Ganpat University Incubation Centre

Choose the right stage

• Idea stage: the Shishu pre-incubation stage is for an innovative idea, whether it is still on paper or at an early prototype.
• Working business: the Kishor incubation stage is for a business that has started or has a working model to show.
• Early revenue: the Tarun growth stage is for a business already set up and earning an early stage of revenue.

Check you are eligible

• The centre names students, employees, alumni and local entrepreneurs of Ganpat University as eligible.
• The pages do not say whether founders from outside Mehsana or outside India may apply. Ask before you apply.

Before you apply

• Intake dates, fees and any equity terms are not stated on the pages reviewed. Ask the centre for them directly.
• Selection criteria are not published on the pages reviewed.
• Use the enquiry form on the contact page, or write to the manager's inbox listed there.

Ganpat University Incubation Centre (GUNI-IC) is the startup and incubation unit of Ganpat University, based at the university campus in Ganpat Vidyanagar, Kherva, Mehsana, Gujarat. It exists to turn technology ideas and innovations from the university's different faculties into products, processes and services that can be sold, and to help entrepreneurs build those businesses.

How the programmes work

The centre supports a business in three stages. Idea Accelerator, called Shishu, is pre-incubation for an innovative idea that is still taking shape. Business Acceleration, called Kishor, is incubation for a business that has started, has a working model to show, or is yet to be set up. Growth Acceleration, called Tarun, is for a business that is already set up and has begun to earn an early stage of revenue.

Who can apply

The centre names four groups as eligible: students, employees, alumni and local entrepreneurs of Ganpat University. Ideas and businesses may be started by one person or by a group. The pages do not say whether founders from outside Mehsana, or from outside India, can apply, so ask the centre before assuming you qualify.

What the centre provides

Beyond the three stages, the centre lists continuous mentorship for the businesses it enrolls, exposure to government grants and policies, help to find funding from investment agencies, business consulting for startups and small businesses, and support for students who want to set up an innovative project or industry idea. For the first two stages, the centre says eligible candidates are entitled to grant support under named schemes and funding agencies.

Track record

The centre's About Us page gives its own milestones. It gives 2010 as the year the incubation centre started, and lists 50+ businesses incubated by 2016, 100+ business proposals by 2017 and 150+ incubated business ideas by 2019. These are the centre's own figures, dated only to those years, and no later count is published on the pages reviewed.

The centre's portfolio names startups it has incubated, among them MUVR.in, Exocare Pvt. Ltd., Childselfy Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Kachhua Education, D'Champs, Aikarthya Research & Technology Development Pvt. Ltd., Toy Mahal, UNesar Private Ltd and Smartprop Solutions LLP. MUVR.in says it has executed more than 12,000 trips; the centre does not verify that figure.

Who runs it

Dr Saurabh Dave is Dean and Head of the centre, which he has led since January 2015 according to the centre's site. The centre is part of Ganpat University.

How to reach it

The head office address is Ganpat University, Ganpat Vidyanagar, Kherva, Mehsana, Gujarat 384012. The contact page offers an enquiry form and lists a phone line and a manager's inbox for the centre.