Deadline: 20 August 2023
Himalayan Startup Trek is the flagship annual startup event hosted by IIT Mandi Catalyst (Catalyst) to bring together the stakeholders of the Indian Startup Ecosystem and connect them on a single platform.
New venturing startups and seasoned mentors get to meet each other and pick each others’ brains that help formulate new relationships and turn the ideas and innovations into products and services for the global market.
Thematic Areas
Like last year, this year too HST will feature the ‘HST Grand Challenge’ – startup pitch competition in three thematic areas. The grand challenge is focused on identifying and catalysing ideas and innovations that will amplify startups’ efforts and impact.
- The New Age Alliance – Human Computer Interaction (HCI)
- The new age alliance through Human-computer interaction (HCI) is all about enhancing humans’ cognitive and decision-making capacity through the use of technology without disrupting the natural order of events. This challenge aims to promote the use of intelligent interfaces and technologies in daily order of routine as well as in the complex business and social decision-making processes.
- The multidisciplinary field of HCI focuses on the design of computer technology and, in particular, the interaction between humans (the users) and computers. While initially concerned with computers, HCI has since expanded to cover almost all forms of information technology design. The focus of HCI is to use computer’s intelligence and computation capabilities in decision making, prediction, estimation, communication, and processing.
- Machine learning
- Augmented reality
- Virtual Reality
- Wearable Devices
- Robotics
- Eye Tracking System
- 3D Visualization
- Intelligent Chatbots
- Expression Detection
- Interactive web platforms
- Internet of Things (IoT)
- Artificial Intelligence
- The Foothill Innovators Challenge – Build for Himalayas
- This thematic area is for innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs that have the intent and the passion to build technology-based solutions for solving the social, economic, and ecological problems facing Himalayan regions of the world. The problems should sharply focus on addressing the issues relevant to the local terrain, population, environment, ecology, or focus on taking local products and offerings to the world by building supply chains, storages, or build capacity at different value chain levels. Further solutions focusing on rural development issues such as education and literacy, skilling, local e-marketplaces, will fit into this thematic area. The sub-themes include:
- Road Safety
- Disaster Management
- Supply Chain Building
- Scaling local products and services
- Rural Development
- Education & Employment
- Other Ideas serving the Himalayan Region
- Natural Resource Management
- Vernacular Architecture
- Climate Change
- This thematic area is for innovators and aspiring entrepreneurs that have the intent and the passion to build technology-based solutions for solving the social, economic, and ecological problems facing Himalayan regions of the world. The problems should sharply focus on addressing the issues relevant to the local terrain, population, environment, ecology, or focus on taking local products and offerings to the world by building supply chains, storages, or build capacity at different value chain levels. Further solutions focusing on rural development issues such as education and literacy, skilling, local e-marketplaces, will fit into this thematic area. The sub-themes include:
- The Habitable World Challenge – Environment and Sustainability
- The past few decades have witnessed a devastating effect on the environment because of human intervention in nature’s life cycle. Their world’s natural resources are constantly depleting, and there’s a dire need to preserve these resources. This theme of HST Grant Challenge aims to enable startups and innovators who strive to make the world more livable and habitable place for all species. The specific problem statements of interest under this theme include clean & renewable energy, waste management, e-vehicles, green solutions, recycling, natural resource management. However, the innovators and startups that are building solutions aligning with the UN-Sustainable Development Goals are welcome to apply under this challenge. The sub-themes are as follows:
- Clean water and Sanitation
- Clean Energy
- Sustainable Urbanization
- Social Inclusion
- Nature Conservation
- Healthcare
- Industry and Infrastructure
- Waste management and recycling.
- The past few decades have witnessed a devastating effect on the environment because of human intervention in nature’s life cycle. Their world’s natural resources are constantly depleting, and there’s a dire need to preserve these resources. This theme of HST Grant Challenge aims to enable startups and innovators who strive to make the world more livable and habitable place for all species. The specific problem statements of interest under this theme include clean & renewable energy, waste management, e-vehicles, green solutions, recycling, natural resource management. However, the innovators and startups that are building solutions aligning with the UN-Sustainable Development Goals are welcome to apply under this challenge. The sub-themes are as follows:
Problem Statements in Environment and Sustainability thematic area
- Technology based solution for handling/processing/disposing single use plastic waste
- Technology solutions for solid waste management
- Management and recycling of industrial and household waste
- Technology solutions for sustainable livelihood and economic/social practices
- Solutions based on clean technologies including electric vehicles, solar, hydrogen
- Energy efficiency monitoring and management systems
- Community based entrepreneurship solutions that use technology to create social impact
- Resource management and conservation
- Water purification solutions based on novel technologies that preserve essential nutritional/mineral values
- Climate-resilient agriculture (CRA) for a sustainable future.
Who should apply?
- Aspiring entrepreneurs, college students, young professionals at ideation and prototype stage
- Registered startups as well as unregistered teams/individuals
- Startups in early stages of building their venture (pre-seed stage)
- Innovators/researchers having a validated technology and willing to convert it into a startup
- Startups from anywhere in India.
Selection Criteria
Competent jury panels in each of the thematic areas will evaluate the applications in a multi-stage screen and selection process. The jury will include representatives of sponsoring agencies, incubation center, thematic expert, and technology experts.
- Alignment will the advertised thematic areas
- Alignment with the technological areas as applicable
- Nature and extent of innovation and use of technology
- Intention to build and implement the solutions
- Marketability of solutions: stage of venture/idea, technical feasibility, market demand, idea or product validation, team
- Incubation fit with IIT Mandi Catalyst
- Alignment with IIT Mandi Catalyst’s overall vision and intent.
For more information, visit IIT Mandi Catalyst.
