Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council

GUSEC's incubation gives founders mentorship, co-working space, business and market support, and access to funding connections. The council says it charges no fees to apply or take part.

What you get

• Mentorship from founders, industry experts, investors and domain specialists
• Co-working space and workstations, meeting spaces and event spaces
• Support for prototyping and product development
• Business strategy, go-to-market and customer validation guidance
• Access to funding opportunities, government schemes, grants and investor networks

How to apply: New incubation applications are paused at the time of research. The site offers a waiting list for when the new portal opens.

The Startup Gujarat Scheme is backed by the Industries Commissionerate of the Government of Gujarat. GUSEC delivers it as a nodal institute, and it pays a monthly founder allowance alongside grants for prototype development, testing, patents and marketing.

Who can apply

• A startup registered or incorporated in Gujarat
• Recognition from the Government of Gujarat or DPIIT as an innovative startup
• Incubation or endorsement through an approved nodal institute such as GUSEC

How to apply: Create a user on the online portal and select GUSEC in the Nodal Institute field of the application form.

SSIP 2.0 is an initiative of the Education Department of the Government of Gujarat. Through GUSEC, eligible students get funding for prototypes, support for patent filing, mentoring and incubation.

Who can apply

• Currently enrolled students at a school, college or university in Gujarat
• Recent graduates up to five years from graduation
• Student teams that meet the policy criteria

How to apply: Applications must be routed through or backed by a recognised educational institute or a university incubation centre such as GUSEC. Ideas do not need to be registered as a company yet.

NIDHI SSS is a flagship financial programme of the Department of Science and Technology. GUSEC administers it. It invests seed capital in technology ventures that are ready for market, for uses such as production, certification, hiring and early sales.

Who can apply

• A registered Private Limited company in India, incubated or supported at GUSEC
• A working MVP, prototype or commercial technology product ready for market launch
• Founders who hold at least 51% equity in the company

Terms: The investment is made against equity, CCPS or soft debenture instruments.

The NIDHI Entrepreneur-in-Residence scheme is a fellowship from the Department of Science and Technology. GUSEC runs it. It gives a monthly grant for up to 12 months, mentorship and access to co-working space and the FabLab, so founders can work full-time on a technology idea.

Who can apply

• Indian citizens with a formal degree in science, engineering, technology or business administration, as stated on the scheme page
• Full-time founders with a scalable, technology-based business idea
• Fellows who are not employed or enrolled in another programme at the same time

Status: The application window closed at 11:59 PM IST on 15 July 2023.

The Startup India Seed Fund Scheme is run by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. GUSEC was selected to disburse it. Startups receive either a non-dilutive grant to validate a concept, build a prototype or run product trials, or investment through convertible debentures or debt to enter a market.

Who can apply

• Startups recognised by DPIIT and incorporated no more than two years before applying
• A business idea that uses technology as a core part of the model
• Indian promoters holding at least 51% at the time of application to the incubator

TIDE 2.0 is a Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology initiative. GUSEC manages it for tech product startups that use ICT infrastructure. It has two streams: fellowship support to test a thesis and validate a technical architecture, and prototype development funding to reach a minimum viable product.

Who can apply

• A citizen of India who holds structural command of the startup
• A technology-focused solution built on modern software or hardware ICT infrastructure
• A legal entity such as an LLP or Private Limited company for the larger grant stream

SAMRIDH Accelerator was launched with the support of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. Selected startups get a 10-week programme of group and one-to-one mentoring, progress reviews, international networking, investor and customer pitch preparation, and demo days. Up to five startups receive investment through the MeitY Startup Hub and GUSEC's investor network.

Who can apply

• A startup as defined by DPIIT
• A startup working in the IT or electronics sector
• Startups with revenue, DPIIT recognition or TIDE 2.0 support were given preference

Status: The application window is closed.

The XR Startup Program is a collaboration between Meta and the MeitY Startup Hub. The accelerator takes ten early-stage startups working on extended reality through a six-month programme, with a grant, mentoring by industry experts and researchers, access to strategic partners and investors, and technology and infrastructure support.

The page does not state a batch date or an application window, so check the programme page before applying.

Surge is GUSEC's resource programme for early-stage founders. It covers the resources a founder needs from validation and mentoring to prototype funding, so that a startup can build a minimum viable product that can be tested in the market.

Surge is funded through a grant GUSEC received under the Student Startup and Innovation Policy of the Government of Gujarat.