NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI SSS)
A programme by DERBI Foundation
DST seed support for technology startups DERBI incubates, from proof of concept through to market entry.
At a glance
| Best for | Technology startups incubated at DERBI that need seed capital |
|---|---|
| Stage | Prototype – Early revenue |
| Cost | Free |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
| Run with | DST NSTEDB |
About NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI SSS)
NIDHI SSS is DST's seed support scheme, run through NSTEDB. It puts money into startups with a promising idea or technology at the point where a bank or an angel will not.
What you get
- Seed funding for selected startups
- One-on-one mentoring and customised incubation support
- Networks and connects into the healthcare ecosystem
- Support moving from MVP to a market-ready product, pilot production and clinical workflow
- Guidance on intellectual property filing and certification
- Go-to-market strategy, and possible further funding support from DERBI or its network
Who can apply: DERBI publishes no eligibility criteria on this page, so ask before applying. The startups it has backed are mostly health tech, with biotech, industrial IoT and edtech among them — Ameliorate Biotech, Ayati Devices, Bagmo, Denovo Bioinnovations, HeartHealth Technologies, KBCols Sciences, Savemom, Semantic Web India, Vidcare Innovations and WeInnovate Biosolutions are all named.
How to apply: Pitch To Us form, selecting NIDHI SSS.
Where to apply
Other DERBI Foundation programmes
- PACE (Program to Accelerate Creation of Entrepreneurs)A 16-week pre-incubation programme to validate an idea, build a first proof of concept and get to a pitch.
- GALLOPTwo-year incubation for healthcare startups at proof-of-concept or MVP stage.
- EMERGEAcceleration for later-stage healthcare startups with something ready to deploy or trial — currently between intakes.
- BIONESTDERBI's bio-incubation track under BIRAC's BioNEST scheme, listed as currently open.
- NIDHI EiR (Entrepreneur in Residence)A twelve-month DST fellowship with a monthly stipend for someone leaving a job to build a venture.
- NIDHI PRAYASA DST prototyping grant for idea-stage innovators building a physical product, paired with DERBI's lab.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0A MeitY-supported pre-incubation programme with a grant route and an entrepreneur-in-residence route.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme at DERBISeed support under the national Startup India scheme, listed among DERBI's currently open programmes.
- Prayas Shala / DigiKey Innovation LabDERBI's instrumented prototyping and testing lab, which publishes its equipment list with charge details.