iPreneur Cohort

The flagship programme, run as numbered cohorts — Cohort 8.0 is the current one. It is built for companies that are past the idea stage, earning revenue and trying to become ready to raise. It opens with a bootcamp, then runs structured modules, mentor clinics and milestone reviews, and closes with a demo day.

What you get

• Structured modules on go-to-market, business strategy, operations, finance and investment readiness
• One-on-one mentoring on business diagnostics, scalability and founder execution
• Investment readiness work: pitch deck, financial planning, valuation and due-diligence preparation
• Guidance on compliance, business structuring and governance
• Milestone tracking and progress reviews through the programme
• A demo day pitch to investors and ecosystem partners
• Introductions to mentors, corporates, investors and growth partners
• Cubicle space for meetings in their Bengaluru office

Who can apply

• Registered startup, MSME, LLP or Private Limited Company
• MVP-ready, product-ready or market-validated, with active customer traction
• Generating revenue and operating for at least six months
• At least one full-time founder in the business, and a commitment to attend and sit milestone reviews
• Company under ten years old
• Udyam registration or DPIIT recognition preferred — though their site-wide criteria list DPIIT registration as required, so check which applies
• Cohort 8.0 also states a minimum valuation bar, further down its page than the eligibility list
• Idea-stage companies are not accepted
• Startups outside Bengaluru can apply and take part remotely through their learning platform, travelling as needed

How selection works: application, then screening on revenue, valuation and growth potential, then an interview, then a selection pitch, then a decision by a panel. Deadlines are described as strictly enforced with limited seats. They say past cohorts drew between two hundred and a thousand applications each. Their published investment readiness table sets the thresholds they score against — revenue, month-on-month growth, acquisition cost against lifetime value, margins, burn, runway, retention, churn, customer base and net promoter score.

How to apply: fill in the registration form on the cohort page. Have founder and co-founder LinkedIn profiles, company launch month and year, business type, company GST and PAN, and a company profile deck and a sales deck ready. Questions go to contact@ipreneur.co.in.

Note on cost: this is a fee-paying programme. Startups that clear selection pay a participation fee, set at one of three levels according to how much investment they are seeking, and a small equity stake is taken by Infopace. Some due diligence, valuation and business model work is charged separately. Their own disclaimer says joining does not entitle a startup to investment.

Programme length is stated as eight weeks on the Cohort 8.0 page and as twelve weeks everywhere else on their site. Confirm it for your intake.