Building a greener tomorrow

Applications Closed.

About the Program

The Acceleration program at I-Venture @ ISB is designed to foster innovation, entrepreneurship, and growth of startups in tech and non-tech sectors. The program offers a supportive and nurturing environment for aspiring entrepreneurs, startups, and innovators to bring their ideas to market and scale their businesses.

As the global economy shifts towards sustainability, circular economy businesses are likely to become increasingly viable and attractive to investors. The objective of the Circular Economy acceleration program is to support entrepreneurs with Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to refine their product/solutions, build sustainable business models, develop revenue models, refine pitches, customer acquisition / Go-To-Market strategy, leadership development and support in PMF. 

The program also provides various platforms to pitch to investors and networking opportunities with the stakeholders. This a pan-India initiative to reach out, identify, and engage an outstanding pool of potential entrepreneurs with innovative solutions.

Criteria

Minimum Viable Product (MVP)

Early Revenue Stage Ventures

Raising Pre-Seed/ Seed/ Pre-Series A

Focus Areas

Agri and Food

Innovations that promote sustainable farming, circular approaches to food production/distribution, food waste reduction, and regenerative agriculture practices.

Automotive and Transportation

Designing for vehicle longevity, recycling vehicle parts, and promoting sustainable transportation. Circular approaches to battery manufacturing, reuse, upcycling and recycling.

Construction and Building

Sustainable building materials, waste reduction in construction, energy-efficient construction, and green building practices.

Electronics and ICT

 Innovations related to sustainable electronics design, recycling, extending product lifecycles, solutions that address e-waste, energy-efficient devices, and circular practices within the ICT industry.

Energy and Utilities

Biogas production, carbon capture technologies, smart grids, renewable energy solutions with recyclable components, closed-loop production processes and energy efficiency.

Fashion and Textiles

Sustainable clothing design, circular textile production, recycling of clothing and fabrics, and reducing waste in the fashion industry.

Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals

Reducing medical waste, sustainable packaging for pharmaceuticals, and eco-friendly medical practices.

Hospitality and Tourism

Reducing waste in the hospitality sector, sustainable tourism practices, and promoting eco-friendly travel.

Packaging and Consumer Goods

Optimizing packaging materials, development of biodegradable, reusable, and recyclable packaging solutions.

Retail and E-commerce

Creating closed-loop supply chains that minimize waste and maximize resource use, reducing packaging waste, and promoting circular business models.

Water and Sanitation

Water conservation technologies, wastewater treatment, and sustainable water management.

Waste Management

Innovations in recycling plastic waste, upcycling, and waste-to-energy solutions.

Program Offerings

Capacity Building Support

Fundraising Support

Ecosystem Networking

Validation and Feedback

Need based Mentorship

Startup Toolkit

Timelines

Application Phase
Shortlisting and Onboarding
Program Phase
Demo Day
1
2
3
4
31st July to 22nd Sept 2024
23rd Sept to 30th Oct 2024
1st Nov 2024 to 30th Jan 2025
15th Feb 2025
Knowledge Partner
Investor Partners
Ecosystem Partners
Media Partners

For queries, write to us:

contact@isbdlabs.org / rakshith_chengappa@isbdlabs.org

FAQs

Yes, there is a program fee of INR 20,000 + GST which the selected startups must pay before the commencement of the program engagement. Further, a success fee will be charged from the selected startup which is 2% of any investment coming to the selected startup from the date of signing the Circular Economy Accelerator program agreement and till the end of 18 months from the date of signing the agreement.

Startups registered in India and meeting any one of the following criteria are eligible to apply

  • They should have atleast developed a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and be aiming to fast-track their business and technological progress. 
  • Early revenue stage ventures 
  • Raising pre-seed/ seed/ Pre-series A

Visionary startup ideas registered in India that are fostering a circular value chain and contributing to a climate-positive future. Startups working/innovating to retain value, optimize input, increase durability and maximize utility in any sector are welcome to apply.

The Circular Economy acceleration program supports entrepreneurs with Minimum Viable Product (MVP) to refine their product/solutions, build sustainable business models, develop revenue models, refine pitches, customer acquisition / Go-To-Market strategy, leadership development, and support in PMF. Furthermore the program provides networking opportunities, fundraising opportunities, and a access to startup toolkit resources.

After the application submission, the shortlisting and onboarding process will take place in September/October. Shortlisted startups will be notified and provided with further instructions and details regarding their participation in the program.

Program interventions and engagement will begin from the first week of November and concludes with a Demo Day in the last week of January.