Request for Applications: Social Innovation Lab (Cohort 3.0) – India

All 44 startups shall receive mentoring from Citi’s executive leadership and IIT Kanpur’s empanelled Industry and academia mentors throughout and after the 12-month program. Cohort members shall benefit from networking and follow-on investment opportunities facilitated through dedicated workshops, networking engagements, focused Demo days and startup showcase.

In this cohort, they’re driving Geographical & Economic Inclusivity to empower startups from underserved regions and low-income states. Social Innovation Lab by CITI will support:

• 35 early-stage for-profit startups in AgriTech (17) and CleanTech (18)
• Accelerate 9 growth-stage high-impact startups in AgriTech (4) and CleanTech(5)

Focus Areas

• AgriTech
  • Transparency in agriculture
  • Farm mechanization & automation
  • Farming as a service (Faas)
  • Value chain pilferage and leakages
  • Post-harvest loss management
  • Soil & plant health
  • Food Security & Enhanced Nutrition
  • Dairy, poultry farming, and animal husbandry technology solutions
  • Farm input management and farm gate value addition
  • Smart food processing units
  • Financial inclusion for Agri-communities
  • Solutions addressing volatile pricing & Insufficient Market Linkages
  • Aquaculture, Mariculture and Apiculture
  • Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry
• CleanTech
  • Circular Economy (Waste to Wealth)
  • Green & Renewable Energy
  • Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)
  • Natural Resource Management & Minor Forest produce
  • Pollution (air, water and soil) Mitigation
  • Climate change management
  • Innovative solutions for sustainable packaging and alternatives.

Benefits

• Access to IIT Kanpur Infrastructure at non-commercial rates
• Access to IIT Kanpur’s mature startup ecosystem
• Collaboration Opportunities
• Patent and technology transfer facilitation
• Networking engagements with Industry and Government bodies
• Platform for follow-on-investments
• Sector focused Demo-day and Startup showcase events.

Funding Information

• ₹12 lakhs for 35 early-stage startups
• ₹20 lakhs for 9 accelerator stage startups.

Target Audiences

• Target States (Economic Inclusivity):
  • Bihar
  • Jharkhand
  • Uttar Pradesh
  • Madhya Pradesh
  • Chhattisgarh
  • Odisha
• Target Regions (Geographical Inclusivity):
  • Meghalaya
  • Assam
  • Nagaland
  • Arunachal Pradesh
  • Tripura
  • Manipur
  • Mizoram
  • Jammu & Kashmir.

Eligibility Criteria

• Startups whose focus aligns with the program areas.
  • Startups incorporated and based in India.
  • Each startup must have at least one full-time employee.
  • The product or technology provides a functionality/ capability not available in any off-the-shelf product, or a functionality/capability that can be demonstrated to possess a competitive advantage.
  • The product or technology offered by startup represents original ideas, wholly owned, with freedom to use or is licensed by the startup.
  • The team has formed, or is a part of, a recognized, legal entity as its company’s structure.
  • Only Private limited Companies with all compliances in place may apply.
  • The incubation policy of the incubator at IT Kanpur will be applicable to startups joining the cohort.

For more information, visit CITI.