Management Education & Research Institute

Choosing a programme

• Pre-incubation suits founders who have an idea or prototype and need to test it.
• Incubation suits startups with an innovative idea, a business plan and a team.
• Acceleration suits startups that have already reached growth and want to scale.

How applications work

• Apply through the hub's website with your business idea, goals and current status.
• The team reviews each application and invites shortlisted founders to discuss next steps.
• Pre-incubation has an 'Apply Here' link on its programme page.

How selection works

• Acceleration applicants are assessed on growth potential, market readiness, scalability and team ability.

What reviewers look for

• For acceleration: product-market fit, an established business model and an ambitious growth plan.
• For incubation: a clear vision, a solid business plan and a committed team.
• Ask about any fees or equity before you commit, since the hub discusses costs at the application stage.

MERI Startup HUB is the startup arm of the Management Education & Research Institute, part of the MERI Group of Institutions in Janakpuri, Delhi. It works with early-stage founders who have an idea or prototype, with startups that have reached the growth phase and are preparing to scale, and with investors looking for early-stage deals. The hub is based at the institute's office on Sewa Marg.

How the programmes work

The Pre-Incubation Program helps early-stage entrepreneurs test and refine an idea. Founders get one-on-one sessions with mentors, workshops on problem identification, prototype design and market strategy, access to tools for testing an idea, and networking events. The hub's news post on its 5.0 cohort describes a 10-week programme, but the current programme page gives no cohort number or dates.

The Incubation Program supports startups with an innovative idea, a business plan and a team. Its process covers business plan refinement, financial and growth projections, market and product evaluation, help with incorporation, patents and trademarks, expert review of the plan, and regular check-ins. Corporate and government collaboration opportunities are also offered to incubated startups.

The Acceleration Program is for startups in the growth phase that are ready to expand. The hub describes two stages: growth, where operations, market approach and product are refined, and scaling, where market reach and operations are expanded. Support includes mentorship, market penetration strategy, performance tracking, introductions to partners and investors, and infrastructure credits for selected startups. The programme is generally six to twelve months, and its length adjusts to progress.

Who can apply

Pre-incubation is for early-stage founders who have a concept or prototype. Incubation is for startups with an innovative idea, a solid business plan and a strong team, and the hub says it accepts startups at several stages, including early ones. Acceleration is for startups that have finished the growth phase, with product-market fit, an established business model and an ambitious growth plan. Domestic and foreign startups may apply to the incubation and acceleration programmes if they meet the same criteria.

How selection works

Applicants submit an application on the website that describes their idea, goals and current status. The team reviews submissions and invites selected candidates to a further discussion. For acceleration, the hub describes an assessment of growth potential, market readiness, scalability and team ability.

Events and investor access

The hub runs an Ideathon, where startups present business ideas and models to industry experts and receive feedback, and a MERI Startup Festival that gives students and startups a platform to show their projects. A student-only hackathon is hosted with CodeVerse. The hub's Investor Hub connects startups with angel investors, venture capitalists and strategic partners, and offers founders help with pitch preparation and their investment model. The hub also says it carries out due diligence on the startups it lists for investors. Event registration dates are set per event, so check the events page for the current round.

Scale

The hub's home page shows counters of 28 finished projects, 20 expert mentors and 15 incubation and acceleration programmes. These are the hub's own figures and carry no date, so they are shown as reported rather than verified.

Costs

The hub says its programmes may involve fees or equity, depending on the services a startup needs, and that costs are discussed during the application process. It does not publish a fixed price list.

Location and visits

The hub is based at 52-55 Sewa Marg, Janakpuri, Delhi, India. The hub encourages potential clients to visit, meet the team and learn about its services, and asks visitors to book an appointment through the website or get in touch first.