Startup 101 Business Incubation Program
A programme by IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre
The centre's main 24-month incubation programme for India-incorporated, DPIIT-recognised technology startups.
At a glance
| Best for | India-incorporated, DPIIT-recognised startups with technology at the core of the product |
|---|---|
| Stage | Prototype – Early revenue |
| Duration | 24 months |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About Startup 101 Business Incubation Program
Startup 101 is the main way into IIM Lucknow's incubator. It runs for 24 months in two halves. The first half is capacity building, delivered through knowledge sessions, workshops and mentor connects, and it covers product commercialisation, technology validation, customer discovery, sharpening the value proposition and product-market fit, go-to-market strategy and data-driven decision making. The second half is about growing deeper in the market you have chosen and becoming fundable, covering a scalable business model, sustainable growth, investor readiness, building the team, global expansion, and investor and market access.
What you get
- Assured seed investment for the top 25% of the cohort
- A startup toolkit
- Access to technology labs and the in-house supercomputer, available virtually as well
- 1-on-1 mentor sessions with industry and academic experts
- Market access through the centre's corporate partners
- Access to government funds and schemes
- The chance to raise from a corporate venture capital fund
- Networking with investors across India
- A startup desk for legal and compliance work
Who can apply
- Startups incorporated in India holding a DPIIT (DIPP) number
- One founder must be full-time on the business
- At least one founder must hold 51% equity
- Sector agnostic, but technology has to be at the core
- No connection to IIM Lucknow is required
How to apply: Use the Join as Start Up form on the centre's site. It asks for your details, company incorporation number, venture name, incorporation date and sector, and requires a pitch deck upload. Questions can go to incubator@iiml.ac.in.
Where to apply
Other IIM Lucknow Enterprise Incubation Centre programmes
- IIML Business Acceleration ProgramSector cohorts for early to growth-stage startups, run with partners like IIT Kanpur's Technopark and NABARD.
- Pre-Incubation Program (Ideation)A four-month course taking a business idea from zero to one, open to professionals, aspiring entrepreneurs and students.
- EnterpriseHER — Women Incubation ProgramA 12-month incubation programme for women-led startups, extendable by a further six months.
- Goldman Sachs 10,000 WomenA structured business education programme for women entrepreneurs, delivered in India with IIM Lucknow EIC as one of the partner institutions.
- IIML-Venture FundThe centre's own seed corpus for early-stage startups it already incubates; it invests through compulsorily convertible preference shares.
- NIDHI Seed Support Program (NIDHI-SSP)Seed support from the Department of Science and Technology, disbursed by the centre to startups it has incubated for at least three months.
- Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) at IIML EICThe national seed fund scheme, disbursed by the centre as optionally convertible debt through its own seed management committee.
- IIML Angel NetworkAn investor network of IIM alumni and institutional investors who co-invest in the centre's portfolio startups.
- IIML Startup SchoolThe centre's training arm, running workshops and short courses for founders, investors and corporate venture teams.
- Corporate Venture Capital programmeAn end-to-end service helping public-sector and private companies set up and run corporate venturing and open innovation.