STEM Cell — STEM Innovation Entrepreneurship
A programme by FSID, IISc (Foundation for Science Innovation and Development)
FSID's deep science incubator on the IISc campus, open to founders with no IISc affiliation and accepting applications all year.
At a glance
| Best for | Founders of IP-based deep science and deep tech startups, whether or not they are connected to IISc |
|---|---|
| Stage | Prototype – Early revenue |
| Duration | Not stated |
| Format | In person |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About STEM Cell — STEM Innovation Entrepreneurship
STEM describes itself as a domain agnostic, open deep science and deep tech incubator that accepts applications all through the year. It incubates IP-based startups that commercialize science and technology for societal benefit, and says its offerings have been honed over more than 25 years.
What you get
- Fully furnished physical space on the IISc campus, with no rent
- Access to labs at IISc, as per IISc policy
- Access to MATTER, FSID's prototyping labs, at concessional rates
- Technical and business mentors from IISc and from industry
- Seed funding through grants and equity-related instruments
- Cloud credits from partner organisations
- Access to working capital and debt funding through FSID's partners
- Group medical insurance covering founders and employees
- Trainings and events run by FSID and its partners
- Connects to angel networks, venture funds and corporates, plus the IISc alumni and entrepreneur peer network
Who can apply
- Anyone with an idea rooted in deep science. FSID states its incubation services are open to all and are not restricted to IISc alumni
- No incorporation, geography or category requirement is stated
How selection works: a jury made up of FSID's core team, faculty from IISc and other academic institutions, financial and legal experts, partner organisations and domain experts from industry. It assesses the entrepreneurial team, customer problem definition, technology and intellectual property, competitive landscape, markets, business model, financials and societal impact.
How to apply: send your business plan or pitch deck to stem.cell@fsid-iisc.in. There is no form and no deadline — applications are taken all year.
Where to apply
Other FSID programmes
- Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR)A structured track for validating a startup idea and producing a full incubation proposal, without having to set up a company first.
- Faculty Entrepreneurship ProgramA route for IISc faculty to take their own expertise to market, under IISc's own policies.
- NIDHI Seed Support ProgramA Department of Science & Technology scheme FSID runs for startups it already incubates, bridging prototype to commercialization.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0A MeitY scheme FSID operates, with a one-year entrepreneur-in-residence track and a one-year incubation track for startups.
- BUILD 2026 (with Boeing India)A free boot camp and pitch competition with Boeing India for 2026 graduates and pre-seed founders, run across seven partner incubators.
- Defence and iDEX support (DISC and ADITI)Support for startups running iDEX DISC and ADITI defence challenges, with veteran reviewers and an on-site Army Design Bureau cell.
- TIME2 — new product development for established industryFSID's division for existing MSMEs and companies that want IP-based products or an in-house innovation capability, not a startup programme.
- Centre of Data for Public Good (CDPG)An ongoing Strategic Programs initiative applying data and technology to public problems, behind IUDX, ADeX and GDI.
- Gallium Nitride Ecosystem Enabling Centre and Incubator (GEECI)A small-volume semiconductor wafer and device production, characterization and packaging facility at CeNSE, IISc.
- India Open Source for Mobile Communication Network (IOSMCN)An ongoing Strategic Programs initiative building an open-source software platform for 5G and beyond.
- Quantum Research Park (QuRP)A quantum computing hub bootstrapped by FSID with support from KITS, Government of Karnataka, under IISc's Quantum Technology Initiative.