ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru)

ELEVATE Aspire 2026 is a special edition of the Government of Karnataka's ELEVATE grant-in-aid scheme, administered by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) under the Department of Electronics, IT, BT & S&T. It is specifically designed to support startups based outside the Bengaluru Urban region, as part of the department's Local Economy Acceleration Program (LEAP).

Selected startups receive a one-time, equity-free grant of up to ₹50 lakh to transform an idea into a working proof-of-concept. The funding is released in two equal tranches after signing a tripartite agreement between KITS, a K-Tech innovation partner, and the startup. Milestones must be met for each tranche.

Aspire runs alongside the general ELEVATE call and two other focused calls: ELEVATE Unnati for SC/ST-owned startups and ELEVATE Shakti for women-led startups. Startups can apply to multiple calls, but a single pitch is evaluated across all of them, and the cumulative grant is capped at ₹50 lakh.

A key difference from the main ELEVATE program: Aspire applicants skip the desk-based pitch deck evaluation and proceed directly to in-person Multi-City Pitching sessions across Karnataka.

• One-time grant up to ₹50 lakh, equity-free
• For startups registered outside Bengaluru Urban
• Part of the Local Economy Acceleration Program (LEAP)
• Milestone-based disbursement in two tranches
• Subsidised incubation and mentoring through K-Tech partners

To be eligible for ELEVATE Aspire 2026, your startup must:

• Be registered in Karnataka, outside the Bengaluru Urban region.
• Be incorporated as a Private Limited Company, One Person Company, Registered Partnership Firm, LLP, or a State/Multi-State Co-operative Society.
• Be within 10 years of incorporation at the time of application.
• Have an annual turnover not exceeding ₹200 crore in any financial year since incorporation.
• Be an independent entity—not a subsidiary, spin-off, or internal division of an existing company.
• Have a minimum team size of two individuals.
• Not have been a beneficiary of the ELEVATE Grant-in-Aid scheme in the last 3 years.
• Be working on innovation or improvement of products, services, or processes with potential to create jobs, wealth, or market opportunities.

MSME registration is not required. DPIIT recognition is also not mandatory.

ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru) is open to startups at the idea, product and revenue stage. The programme is targeted at startups registered in Karnataka. Applicants should be registered as private limited, llp and partnership.

The most recent application window for ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru) closed on 15 Jul 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

Selected startups receive:

• A one-time grant of up to ₹50 lakh, disbursed in two equal tranches upon achieving predefined milestones.
• Mapping to government-supported incubators, accelerators, Centres of Excellence, and K-Tech Innovation Partners for mentoring and incubation support at subsidized rates.
• Milestone tracking and tranche release recommendations by the assigned innovation partner, coordinated by KITS and the Department of Electronics, IT & BT.

ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru) is offered by Startup Karnataka, a government body. As a government-backed grant, it is publicly funded and open to eligible startups across India. You can verify current details and timelines on the provider's official website before applying.

The selection process consists of five stages:

1. Online Application Submission: Submit the application through the ELEVATE portal with incorporation details, business and innovation information, founding team credentials, financials, a grant utilisation plan, and mandatory documents.

2. Data Sufficiency & Eligibility Screening: The Program Management Unit (PMU) verifies legal eligibility, startup age, turnover cap, ownership norms, and registration location (must be outside Bengaluru Urban).

3. Multi-City Pitching: Aspire applicants proceed directly to in-person pitch sessions across Karnataka (no desk-based pitch deck review). A minimum score of 60 out of 100 is required to advance.

4. Grand Finale Pitching: Final pitching before a jury. A consolidated merit list is prepared for ELEVATE Aspire.

5. Final Selection, Grant Sanction & Onboarding: The ELEVATE Evaluation Committee (chaired by the Secretary, Dept. of Electronics, IT, BT & S&T) ratifies the list. Grants are sanctioned and onboarding follows.

Applications are scored out of 100 across five parameters: Novelty/Innovation (30), Strength of Business Model (30), Potential Socio-economic Impact (20), Team Strength (10), and Budgetary Allocation (10). The jury composition changes by round based on domain expertise. Cumulative scores determine the final ranking and tiered grant allocation.

Before you apply to ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru), keep these documents ready — note the program-specific requirements at the top:

• Certificate of incorporation showing your startup is registered as private limited and llp
• 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.

ELEVATE Aspire 2026 — Startup Karnataka Grant (Beyond Bengaluru) is best suited for idea, product and revenue-stage startups in India seeking non-dilutive funding of ₹50L. If that describes your startup, review the eligibility criteria above before applying.