ELEVATE Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant

ELEVATE Shakti 2026 is a grant program specifically for women-led startups in Karnataka, run by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) under the state's Department of Electronics, IT, BT & S&T. It is part of the larger ELEVATE initiative and provides a one-time grant of up to ₹50 lakh to help turn innovative ideas into working proof-of-concepts. The program is equity-free and non-dilutive, meaning startups give up no ownership. Instead, selected startups receive mentorship and incubation support at subsidized rates through government-backed incubators, accelerators, Centres of Excellence, and K-Tech Innovation Partners. Funding is released in two equal tranches based on milestone achievement. Shakti applicants benefit from a streamlined process—they skip the initial desk-based pitch deck evaluation and go directly to in-person multi-city pitching sessions across Karnataka. The program runs alongside other ELEVATE calls like ELEVATE Aspire (for startups beyond Bengaluru Urban) and ELEVATE Unnati (for SC/ST-owned startups); startups can apply to multiple calls, but the same pitch is evaluated and total grant is capped at ₹50 lakh.

• One-time grant up to ₹50L
• Reserved for women-led startups (51%+ women equity)
• Equity-free / non-dilutive
• Mentorship + subsidized incubation at govt-backed incubators
• Milestone-based disbursement in two tranches

To be eligible, a startup must be registered in Karnataka and based anywhere in the state. It must be women-led: a woman or group of women must be a founder or co-founder holding at least 51% equity stake, maintained throughout the project. Eligible entity types include Private Limited Company, One Person Company, Registered Partnership Firm, LLP, or a State/Multi-State Co-operative Society. The startup must be within 10 years of incorporation and have an annual turnover not exceeding ₹200 crore in any financial year since incorporation. It must be an independent entity (not a subsidiary, spin-off, or internal division) and have a minimum team size of two individuals. The startup must work on innovation or improvement of products, services, or processes with potential for job creation, wealth, or market opportunities. Applicants cannot have been beneficiaries of the ELEVATE Grant-in-Aid scheme in the last 3 years.

ELEVATE Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant 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 Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant 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 tied to milestone achievement. The grant is equity-free and non-dilutive. Additionally, startups are mapped to government-supported incubators, accelerators, Centres of Excellence, and K-Tech Innovation Partners for mentoring and incubation support at subsidized rates. These partners handhold the startups, track milestone progress, and recommend tranche releases (coordinated by KITS).

ELEVATE Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant 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.

Applications are scored out of 100 across five parameters: Novelty/Innovation (30 marks), Strength of Business Model (30 marks), Potential Socio-economic Impact (20 marks), Team Strength (10 marks), and Budgetary Allocation (10 marks). Each parameter is independently scored by a jury panel whose composition varies by round. Shakti applicants proceed directly to Multi-City Pitching, where a minimum score of 60 out of 100 is required to advance to the Grand Finale. The process then includes Grand Finale pitching, creation of a consolidated merit list, ratification by the ELEVATE Evaluation Committee (chaired by the Secretary, Dept. of Electronics, IT, BT & S&T), and finally grant sanction and onboarding.

Before you apply to ELEVATE Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant, 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 Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant 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.