SARATHI

SARATHI — Startup Acceleration and Research in Advanced Technologies for Holistic Innovation — is IITTNiF's accelerator. It runs four to nine months with rolling entry, and aims to support ten to fifteen deep-tech startups a year across two to three cohorts. It carries three tiers: prototype, pilot, and product scale. This is the scheme where IITTNiF may take equity in exchange for government contributions, using promissory or SAFE notes.

What you get

• Milestone-linked support as a fellowship, grant, loan or investment depending on the tier.
• Expert diagnostics for market research and product positioning.
• Dedicated mentorship from specialists in the relevant technical field.
• Legal support covering intellectual property, incorporation and other matters.
• Connected learning, networking and regular sessions among founders.
• A demo day in front of venture capital and angel investors, and help negotiating and closing a deal.

Who can apply

• Startups already in an acceleration phase, and innovators or researchers with a prototype or a market-ready product looking to expand.
• Prototype tier: a concrete plan for prototype development. Applicants holding patents or intellectual property are encouraged.
• Pilot tier: a prototype built or close to finished, plus clear objectives for the next three to six months.
• Scale-up tier: a minimum viable product with early traction and revenue evidence, a history of funding or grants, and a granted patent with a market-ready product.
• Focus sectors are geographic information systems, satellite navigation, location-based services and related data and intellectual property driven domains.
• Startup definitions follow the Startup India guidelines, and selected startups sign an incubation and acceleration agreement.

How selection works: applications come in through rolling admissions or open innovation challenges. A committee of government, industry and investment-community representatives selects, with emphasis on technology-driven startups whose innovation, intellectual property and patents are core to the business. Candidates may be asked for a virtual interview or to complete a form. The committee meets monthly, bi-monthly or quarterly.

How to apply: no form is published on the site. Write to startups@iittnif.com or contact@iittnif.com to ask when the next cohort opens.