DISCOVER

DISCOVER — Development Initiative for Startup Creation, Optimization, Venture Expansion and Research — is IITTNiF's incubation scheme. Cohorts run six to nine months, two to three times a year, and the scheme is open to individuals and teams that are not yet registered as a company. It works in three stages: idea to proof of concept on a fellowship, proof of concept to a demonstrable prototype on a one-time grant, and then commercialisation. Startups that reach scale-up are pointed at SARATHI.

What you get

• A fellowship at the idea stage, or a one-time grant to build a prototype, released against milestones.
• Laboratory access, technical expertise and help with prototyping.
• Tailored training, mentoring and outreach built around each cohort.
• Co-working space, weekly mentor and expert meetings, and peer learning.
• Market research diagnostics, technology-specific mentoring and legal assistance.
• A demo day for feedback, and support with negotiation and technology commercialisation.

Who can apply

• Innovators, researchers and aspiring entrepreneurs turning a research idea into a business.
• Early-stage startups with a proof of concept or prototype in progress.
• Individuals or teams not formally registered as a startup are explicitly included.
• Students and researchers holding a patent or other intellectual property are encouraged to apply to the early-stage tier.
• Registered companies at the pilot tier may be moved to the next phase faster.
• Anyone taking direct financial support must follow IITTNiF's consulting and intellectual property policies. IITTNiF holds the intellectual property on fully funded projects.

How selection works: the DISCOVER team calls for applications and the IITTNiF Startup Management Committee decides. The committee is made up of people from government, industry and the investment community, and it gives weight to applicants whose case rests on technology, innovation, intellectual property and patents. Applicants may sit a virtual interview or complete a short form so the incubation plan can be shaped around them. Progress is reviewed twice a year.

How to apply: applications are taken on a rolling basis and the committee meets monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly depending on volume. No form is published on the site, so write to startups@iittnif.com or contact@iittnif.com to ask when the next cohort opens.