ELEVATE Shakti 2026 — Startup Karnataka Women-Led Grant — Eligibility Criteria

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.