Studio by IIMA Ventures
A programme by IIMA Ventures
A six-month venture studio that co-builds companies with first-time and repeat founders, starting from a thesis.
At a glance
| Best for | Aspiring, first-time and repeat founders, professionals and academics |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea |
| Duration | 6 months |
| Format | Hybrid |
| Cost | Takes equity |
About Studio by IIMA Ventures
Studio is IIMA Ventures' venture-studio track for people who have not yet settled on an idea. It runs a three-month Thesis Sprint, then a Design Sprint in months four to six to form a core team and find early adopters, and ends with a demo day. Most of it is remote, with some in-person sessions. Its themes are deep tech, digital inclusion and sustainability. IIMA Ventures takes equity in studio ventures.
What you get
- A Thesis Sprint and entrepreneurship workshops
- A Design Sprint to build a core team and find early adopters
- Market linkages and vendor benefits
- A pitch to IIMA Ventures, with access to other funds, family offices and angel investors
Who can apply
- Aspiring and first-time founders, working professionals, domain experts and academics, and repeat founders
How to apply: Use the Apply Now button on the programme page, which opens IIMA Ventures' general Get Support form.
Where to apply
Other IIMA Ventures programmes
- Kotak BizLabs Season 3An eight-month accelerator for revenue-stage social-impact and sustainability startups from tier-2 and tier-3 India, funded by Kotak Mahindra Bank's CSR.
- Women's Economic EmpowermentA rolling programme, supported by the Gates Foundation, for startups using AI and technology to raise the incomes of low-income women.
- Bharat Inclusion InitiativeA rolling programme for tech startups in fintech, skilling and livelihoods that serve lower-income Indians.
- Aerospace & Defence Acceleration FundA pre-seed and seed investment and acceleration programme for aerospace, defence and space-tech startups, run with Jaivel Aerospace.
- Bharat ClimateTech InitiativeA two-year programme, run with MUFG, for pre-seed and seed climate-tech startups in India.
- Fintech for Women's Financial Inclusion (#BuildingForHer)A programme for fintechs building products designed for underserved women, from prototype to growth stage.
- iDEX partner incubatorIIMA Ventures has been a partner incubator for the Ministry of Defence's iDEX programme since 2018.
- IIMAvericksIIM Ahmedabad's year-round programme for student founders, with an EIR grant to build an MVP.
- Swanari TechSprintA national challenge, co-created with the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), for AI and fintech solutions for women's Self-Help Groups. Applications for the 2026 edition closed on 15 August 2026.
- North East Growth LabA programme, run with SAP, for early-stage startups in India's eight North Eastern states. Applications for the 2026 edition closed on 15 July 2026.
- People and Culture AcceleratorA paid programme on hiring, culture and people practice for founders and people leaders of early-stage startups. The 2026 edition has ended.
- AI Summer ResidencyA four-to-six-week, in-residence programme at IIM Ahmedabad for STEM undergraduates building AI-first products. The 2026 edition is closed.
- MeitY TIDE 2.0IIMA Ventures is the west-zone lead incubator under MeitY's TIDE 2.0 scheme.