The Gain

Choosing the right programme

• Technology startup with early revenue or product-market fit, selected under MeitY's TIDE or CoE route: StartupToScaleup.
• Foreign startup that wants to enter the Indian market: Access To India.
• Woman-led startup in Karnataka at the growth stage: Elevate WomEN Acceleration Program.
• Indian startup looking for global business opportunities: Global Immersion Program, which the site describes without listing an intake.

How applications work

• The site links to an online application form from its programme pages.
• Check the programme page for an open intake before applying. Past cohorts are listed as completed.

How selection works

• StartupToScaleup selects through three rounds. Applying does not guarantee a place.
• Programmes that take startups on fees or equity say so on their page. StartupToScaleup states that it charges no fee and takes no equity.

What reviewers look for

• A product that has reached product-market fit or early revenue, for the StartupToScaleup route.
• A clear plan for entering a new market, for Access To India.

The GAIN is a Section 8, not-for-profit accelerator based in J. P. Nagar, Bengaluru. It describes itself as a global accelerator for innovative technology startups, and it works with founders who already have early revenue or traction and are aiming at the growth stage.

How programmes work

The GAIN runs a small set of acceleration programmes rather than one open intake. Its pages describe support in three areas: go-to-market strategy, customer connects and access to funding. Mentoring, investor connects and introductions to partners are part of the offer across programmes.

The programmes on the site are StartupToScaleup, Access To India, Global Immersion Program and the Elevate WomEN Acceleration Program. Each has a different audience, so check the programme page before applying.

Who can apply

StartupToScaleup is aimed at technology-based startups that graduated from the TIDE and CoE schemes of the Ministry of Electronics and IT (MeitY). Access To India is aimed at startups from across the world that want mentors, partners and customers in India, so it is not a programme for Indian founders. The Elevate WomEN Acceleration Program is for women entrepreneurs in Karnataka, and its acceleration track takes existing startups at the growth and scale-up stage.

What the programmes give

StartupToScaleup gives acceleration support through workshops and one-on-one sessions with experts and mentors. Startups are also helped to reach relevant global markets, which are chosen by sector, and the programme says it charges no fee and takes no equity. Access To India combines mentor sessions, workshops, corporate visits and clinical validations, and helps startups test their technology and build local partnerships. The Elevate WomEN track runs for six months with a small group of selected startups and covers MVP development, fundraising, global connections, branding, pitching and investment readiness.

Track record

By its own account, The GAIN has supported over 50 startups since 2018. It says it has run two cohorts of StartupToScaleup, in association with MeitY and MeitY Startup Hub, across EdTech, healthcare, FinTech, AgriTech and Industry 4.0. It also says it supported 11 South Korean startups through its Access2India programme, and that six of them later raised follow-on funding. The site says its partner network covers 13 or more countries. These are the organisation's own figures, and the pages do not date them. Its portfolio page lists startups in areas including healthcare, medical technology, energy, EdTech, FinTech and industrial technology.

Who runs it

The GAIN describes itself as a Section 8 company. Its team page lists an evaluation and investment team, and it says its accelerator is supported by the StartupXseed venture platform. Its listed events and blog posts date mostly from 2021 and 2022, so check the site for the current status of any programme before applying. The stakeholders page says the organisation works with a network of companies and mentors to support startups.

Locations and contact

The GAIN's registered office is in J. P. Nagar, Bengaluru, and its contact page gives a second address in the same area. Startups can reach the team by phone on the number listed on the site, or by the role email address shown in the footer. The site does not list separate offices in other cities. It also has pages for a gallery, a careers listing and a blog.

Before you apply

Read the programme page for the intake that matters to you, since each programme has its own audience. Past cohorts are listed as completed, and the site does not state a current open batch for every programme. Applying through the online form does not guarantee a place, and the selection process has several rounds for StartupToScaleup.