AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

The AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures is an intensive, in-residence program spanning 4 to 6 weeks, hosted at the prestigious IIM Ahmedabad campus. It is specifically designed for exceptional STEM undergraduate students who are dedicated to developing innovative AI-first use cases and solutions. This program, crafted and delivered by IIMA Ventures in partnership with the Krishnamurthy Tandon School of Artificial Intelligence, combines the immersive environment of an AI laboratory with the structured approach of a leading accelerator.

The residency unfolds in three distinct phases. Initially, participants focus on team formation and idea discovery. This involves collaborating with other driven builders, exploring various untapped market opportunities, evaluating potential use cases, and meticulously defining a clear problem statement, emphasizing its contemporary relevance. Ideas are rigorously challenged and refined early in this stage.

Following this, the program transitions into a rapid build sprint, where teams concentrate on designing and developing a functional Minimum Viable Product (MVP) within a few weeks. Participants benefit from direct technical mentorship covering critical areas such as Large Language Model (LLM) operations, vector databases, agentic workflows, infrastructure considerations, and effective AI tooling decisions. The objective is to create solutions that transcend typical hackathon prototypes or academic experiments, aiming for systems ready for real-world deployment.

The final phase is dedicated to validation and showcase. Teams conduct validation sprints to measure actual user engagement, refine their pitches, and prepare comprehensive data rooms. Their work is then presented to a network of founders, corporate partners, and key ecosystem stakeholders connected through IIMA Ventures. This program fosters a transition from exploratory curiosity to sustainable, AI-driven innovation through immersive in-person collaboration, expert technical guidance, and direct exposure to end-users.

• 4-6 week intensive AI residency at IIM Ahmedabad
• Exclusively for STEM undergraduate students building AI-first solutions
• Focus on developing functional MVPs with hands-on technical mentorship
• Provides cloud, AI tool, and LLM/API credits
• Direct access to AI founders and specialists
• Equity-based program for individual innovators

The AI Summer Residency is open to STEM undergraduate students who are keen on developing AI-first use cases or solutions.

To be eligible, applicants should:

• Be comfortable with building end-to-end prototypes.
• Be serious about creating AI-first use cases or solutions.
• Have an interest in entrepreneurship or pursuing early-stage roles within the AI sector.
• Commit to a 4 to 6 week in-person residency at the IIM Ahmedabad campus.

The program specifically targets individuals at the idea or product stage, focusing on the AI/SaaS for enterprise industry. There is no requirement for DPIIT registration for this residency.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures accepts applications on a rolling basis — there is no fixed cut-off date, so eligible startups can apply at any time. Because rolling programmes can pause without notice, confirm the window is still open on the official site before you start.

Participants in the AI Summer Residency receive comprehensive support over the 4 to 6 week program. This includes:

• Hands-on technical mentorship throughout the idea discovery, MVP development, and validation sprint phases.
• Access to essential resources such as cloud credits, AI tools, and LLM/API credits.
• Direct engagement with experienced AI founders, technical architects, and Go-to-Market (GTM) specialists.
• Opportunities for networking with corporate entities and key ecosystem stakeholders.
• An immersive, lab-like accelerator environment at IIM Ahmedabad, specifically designed to foster AI-led innovation.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures is offered by IIMA Ventures, an academic institution. It is delivered directly by IIMA Ventures as a equity. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

Before you apply to AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures, keep these documents ready — note the program-specific requirements at the top:

• Certificate of incorporation showing your startup is registered as individual
• A pitch deck or short business plan describing the problem, product and traction
• Company registration documents and PAN
• Founder identification (PAN / Aadhaar) and brief profiles
• Recent financial statements or projections
• Product details — a demo, prototype or working link if available

Exact requirements are confirmed on the official application portal — treat this as a preparation checklist.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures is best suited for idea and product-stage ai saas enterprise startups in India seeking an equity investment. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.