Startup League 2026 — ₹10 Crore Equity-Free DeepTech Funding — Frequently Asked Questions

It is a national DeepTech funding programme run by Startup Stairs, backed by Startup Haryana and aligned with the Startup India and DPIIT ecosystem. It puts promising hard-tech startups through a structured evaluation and connects them with investors, mentors and a funding pool of up to ₹10 crore.

Indian DeepTech startups. Your product needs to sit in one of five areas — Artificial Intelligence, Electric Vehicles, Drone Technology, PCB & Semiconductor, or Defence Technology. Private Limited companies, LLPs and Partnerships are the accepted entity types, and bootstrapped teams, funded startups and government-recognised startups are all welcome. You should have a pitch deck ready and be able to take part in the three-stage evaluation.

The programme carries a dedicated pool of up to ₹10 crore, shared among qualifying DeepTech startups. The exact figure any single startup receives is settled during evaluation and selection — it is not a fixed amount promised to every applicant.

No. The funding is stated as equity-free, so startups give up no equity for what they receive directly from the programme. It works as a grant-style opportunity rather than a priced equity round.

Neither registration appears among the programme's listed requirements. Government-recognised startups are explicitly welcome to apply, and the application form has a field for government accreditation details if you hold any.

Five: Artificial Intelligence, Electric Vehicles, Drone Technology, PCB & Semiconductor, and Defence Technology. Ventures outside these areas are not the target of this programme.

Applications close on 15 September 2026. Applying well before that date is advisable.

The application is an online form on the Startup Stairs platform. You fill in personal details such as your full name, mobile number, email address, LinkedIn profile and, if you use one, your Instagram handle. For the company you provide the startup name, legal entity type, website, the funding you are seeking and your current valuation. You will also upload a pitch deck covering business model, innovation, team and market potential, along with your startup logo, and state whether you are bootstrapped or already have investors.

Shortlisted applicants enter a three-stage process. Stage 1 screens the application and pitch deck. Stage 2 brings startups before a panel of investors, domain experts and ecosystem partners for presentations, Q&A and potentially product demos. Stage 3 is where selected ventures become eligible for funding from the equity-free pool and receive ecosystem support, mentorship and networking.

Investor access and follow-on funding conversations, mentorship from industry leaders and domain specialists, structured product validation, introductions to corporate partners, incubators and other ecosystem stakeholders, plus national visibility, market access and incubation support.

Startup League 2026 — ₹10 Crore Equity-Free DeepTech Funding is offered by Startup Stairs, a startup incubator. It is provided as non-dilutive funding.