next, a Section 8 company incorporated by STPI, acts as the nodal agency for its start-up activities. The Government of Haryana provides financial aid to the centre.

Scale so far

The homepage shows a self-reported dashboard of five cohort rows. The first cohort lists 413 registered applicants, 85 applications received, 47 shortlisted, 18 screened in and 14 mentors. The rows are undated, and two of them are labelled cohort 4, so the figures do not line up cleanly across cohorts. The site does not state how many start-ups have graduated.

Location

The centre is at 6th Floor, C/o STPI, Plot no. 30, Electronic City, Phase IV, Udyog Vihar, Sector 18, Gurugram, Haryana 122015.