ISEED

Choosing a programme

• The Social Trailblazer Program is aimed at Indian social enterprises.
• Check whether a cohort is open before you plan around it. The site's pages disagree on its status.

How applications work

• Apply through the application link on the programme page. The site does not show whether the link is open.
• For the current intake, contact the team at iseed@irma.ac.in.

How selection works

• Cohort 1 had three screening phases, a two-day bootcamp, an investment committee and a Grand Jury pitch.
• Selected startups went through business, legal and financial diligence before funds were released.

ISEED, the Incubator for Social Enterprises and Entrepreneurs for Development, supports social enterprises and collectives, with a focus on rural entrepreneurship. It is run by the IRMA ISEED Foundation and is based in Anand, Gujarat. Its support covers capacity building, funding, and go-to-market and go-to-technology help.

How programmes work

ISEED's main programme is the LIC HFL IRMA Social Trailblazer Program. It is a cohort programme that gives incubation support to selected social enterprises and, for the top selected startups, equity funding and grant funding. LIC Housing Finance is the funding partner and IRMA ISEED is the technical partner.

The programme's pages disagree about whether it is open now. The on-going page lists a 'Cohort 2' with an apply button, the completed page lists the programme as completed, and the newsroom reports a fourth cohort in January 2026. Confirm the current intake before you plan around it.

ISEED has also run ANTRA (Autonomous Navigation for Transformation of Rural Areas), a hackathon organised jointly with TiHAN. The top five participants received cash prizes and the opportunity to be an entrepreneur in residence at IIT Hyderabad. The hackathon is closed. It drew more than 180 registrations from across India.

Who can apply

The Trailblazer is aimed at Indian social enterprises. Cohort 1 drew applications from startups across India. The programme pages do not set out explicit eligibility criteria.

How selection works

Cohort 1 went through three screening phases, after which 35 startups were selected for a two-day bootcamp. An internal investment committee then selected 20 of those 35 for incubation support. A pitch event at IRMA, attended by a Grand Jury, identified 11 investible startups. Selected startups went through business, legal and financial diligence before funds were released.

The fourth cohort reported 30 enterprises shortlisted from a pool of more than 350 applications, which attended the programme in January 2026.

Scale

ISEED reports its figures per cohort and does not publish a running total of startups supported, so none is given here. A Social Enterprise Conclave it hosted saw more than 50 startups showcase work across agri-tech, bio-tech, climate action, healthcare and artisanal ventures.

Partners

ISEED signed a memorandum of understanding with Mizoram Startup Mission on 29 January 2026. LIC Housing Finance Limited is the funding partner for the Social Trailblazer Program. TiHAN co-organised the ANTRA hackathon.

Who runs it

ISEED's homepage describes it as an initiative of the Institute of Rural Management Anand (IRMA). Its About page says ISEED started in August 2016 and was incorporated in October 2021 as a Section 8 not-for-profit company under the Companies Act 2013, as an individual entity. Both descriptions are on the site. The site also has a careers page.