Pre-Incubation (Ignition and Kickstart)
A programme by Venture Center
Two pre-incubation tracks that take an early technology project from idea to a validated proof-of-concept plan.
At a glance
| Best for | Early-stage technology teams without a company yet, or very young technology startups |
|---|---|
| Stage | Idea – Prototype |
| Format | In person |
About Pre-Incubation (Ignition and Kickstart)
Pre-incubation is for teams that have a technology idea but have not yet built a company around it. There are two tracks: Ignition, which focuses on technology readiness, and Kickstart, which focuses on business planning and market entry.
What you get
- Ignition: technology and IP assessment and strategy, sharpening the value proposition, defining a proof-of-concept plan, and help raising funding for that POC work.
- Kickstart: mentorship for business planning, connections to technology providers and market experts, and soft pitching to potential investors, on top of the Ignition activities.
Who can apply
- Early-stage technology projects with real commercial potential, preferably with a provisional patent already filed.
- Pre-incorporation teams committed to forming a startup if the programme succeeds, or startups under three years old that are technology-focused and knowledge-intensive.
How to apply: Fill the 'Join Now' form on the pre-incubation page.
Where to apply
Other Venture Center programmes
- Virtual Incubation (Associate Incubatee Program)A remote membership for research-based companies that are not physically based at Venture Center.
- Resident IncubationOffice and lab space on the NCL Innovation Park campus, with mentoring and funding access built in.
- Lab2MktVenture Center's flagship route for turning an academic or lab technology into a company, in exchange for equity.
- Investor Readiness Program (IRP)A 24-week cohort that prepares startups to raise their next round, ending in a pitch showcase to investors.
- Leap Global ProgramA six-month, equity-free accelerator supported by DST NIDHI for deep-tech startups aiming to scale internationally.
- BioIncubator (BIRAC BioNest)A DBT-BIRAC-supported bioincubator for biotechnology, biomedical and related ventures, hosting several of Venture Center's life-sciences schemes.
- Fellowships: SIIP and NIDHI-EIRTwo fellowship routes: one for sustainable, societal-impact ventures, one for individuals turning knowledge into a startup.
- BFI-BIOME FellowshipA fellowship, run with Blockchain for Impact, for innovation fellows building solutions to important healthcare problems.
- Grants: NIDHI-PRAYAS and Biotechnology Ignition GrantTwo standing, equity-free grant routes: prototyping support for idea-stage products, and early biotech funding.
- CSR Grants for StartupsThematic, corporate-funded grants that Venture Center administers on behalf of CSR partners.
- Seed Investments and BIRAC LEAP FundDirect equity seed investment plus routed government seed schemes, including the BIRAC LEAP Fund's larger equity ticket.
- Social Innovations (INCLUDE Program)Support for founders building sustainable, for-profit or not-for-profit ventures around societal problems.