Startup Opportunities for Founders — page 2

Real startup opportunities for founders — verified, not scraped junk. 67 real opportunities right now.

MSME Champions Scheme (erstwhile Credit Linked Capital Subsidy Scheme for Technology Upgradation (CLCS-TU))

Ministry of MSME

The MSME Champions Scheme helps MSMEs improve quality, adopt better technology, become more competitive, and grow through support for certification, innovation, design, and lean manufacturing. Ministry of MSME had been implementing Credit Linked Capital Subsidy and Technology Upgradation Scheme (CLCS-TUS) for promoting competitiveness amongst Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) by the way of wastage reduction through Lean Manufacturing, support for Design improvement, building awareness on Intellectual Property Rights, Zero Defect Zero Effect (ZED) Scheme, digitally empowerment of MSME through Digital MSME and to promote adoption of latest technologies in manufacturing as well as knowledge based innovation MSMEs through Incubation across India. • MSME Champions scheme has been formulated through Standing Finance Committee (SFC) by merging all 6 components of erstwhile Technology…

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → champions.gov.in

LEAP Fund – Launching Entrepreneurial Driven Affordable Products

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) / BIRAC

The LEAP Fund supports entrepreneurs in creating affordable, innovative products so more people can access useful technologies while encouraging business growth. LEAP Fund assists potential biotech startups in piloting & commercialising their products & technologies enabling them to raise venture capital investment.

📍 IndiaEquityMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → birac.nic.in

International Cooperation Scheme

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

The International Cooperation Scheme helps MSMEs explore export markets by supporting their participation in international trade fairs, exhibitions, buyer- seller meets, and other activities that build global market access. This scheme aims to support MSMEs in entering the international market, by providing them opportunity to participate in international exhibitions, fair, buyer-seller market abroad. Incentives/reimbursements are offered to MSMEs for support. The objective of the Scheme is to provide opportunities to MSMEs to continuously update themselves to meet the challenges emerging out of changes in technology, changes in demand, emergence of new markets, etc.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → ic.msme.gov.in

Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX)

Ministry of Defence / Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)

iDEX is a government initiative that supports startups and innovators in building defence solutions so the military can access advanced, homegrown technologies and reduce reliance on imports. Innovations for Defence Excellence (iDEX) is the operational framework of the Defence Innovation Organization (DIO), a special purpose vehicle under the aegis of the Department of Defence Production, Ministry of Defence. • The iDEX framework was launched in 2018 to support the attainment of self-reliance in the fields of defence and defence production. • iDEX partners with incubators, i.e. Partner Incubators (PIs) to facilitate mentoring and access to infrastructure/test facilities to innovators, including amongst the smaller enterprises, startups and MSMES, to foster innovation in the defense sector in an integrated manner.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → idex.gov.in

Innovation & Agri-Entrepreneurship Program (RKVY)

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The Innovation & Agri-Entrepreneurship Program (RKVY) supports agri- startups with funding, mentorship, and incubation so they can develop innovative farming solutions and strengthen the agricultural sector. To promote innovation and agripreneurship by providing financial support and nurturing the incubation ecosystem. • To strengthen infrastructure in agriculture and allied areas.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → agristartup.gov.in

IN-SPACe Seed Fund Scheme

IN-SPACe, Department of Space

IN-SPACe Seed Fund Scheme helps early-stage space startups build and test new space-tech ideas by giving them grant funding, mentoring, and support to move from concept to prototype. The Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN- SPACe) has been formed under the Department of Space (DoS) to promote, enable, authorize and supervise non-government entities to undertake space activities.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → inspace.gov.in

IFSCA Fintech Incentive Scheme

International Financial Services Centres Authority (IFSCA)

The IFSCA Fintech Incentive Scheme gives grants to fintech startups to help them build products, test solutions, and grow from prototype to market at GIFT IFSC. The IFSCA Fintech Incentive Scheme aims to promote the establishment of a world class FinTech Hub, at GIFT International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) India by providing financial support to the eligible fintech entities. • The Fintech Startup Grant is to be utilized for developing a product or a service and related ‘go-to market’ initiatives for a startup with a novel FinTech idea or solution.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → ifsca.gov.in

GeM Startup Runway

Department of Commerce

The GeM Startup Runway enables startups to showcase and sell their innovative products directly to government buyers, helping them access public procurement opportunities and grow their business. GeM Startup Runway helps startups sell innovative products and services directly to government buyers through the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) by promoting solutions that are unique in concept, design, process, or functionality and improve startup participation in public procurement.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → gem.gov.in

GREAT – Grant for Research & Entrepreneurship across Aspiring Innovators in Technical Textiles

Ministry of Textiles (National Technical Textiles Mission)

GREAT gives funding and incubator support to innovators and startups in technical textiles so they can turn prototypes into market-ready products and technologies. A scheme under the National Technical Textiles Mission (NTTM) to support technical-textile innovators and startups. It help young innovators, entrepreneurs and startups convert technical-textile prototypes into market-ready products/technologies.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → nttm.texmin.gov.in

Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS)

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

The Fund of Funds for Startups (FFS) provides capital to venture funds so they can invest in startups, helping increase the availability of funding and support the growth of India’s startup ecosystem. The Government has established FFS to catalyze venture capital investments. It is operationalized by Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), which provides capital to SEBI-registered Alternative Investment Funds (AIFs) who in turn invest in startups through equity and equity-linked instruments.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → sidbivcf.in

Entrepreneurship and Skill Development Programme (ESDP)

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

ESDP helps aspiring and existing entrepreneurs build business and practical skills so they can start, manage, and grow MSMEs. To motivate people from different sections of society to consider entrepreneurship as a career option, by imparting technical and business skills training. • To provide entrepreneurship training to entrepreneurs in domains including e-commerce, software, biotech, modern agriculture, genomics and others • To support the establishment of new MSMEs and enhance growth of existing ones.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → msmedi.dcmsme.gov.in

Empowering Youth for Undertaking Value Added Innovative Translational Research (E-YUVA)

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology

E-YUVA supports students and young researchers with funding, mentoring, and incubation support so they can turn useful biotech ideas into real solutions or startups. E-YUVA was initiated by BIRAC to promote a culture of applied research and need-oriented (societal or industry) entrepreneurial innovation among young students and researchers. It is implemented through dedicated hubs called E-Yuva Centers (EYCs), housed within the University/Institute set up and mentored by a BIRAC BioNEST supported bio-incubator. The Scheme provides support under two categories: BIRAC’s Innovation Fellows (post-graduates and above), and BIRAC’s E-YUVA Fellows (undergraduate students).

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → birac.nic.in

Digital Communication Innovation Square (DCIS)

Department of Telecommunications (DoT)

Digital Communication Innovation Square (DCIS) supports startups and innovators in developing new digital communication technologies so India can strengthen its telecom sector and drive self‑reliance. To promote the ecosystem for research, design, development, proof of concept testing, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) creation, pilot project and manufacturing i.e. complete value chain to make India a global hub for production of telecommunication equipment and a centre for digital communication services.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → dot.gov.in

Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

DLI provides incentives and access to advanced design infrastructure for domestic startups and MSMEs. The Design Linked Incentive (DLI) Scheme is a key instrument under the Semicon India Programme to catalyze a strong, self-reliant chip design ecosystem by providing financial incentives and access to advanced design infrastructure for domestic startups and MSMEs.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → chips-dli.gov.in

Credit Guarantee Trust Fund for Micro & Small Enterprises (CGTMSE)

Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises

Under the CGTMSE, collateral free loan is provided to Micro and Small Enterprises (MSE) units. The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) jointly established a Trust named Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) in order to implement Credit Guarantee Scheme for Micro and Small Enterprises. The corpus of CGTMSE is contributed by Government of India and SIDBI. 75% of the loan amount to the bank is guaranteed by the Trust Fund.

📍 IndiaLoan/CreditMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → cgtmse.in

Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS)

Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)

The Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) helps startups access loans by assuring lenders that the government will cover part of the risk, making it easier for young businesses to get funding without collateral. Credit Guarantee Scheme for Startups (CGSS) aims at providing credit guarantee up to a specified limit against loans extended by Member Institutions (MIs) to finance eligible borrowers viz. entities recognised as ‘startups’ by DPIIT. CGSS is operated by the National Credit Guarantee Trustee Company (NCGTC) Limited.

📍 IndiaLoan/CreditMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → ncgtc.in

Chips to Startup (C2S) Programme

Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY)

The program is to build India’s semiconductor/chip-design ecosystem by training skilled manpower and supporting chip development. It aims to train specialised professionals in VLSI and Embedded System Design over 5 years, promote design and development of ASICs, SoCs, FPGAs, reusable IP cores, and prototypes, and create a strong fabless chip-design startup ecosystem in India and support indigenous semiconductor innovation.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → c2s.gov.in

Biotechnology Innovation Fund – Accelerating Entrepreneurs (AcE)

Department of Biotechnology / Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

The Biotechnology Innovation Fund – Accelerating Entrepreneurs (AcE) provides financial support to biotech startups so they can develop and scale innovative solutions faster and bring them to market. The AcE Fund is a ‘fund of funds’ that aims to partner with fund managers (AcE Fund Partners) and invest in SEBI-registered AIFs (Daughter Funds). AcE Daughter Funds commit investment of 2x BIRAC’s contribution into biotech startups.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → birac.nic.in

BioNEST Programme

Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC), Department of Biotechnology

The BioNEST program enables certain entities (educational institutions, incubators etc.) to create globally competent bio-incubation facilities for targeted scaling up of biotech startup ecosystem. The BioNEST (Bioincubators Nurturing Entrepreneurship for Scaling Technologies) program is supported by BIRAC to create globally competent bio-incubation facilities across the country in order to facilitate the targeted scaling up of biotech startup ecosystem. • To provide entrepreneurs with incubation space with shared access to high end infrastructure, specialized and advanced equipment • To provide entrepreneurs with business mentorship, IP, egal and regulatory guidance, and networking opportunities.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → birac.nic.in

BioAngels

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) / BIRAC

BioAngels helps biotech and related startups raise investment by connecting them with angel investors who also provide expert mentoring and industry access. BioAngels is a unique partnership between BIRAC, an enterprise of the Department of Biotechnology, and IAN, India’s single largest horizontal platform for seed and early-stage investing. It is focused on supporting Biotech, Medtech, Healthtech, Pharma, Agritech & Cleantech startups to raise their angel round from Angel Investors who bring deep domain expertise.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → bioangels.vc

BIRAC Incubator SEED Fund (SEED)

Department of Biotechnology / Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC)

The BIRAC Incubator SEED Fund (SEED) provides early-stage funding through incubators to biotech startups so they can develop their ideas into viable products and launch successful businesses. BIRAC Sustainable Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Fund (“SEED Fund”) primarily addresses the financial support requirements of technology startups in their initial phase of operations. Funding is disbursed to startups under this program through the incubators. The funding support aims to enhance startups’ ability to raise investments from Angel/Venture capitalist or to seek loans from commercial banks /financial institutions.

📍 IndiaEquityMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → birac.nic.in

BHARATI – Bharat’s Hub for Agritech, Resilience, Advancement & Incubation for Export Innovation

APEDA, Ministry of Commerce & Industry

BHARATI helps agri-food and agritech startups become export-ready by giving them acceleration support, market access, and connections to the ecosystem needed to sell innovative products globally. It is a flagship initiative of Agricultural & Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA) to strengthen India’s agri-food and processed food export ecosystem through innovation and startup acceleration. • It aims to empower agri-food and agri-tech startups and create new export opportunities, promote innovation in high-value agri-food products, export technologies, packaging, traceability, logistics, sustainability, and quality assurance.

📍 IndiaMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → apeda.gov.in

Atal Innovation Mission – Atal Tinkering Labs

Atal Innovation Mission (AIM), NITI Aayog

Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) are being established in schools across India as a workspace where students can learn innovation skills. Atal Innovation Mission is establishing Atal Tinkering Laboratories (ATLs) in schools across India. The objective is to foster curiosity, creativity, and imagination in young minds; and inculcate skills such as design mindset, computational thinking, adaptive learning, physical computing etc. ATL is a workspace where young minds can give shape to their ideas through hands on do-it-yourself mode; and learn innovation skills. Young children will get a chance to work with tools and equipment to understand the concepts of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math.

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → aim.gov.in

Antariksh Venture Capital Fund/ Space VCF

Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), Department of Space

Antariksh Venture Capital Fund is a SEBI registered Alternative Investment Fund that invests in unlisted Indian space companies. Antariksh Venture Capital Fund is a SEBI registered Alternative Investment Fund with the key investor being Indian National Space Promotion and Authorization Centre (IN-SPACe), Department of Space, Government of India. The fund received registration from SEBI in October 2025 and achieved its initial closing with a committed corpus of ₹1,005 crore. The Fund’s investment objective is to provide capital to companies in the space sector at various stages of development as well as support the scaling of operations and the commercialisation of new technologies, empowering the companies to contribute to India’s broader space ambitions.

📍 IndiaEquityMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → sidbiventure.co.in

Agriculture Infrastructure Financing Facility

Agricultural & Farmers Welfare Department

The facility offers an interest subvention of 3% per annum on loans for viable projects focused on post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets. Aims to mobilise medium-long term debt financing facility for investment in viable projects for post-harvest management infrastructure and community farming assets through incentives and financial support.

📍 IndiaLoan/CreditMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → agriinfra.dac.gov.in

AgriSURE – Agri Fund for Startups & Rural Enterprises

Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare

The AgriSURE Fund supports agri-startups and rural enterprises with funding and resources so they can develop innovative farming and rural solutions, improving livelihoods and strengthening the agricultural sector. With a focus on technology-driven, high-risk, high-impact ventures, AgriSURE is designed to fuel growth and foster innovation in the agricultural and rural startup ecosystem. A blended capital fund of ₹750 crore with SEBI Registered Category II, Alternative Investment Fund (AIF), contributions from the Government of India is ₹250 crore, NABARD is ₹250 crore, and ₹250 crore is being mobilized from banks, insurance companies, and private investors. • Aims to support innovative, technology-driven, high-impact startups in agriculture and allied sectors, improve the farm produce value chain, including support for FPOs/FPCs, farm mechanisation, IT-based solutions and rural…

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → nabard.org

Acing Development of Innovative Technologies with iDEX (ADITI)

Ministry of Defence / Defence Innovation Organisation (DIO)

ADITI is a government program that supports startups and innovators in building new defence and aerospace technologies so India can become more self‑reliant and technologically advanced. The ADITI Scheme aims to facilitate rapid development of strategically critical technologies which are sensitive and innovative from the defence perspective and required by the country. • Under this, relevant Challenges/Hackathons are organized for startups to seek solutions for problem statements pertaining to the earmarked technology. Winners of the ADITI challenges are incubated by Partner Incubators (PIs).

📍 IndiaGrantMedium

#government#india#startup

Apply → idex.gov.in

Microsoft AI for Accessibility Grant

A twelve-month grant and support program for researchers, startups, and nonprofits building assistive technology using AI.

📍 GlobalPaidMedium

#grant#accessibility#ai

Apply → microsoft.com

Innovations in Mental Health Fund

Wellcome / MQ Mental Health Research

A free, highly selective twelve-week program supporting startups tackling depression, anxiety, and psychosis with mentorship and investment access.

📍 Global (UK-based)UnpaidHard

#accelerator#mental-health#startup

Apply → innovationsinmentalhealth.com

Breakthrough Energy Fellows – Southeast Asia

Breakthrough Energy / Temasek / Enterprise Singapore

A regional hub supporting early-stage climate-tech entrepreneurs developing technology capable of cutting emissions at scale.

📍 Singapore / Southeast AsiaPaidHard

#fellowship#climate-tech#startup

Apply → breakthroughenergy.org

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