ELEVATE NxT
A programme by Startup Karnataka
The deep-tech grant-in-aid track under LEAP, open to startups anywhere in India that move their registered office to Karnataka if they win.
At a glance
| Best for | Deep-tech startups anywhere in India, at technology readiness level three to eight |
|---|---|
| Stage | Prototype – Growth |
| Format | Hybrid |
| Cost | No equity |
| Grant support | For selected startups. A place in the programme does not by itself guarantee a grant. |
About ELEVATE NxT
ELEVATE NxT funds deep-tech ventures through milestone-based grant-in-aid support and mentorship. The 2026 call opened on 18 January 2026, closed on 24 February 2026, and the winners have been announced, so it is between intakes.
What you get
- Milestone-based grant-in-aid support
- Mentorship through the programme
Who can apply
- Startups based anywhere in India, incorporated as a private limited company, registered partnership firm, LLP or a cooperative society
- Within twenty years of incorporation, with turnover under the deep-tech ceiling
- An independent entity, not a subsidiary, spin-off or internal division of an existing company
- A team of at least two people
- Technology readiness level between three and eight, with a proof of concept, prototype or scientific validation to show it
- Not an ELEVATE grant beneficiary in the last three years
- Winners registered outside Karnataka must move their registered office into the state within four months of the result, or the application is treated as rejected
Priority areas include quantum technologies, energy and climate, mobility and logistics, generative AI, cybersecurity, fintech, space and satellite, aerospace and defence, agritech and foodtech, health and life sciences, nanotechnology, semiconductors and microelectronics, industrial automation, advanced materials and manufacturing, and robotics.
How selection works: applications are checked for data sufficiency, then anonymised and allocated to two jury members. Round one scores the qualification deck and the declared technology readiness level, and one of the two jurors agreeing is enough to pass. Startups that clear it pitch in person, need at least 60 marks to reach the Grand Finale, and the final score is weighted 40 per cent from the first pitching round and 60 per cent from the finale.
How to apply: submit the online form on the department portal with a 200-word statement of why you are deep-tech, your technology readiness level, and two decks. The first deck is anonymous — no company name, logo, founder name or address, and the justification within two slides, or you are disqualified. The second covers the business model. You also need a notarised affidavit naming Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society as second party, a CA-certified revenue certificate, the incorporation certificate, and the MoA or partnership deed. One application per startup.
Where to apply
Other Startup Karnataka programmes
- ELEVATE (Idea2PoC Grant-in-Aid Scheme)Karnataka's main grant-in-aid call for startups incorporated in the state, taking an idea to proof of concept and then to scale.
- Rajiv Gandhi Entrepreneurship Program (RGEP)A twelve-month subsistence grant for individual innovators in Karnataka taking an idea to a prototype or proof of concept.
- WEscalateThe women-founder track, run as six months of incubation followed by six months of acceleration through incubators the department selects.
- Preferential Market Access (PMA)An empanelment route that puts Karnataka startups on a pre-qualified list state departments and public sector units buy from.
- Grassroot Innovation ProgrammeSupport for farmers, artisans, labourers and technicians in Karnataka to perfect and commercialise a practical innovation.
- Startup Policy Incentives 2025-30Reimbursement claims open to any startup registered with KITS — state GST, patent filing costs and other incentives under the 2025-30 policy.
- New Age Innovation Network 2.0 (NAIN 2.0)Incubation centres inside colleges outside Bengaluru Urban District, funding student projects through the host institution.
- Local Economy Accelerator Program (LEAP)The umbrella state programme funding 16 components across six clusters outside Bengaluru — not something you apply to directly.
- Booster KitA directory of empanelled service partners offering registered Karnataka startups legal, staffing, investor-readiness and company-management help.
- Beyond Bengaluru Cluster Seed FundAn announced fund for early-stage startups outside Bengaluru Urban District; the department has not published an application route for it.
- Fund of FundsAn equity fund the department says it will set up for long-gestation innovation, weighted towards clusters outside Bengaluru; no application route published.