Centre for Next-Gen Entrepreneurship in Science & Technology Foundation (CNEST), KLE Tech

Overview

The Centre for Next-Gen Entrepreneurship in Science & Technology Foundation (CNEST) is the Section 8 incubator company set up at KLE Technological University, Dr. M. S. Sheshgiri Campus, Belagavi under the Government of Karnataka's TBI 2.0 (Technology Business Incubator) expansion. CNEST is one of 11 new TBIs sanctioned across Karnataka in 2024–25 by the Department of Electronics, IT, Biotechnology and Science & Technology (Karnataka ITBT), with each parent institution receiving ₹10 crore in state backing to catalyse deep-tech entrepreneurship in tier-2 / tier-3 Karnataka.

CNEST is the scaled-up successor to KLE Tech Belagavi's earlier NAIN (New Age Incubation Network) Centre, which has been operational since 2018 and previously offered up to ₹3 lakh seed support for proof-of-concept builds. CNEST inherits and extends that programme — pairing students, faculty and external founders with KLE Tech's research labs, prototyping facilities and industry network.

Programs & Support

• Structured incubation pathway with cohort-based onboarding, milestone reviews and mentor pairing
• Co-working & lab access at KLE Tech's Dr. M. S. Sheshgiri Campus, including ~5,000 sq ft of incubation space, EDA tools (Mentor Graphics, Cadence, ARM partnerships), prototyping equipment and ESDM facilities
• Mentorship from KLE Tech faculty, alumni founders, domain experts and corporate / investor mentors
• Prototype & MVP development support — engineering bandwidth, hardware support, design reviews
• Investor readiness — pitch coaching, investor introductions, grant matching with state and central schemes
• Industry & market access — partnerships with regional MSMEs, public sector and corporate channels via KLE Tech's wider innovation ecosystem (CTIE, K-Tech Innovation Hub)

Funding

Under the Karnataka TBI 2.0 envelope, the parent incubator (KLE Tech Belagavi) has received ₹10 crore in state funding. Per-startup cash support figures under the new CNEST cohort have not been publicly notified at time of listing — historically, the predecessor NAIN scheme offered up to ₹3 lakh per startup for proof-of-concept. Karnataka state TBIs are typically equity-free / non-dilutive for grant support; confirm specific terms with the CNEST team at application.

Eligibility & Who Should Apply

CNEST is open to:

• Students, faculty, alumni, early-stage innovators and registered startups
• Sectors: AgriTech, MedTech, AI/ML, DeepTech — with adjacent science & technology domains (biotech, clean-tech, robotics, ICT, ESDM) also welcomed
• Strong preference for founders from North Karnataka and the wider Karnataka tier-2 / tier-3 belt, although the programme is not restricted to Karnataka residents
• Both pre-incorporation ideas and incorporated startups are eligible

Impact & Track Record

The wider KLE Tech innovation ecosystem (CTIE + KLE TBI / NAIN) has supported 145+ startups since 2018, with active programmes in deep-tech hardware, agritech and biotech. Belagavi was selected as one of the three TBI 2.0 nodes in Karnataka, signalling state-level confidence in KLE Tech's track record. CNEST is positioned to deepen the pipeline of deep-tech startups emerging from North Karnataka.

How to Apply

Applications are submitted via the official CNEST Google Form linked from the SGI listing. The team screens applications, invites shortlisted founders for a pitch / discovery interview, and onboards selected ventures into the incubation programme at KLE Tech Belagavi.