Incubation at Benz Emerge Technology Foundation (BETF)
A programme by Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute
The university's Section 8 incubator, open on paper to outside founders as well as students, with no published application route.
At a glance
| Best for | Students, researchers, faculty and outside founders, especially hardware, medtech, agri and food ventures that need lab access |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Early revenue |
| Format | In person |
| Run with | Startup TN, ICCW, IIT PALS, YUVA, Shakthi Masala Startup Awards |
About Incubation at Benz Emerge Technology Foundation (BETF)
BETF is described by the university as its Section 8 not-for-profit incubator, working under the Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Centre of Excellence in Innovation and Entrepreneurship. It is the only part of the university that says in writing it works with external innovators as well as students, researchers and faculty, and the facilities page says the centre hosts early-stage ventures, domain-specialised startups and mature enterprises.
What you get
- Co-working and incubation space with plug-and-play infrastructure, and a separate advanced space for ventures already trading
- Access to the prototyping labs, fabrication tools and testing facilities on campus
- Mentorship from industry experts, entrepreneurs and investors
- Help applying for seed funding and grants through the Department of Science and Technology, the Ministry of MSME, StartupTN and EDII Tamil Nadu
- Startup bootcamps, workshops and masterclasses
- Support with company registration, intellectual property and business model development
Who can apply
- Students, researchers, faculty and external innovators, in BETF's own words
- No incorporation requirement, geography gate, sector gate or stage gate is published
- Stated sector focus is medtech and life sciences, Industry 4.0 and smart manufacturing, agri tech and food processing, environmental and sustainable technologies, and defence and rural innovation
How selection works: not published.
How to apply: there is no form, portal, open call or deadline, and the centre's own Contact Us link goes nowhere. The only route is to write to the university at contact@drmgrdu.ac.in, or call the switchboard, and ask for the Dean of Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Where to apply
Other Dr MGR Educational and Research Institute programmes
- DST NewGen IEDCA Department of Science and Technology grant for student innovators, which the university's own pages describe as running 2017 to 2022.
- Dr. A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Centre of Excellence in Innovation and EntrepreneurshipThe campus centre that BETF sits under and that manages the university's NewGen IEDC grant.
- Entrepreneurship Development CentreThe university's older entrepreneurship cell, offering electives and awareness workshops to enrolled students; its published activity log stops in 2013.