WE START Pre-Incubation Program at Kerala Startup Mission

The WE START program is a structured, three-month pre-incubation initiative spearheaded by the Kerala Startup Mission. It is specifically tailored to support women-led startups and aspiring women entrepreneurs in India.

This program is designed to guide founders through the crucial early stages, assisting them in transforming innovative concepts into functional Minimum Viable Products (MVPs). It offers a structured learning environment, expert mentorship, and practical guidance to navigate the complexities of startup development.

Participants benefit from access to a range of workshops, gain valuable industry insights, and utilize resources that cover the entire journey from initial ideation to achieving market readiness. The core objective of WE START is to boost women's participation in the startup ecosystem by equipping them with the fundamental business knowledge, essential tools, and critical networks needed to build scalable and sustainable ventures.

• A 3-month pre-incubation program exclusively for women-led startups and women entrepreneurs.
• Focuses on converting innovative ideas into functional MVPs.
• Offers grants (amount varies) and does not take equity.
• Provides structured learning, expert mentorship, workshops, and industry insights.
• Open to ideation, testing, prototype, and MVP stage startups across India.
• Priority for technology-based startups and those addressing women-specific problems or SDGs.
• Successful completion makes founders eligible for KSUM's WEGROW program.

The WE START Pre-Incubation Program is open to women entrepreneurs and women-led startups from across India.

Eligible startups must be in the ideation, testing and validation, prototype development, or MVP development stages. Startups that have already progressed beyond the product development stage are not considered eligible for this particular cohort.

Technology-based startups will be given priority during the selection process. Furthermore, additional preference will be extended to women-led startups, ventures that specifically address women-centric problems, and solutions that align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Selection is based on the innovation of the idea, its technical feasibility, commercial viability, and potential for scalability.

WE START Pre-Incubation Program at Kerala Startup Mission is open to startups at any stage. It is open to startups registered anywhere in India.

The most recent application window for WE START Pre-Incubation Program at Kerala Startup Mission closed on 15 Feb 2026. Many programmes run repeat cohorts, so it is worth checking the official site for the next round.

Participants in the WE START program receive grants, the specific amount of which varies, to support their startup journey. As a grant-based program, it is non-dilutive, meaning Kerala Startup Mission does not take an equity stake in the participating ventures.

Beyond financial support, the program provides structured learning modules, expert mentorship, and practical guidance. Founders gain access to valuable workshops, industry insights, and essential resources covering all aspects of early-stage startup development.

Upon successful completion of the pre-incubation program, founders become eligible for additional incubation support and resources under Kerala Startup Mission's WEGROW program, which aims to help ventures scale.

WE START Pre-Incubation Program at Kerala Startup Mission is offered by Kerala Startup Mission, 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 for the WE START Pre-Incubation Program begins with the submission of an online application through the official Kerala Startup Mission website.

Applications undergo an initial screening phase, where they are assessed based on the specified eligibility criteria, the innovative nature of the proposed idea, and its overall feasibility.

Shortlisted applicants are then formally informed and invited to join the pre-incubation cohort. Selected participants subsequently engage in a comprehensive three-month program, which includes a series of online sessions complemented by optional offline workshops.

Before you apply to WE START Pre-Incubation Program at Kerala Startup Mission, keep the following documents ready:

• 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.