How to Apply for ELEVATE 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant-in-Aid Program

Teams are marked out of 100 on five criteria: Novelty/Innovation (30 marks), Bargain of Business Model (30), Potential Socio-economic Effect (20), Team Attribute (10), and Budgetary Allocation (10). The jury modifications per inning depending on domain fitness.

The phases:

1. Online Application Submission — register, upload incorporation details, business/innovation data, founders' credentials, financial numbers, grant usage policy plan, and mandatory documents.
2. Data Sufficiency & Eligibility Screening — the Program Management Unit (PMU) certifies legal eligibility, startup age, turnover cap, and ownership organisation.
3. Pitch Deck Evaluation — Bengaluru Urban startups under the main general track go through a three-member jury desk review; Aspire, Unnati and Shakti tracks skip this step.
4. Multi-City Pitching — in-person pitches across Karnataka; a score of at least 60 out of 100 is required to go forward.
5. Grand Finale — final pitching, rank lists drawn per call, authorised by the ELEVATE Evaluation Committee steered by the Secretary of the Department of Electronics IT BT & S&T, followed by endorsement and adoption.