PVC Partners

Check the fit first

• Accelerateam is for first-time founders at idea to pre-seed stage. The site says it prefers first-time, first generation entrepreneurs.
• Plan for in-person time. The stated commitment is two sessions a week, each of up to three hours, for three months or more, in Delhi-NCR.

How applications work

• The application form linked from the apply page is closed to new responses. Email rnd@pvcpartners.in to ask about the next intake.
• The form asks for information about you and your venture. A phone or Skype conversation comes next.

How selection works

• After the first conversation, the team shortlists applicants for a personal meeting.
• Selected applicants are contacted after that meeting.

What the team looks for

• Whether you would fit the programme.
• Whether the programme will deliver the value you need at your current stage.

Costs

• The programme cost is described as nominal. Co-founders attending from the same business, and social enterprises, get further discounts.

PVC Partners has worked with entrepreneurs since 2007. It describes itself as an investment advisory firm that also acts as a venture accelerator, and it runs Accelerateam, a structured pre-acceleration programme for first-time founders based in Delhi-NCR. The programme's current intake is closed, and the site names no new cohort dates.

How the programme works

Accelerateam takes a cohort-based approach, so each founder learns from the experience of peers at a similar stage as well as from the team and mentors. The programme covers identifying motivations and opportunities, business modelling, design thinking, execution, sales and marketing including digital presence, finance and fundraising, and perspective development.

The framework has four parts. A Knowledge Lab runs workshops exclusive to the cohort. An Experience Lab gives first-hand exposure and learning from other entrepreneurs' experience. An Application Lab offers one-to-one clinics where founders test their hypotheses on the ground. Investor Readiness work prepares founders for the questions investors ask.

The team describes the approach as one that constantly challenges founders to step out of their comfort zone. The programme pairs shared workshops with individual clinics, so founders spend time on both peer learning and their own venture.

The stated duration is three months or more, with two in-person sessions a week of up to three hours each. The site says the structure may change for one-on-one interactions or for support outside the cohort format.

Who can apply

Accelerateam is built for first-time, first generation entrepreneurs at idea to pre-seed stage. The sector focus is open. The apply page says the programme suits students, people in a job who want to explore entrepreneurship, and founders who have already committed full-time to a venture.

The location is Delhi-NCR, and the personal meetings used in shortlisting are held there too.

Cost and equity

The site describes the programme cost as nominal. It does not say whether the programme takes equity. Co-founders from the same business who attend together get significant further discounts, and so do founders qualified as social enterprises during selection.

What to expect when you apply

Applicants should expect three steps before any decision: a phone or Skype conversation, a shortlist, and a personal meeting in Delhi-NCR. The site does not give timelines for these steps.

How selection works

Selection starts with an application form that asks about the applicant and their venture. A phone or Skype conversation follows, then a shortlist, then a personal meeting. Selected applicants are contacted after the meeting.

Current intake

The application form linked from the apply page no longer accepts responses. The site refers to a forthcoming programme but gives no dates for it. Founders who want the next intake should email the team.

Track record and sectors

The site says the companies the team has supported came from diverse sectors, including drug discovery, renewable energy, ecommerce, retail, women's enterprise, telecom innovation and social enterprise enablement. It also says the team prefers to work with first-time founders. The page does not name the companies or give a count, so treat this as a description of sectors rather than a record of results.

Who runs it

Devangshu Dutta and Rohit Luthra co-founded PVC Partners in 2007. The page gives each co-founder a short biography covering their entrepreneurial and investment background. The site presents a group of mentors, coaches and facilitators who work with each cohort, and a set of founder testimonials.

Location

The programme runs in Delhi-NCR, and the personal meetings used in shortlisting are held there too. The apply page gives rnd@pvcpartners.in for questions about the programme.