Catalyst Impact Accelerator (Catalyst AIC)

Choosing the right route

Catalyst AIC runs its support around impact-first ventures, so the first thing to be clear about is the problem you are solving and the community it serves. The organisation says it is sector-agnostic and sets aside strict stage-based criteria, so a strong, well-evidenced impact case matters more than fitting a fixed stage.

• Building a scalable, tech-enabled impact venture: the main acceleration route.
• A craft or artisan venture: the Crafts Cohort, which has run as recurring batches.
• A foundation or corporate wanting to back grassroots artisan entrepreneurs: the Grassroots Entrepreneurship Initiative, which partners with CSR funders.

How applications work

Applications for the acceleration route are rolling and open across India. There is no online form; founders apply by writing to the applications inbox, so treat that first message as your pitch and lead with the problem, the people affected and your traction. The Crafts Cohort points founders to this same rolling route rather than a separate dated call.

What to prepare

Because the site publishes little formal eligibility detail, come ready to explain your impact clearly: who you serve, what change you are driving, and why your venture can scale. Catalyst AIC invests from an in-house fund as well as incubating, so being able to speak to how you would use capital and grow is useful. Confirm the current intake status with the team before you apply, since programme pages can move between batches.

Catalyst Impact Accelerator, known as Catalyst AIC, is an incubation and innovation centre set up by IFMR Society in 2016. It is an Atal Incubation Centre, and it works with impact-first founders building tech-enabled, scalable ventures for underserved and last-mile communities in India. It runs from a Jaipur headquarters in Rajasthan and from the Catalyst Centre for Entrepreneurship at Krea University in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh.

What they support

Catalyst AIC describes itself as sector-agnostic. It states that it sets aside traditional stage-based criteria and meets ventures where they are, assessing them through an impact lens rather than by sector or stage. The ventures it works with span crafts, culture, climate and sustainability, fintech, and AI applied to social problems. Alongside the startups it incubates and invests in, it runs a grassroots programme for aspiring artisan entrepreneurs in India's underserved geographies.

Programmes

Catalyst AIC's main route is an impact-focused acceleration programme for scalable, impact-first ventures. It combines mentorship with early-stage capital drawn from an in-house seed fund, which it deploys through a mix of structured debt, compulsorily convertible debentures, equity and grants, and it looks to support portfolio ventures with follow-on investment. Applications are rolling and open pan-India.

It also runs the Crafts Cohort, a recurring programme for craft and artisan ventures. Its portfolio pages list Crafts Cohort batches across 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, each with named startups, which makes this one of its established recurring tracks.

Separately, the Grassroots Entrepreneurship Initiative is a programme for aspiring artisan entrepreneurs across India's underserved geographies, delivering capability-building, seed grants and market access. It is backed by CSR foundations, and its public call to action is aimed at foundations and corporate partners rather than at individual applicants, so there is no direct artisan application route on the site.

Who runs it

Catalyst AIC was set up by IFMR Society and sits within the IFMR and Krea University ecosystem. It names LEAD at Krea University as a knowledge partner, drawing on that group's research experience to shape the incubator's approach. Its stated partners include USAID and the HCL Foundation.

Track record

On its own pages Catalyst AIC reports that it has incubated more than 100 startups. Its pages do not agree on how many ventures it has invested in directly: its homepage counts more than 20 investments, while its approach and portfolio pages describe investing in nearly 20 companies. Read these as the organisation's own figures rather than audited totals.

Locations

The Jaipur headquarters is the main base, with a second operating location at the Catalyst Centre for Entrepreneurship at Krea University in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh. A careers page lists openings for people who want to work with the organisation.

How to apply

The acceleration route uses rolling, pan-India applications made by writing to the applications inbox; there is no online application form on the site. The Crafts Cohort directs founders to the same rolling route rather than running a separate dated intake. The Grassroots Entrepreneurship Initiative does not publish an applicant intake form, and instead invites foundations and corporates to partner. Because the published eligibility is light, it is worth confirming current intake status and fit with the team before applying.