SaaS & Software Grants for Prototype-Stage Startups in India

IHFC READY Program

Deep-tech pre-seed incubation for final year students and recent graduates at IIT Delhi, offering up to ₹5L equity-free grant and lab access.

Patent Reimbursement Incentives: Karnataka Startup Policy

Reimbursement of patent filing fees (₹2L–₹10L) for KBITS-registered incubated startups in Karnataka.

Zero Equity Incubation Program

Zero equity incubation for Indian startups in emerging technologies, with special support for female founders.

Women's Economic Empowerment

IIMA Ventures, with Gates Foundation support, seeks AI/tech startups improving incomes for low-income women in India.

Soma Fellows

Global equity fellowship for early-stage founders with unicorn mentor access and SF/NYC office space.

AI Summer Residency by IIMA Ventures

ACE $100k High-Touch AI Accelerator by Invention Engine

ACE $100k is a high-touch, founder-first accelerator for early-stage AI and deeptech startups, offering up to $100K in capital with six months of intensive support across product, GTM, hiring, and fundraising. Only a very small cohort is selected for deep engagement.

BMW Group Startup Garage

Global venture client unit of BMW Group offering paid proof-of-concept projects and long-term partnerships with full IP retention for startups.

Andhra University Centenary Innovation & Impact Grant (AUCIIG) — RUSA 2.0

Up to ₹5L grant for Andhra University students, faculty, and researchers building innovations and startups.

AI and Technology Solutions for Women's Livelihoods

Grant program backing AI and technology solutions that improve income, capital access, and market linkages for women workers and micro-entrepreneurs in agriculture, informal work, the gig economy, and care services.

AI2 Incubator

Equity incubator for early-stage applied AI startups, up to ₹54M cash + $1M cloud credits.

iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway Prototype/PoC Funding Support

iCreate connects innovators and startups at the idea-to-PoC stage with government funding schemes from GoI and the Government of Gujarat, alongside mentorship, lab access, and on-campus incubation.

Nasscom Deeptech Club Launchpad Incubation Program

Virtual deeptech incubation with mentorship, IP/GTM masterclasses, and investor connects for TRL 5+ startups.

IHFC Startup Incubation Program

IHFC (I-Hub Foundation for Cobotics) incubation program for Indian deep tech startups in CPS, Robotics, IoT, and AI, hosted at IIT Delhi, providing funding, mentorship, lab access, and more.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Accelerate Charitable Giving

Gates Foundation grant funding AI solutions to boost charitable giving, focusing on global health and development.

Productisation Grant

Grant by KSUM for technology startups converting MVP to market-ready product, up to ₹7 lakhs.

Technology Development Board (TDB) India-Finland Joint Innovation Call 2026

Bilateral India-Finland grant for sustainable energy, digital tech, and microelectronics R&D projects.

GRO8 Cohort 2 by 888VC

AI-enabled accelerator for pre-seed/seed tech startups, offering US $25k+ investment, mentoring, and investor access.

The Forum Accelerator

Pre-seed $100K equity accelerator for B2B software startups with fractional co-founder support and Fortune 500 intros.

Vision 2 Venture Incubation Program – IC IIT Patna

Incubation support with lab access, mentorship, and grant guidance for early-stage startups at IIT Patna.

Pre Seed Fund

Forum Ventures provides up to ₹9Cr in pre-seed equity investment for B2B SaaS and AI startups. The program offers strategic guidance, operational support, and a rich network.

CNEST TBI 2.0 — KLE Tech Belagavi, Karnataka

Up to ₹10L equity-free seed support + TBI 2.0 incubation at KLE Tech Belagavi — for MedTech, AgriTech, AI/ML & Smart Manufacturing founders across Karnataka, Goa & Maharashtra.

Greenovator i-TBI Ignition Grant Cohort 3.0 — NIT Srinagar

Prototype grant up to ₹10L from NIT Srinagar's DST-iTBI incubator (GIF) for science & tech-based startup ideas.

Uttishthati Foundation i-TBI Ignition Grant 2.0 — NIT Hamirpur

Seed grant up to ₹10L for early-stage startups in deeptech, energy, agritech, and healthtech.

AP Build Grant — Build with AI: RTIH Startup Sprint

₹3–5L equity-free grant + 4-week AI prototype sprint for Andhra Pradesh startups & MSMEs.

Techstars Anywhere Accelerator

Remote-first equity accelerator for early-stage startups worldwide, prioritizing deep tech, AI, robotics, and clean energy. Requires US timezone compatibility.

UPES DST-iTBI Ignition Grant 2.0 – Runway Incubator

Up to ₹10L grant for early-stage innovators in DeepTech, AI/ML, AgriTech, and Sustainability by Runway Incubator, UPES DST-iTBI.

SMT. Raj Kumari Jain Seed Fund for Innovation at PIEDS BITS Pilani

Seed funding of ₹30–50 lakh for BITS Pilani students and recent alumni building innovation-led startups, combining non-matching and matching capital with institutional support from PIEDS.

NIDHI SSS Seed Support at GUSEC

Up to ₹50L seed support (equity/debt) for deeptech startups incubated at GUSEC.