Social Innovation Lab

Overview

Social Innovation Lab Cohort 3.0

Social Innovation Lab by CITI is a program launched in collaboration with IIT Kanpur which is dedicated to support early-stage high-impact for-profit startups, in social impact spaces. The focus areas in the current cohort are AGRITECH and CLEANTECH.

All 44 startups shall receive mentoring from Citi's executive leadership and IIT Kanpur's empanelled Industry and academia mentors throughout and after the 12-month program. Cohort members shall benefit from networking and follow-on investment opportunities facilitated through dedicated workshops, networking engagements, focused Demo days and startup showcase.

In this cohort, we're driving Geographical & Economic Inclusivity to empower startups from underserved regions and low-income states.

Target States (Economic Inclusivity):

Bihar
Jharkhand
Uttar Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Chhattisgarh
Odisha

Target Regions (Geographical Inclusivity):

Meghalaya
Assam
Nagaland
Arunachal Pradesh
Tripura
Manipur
Mizoram
Jammu & Kashmir

Social Innovation Lab by CITI will support -

35 early-stage for-profit startups in AgriTech (17) and CleanTech (18)
Accelerate 9 growth-stage high-impact startups in AgriTech (4) and CleanTech(5)
Early-stage startups get a kick-off grant of up to INR 12 lakhs each.
Startups under Acceleration program will receive up to INR 20 lakhs grant each.

Apply Now

Focus Areas

AgriTech

Transparency in agriculture
Farm mechanization & automation
Farming as a service (Faas)
Value chain pilferage and leakages
Post-harvest loss management
Soil & plant health
Food Security & Enhanced Nutrition
Dairy, poultry farming, and animal husbandry technology solutions
Farm input management and farm gate value addition
Smart food processing units
Financial inclusion for Agri-communities
Solutions addressing volatile pricing & Insufficient Market Linkages
Aquaculture, Mariculture and Apiculture
Regenerative Agriculture and Agroforestry

CleanTech

Circular Economy (Waste to Wealth)
Green & Renewable Energy
Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH)
Natural Resource Management & Minor Forest produce
Pollution (air, water and soil) Mitigation
Climate change management
Innovative solutions for sustainable packaging and alternatives

Eligibility Criteria

Startups whose focus aligns with the program areas.
Startups incorporated and based in India.
Each startup must have at least one full-time employee.
The product or technology provides a functionality/ capability not available in any off-the-shelf product, or a functionality/capability that can be demonstrated to possess a competitive advantage.
The product or technology offered by startup represents original ideas, wholly owned, with freedom to use or is licensed by the startup.
The team has formed, or is a part of, a recognized, legal entity as its company's structure.
Only Private limited Companies with all compliances in place may apply.
The incubation policy of the incubator at IT Kanpur will be applicable to startups joining the cohort.

What's in it for Startups

Grant support up to Rs. 20 lakhs
Access to IIT Kanpur Infrastructure at non-commercial rates
Access to IIT Kanpur's mature startup ecosystem
Collaboration Opportunities
Patent and technology transfer facilitation
Networking engagements with Industry and Government bodies
Platform for follow-on-investments
Sector focused Demo-day and Startup showcase events

Frequently Asked Questions

Expectations from Startups

You are a Private Limited company registered in India
You have some initial traction in terms of pilots/users/paying customers
You have a working product and a clear product roadmap
Your company is registered in India

Founder Attributes

You have prior experience in Corporates/Consulting/Entrepreneurship
You have a team with complementary skillsets
You have a clear vision for your enterprise

The following criteria shall be used for shortlisting applications:

The founder has a clear growth vision for the startup
Relevance of the idea to the focus area(s)
Potential social impact
Scalabiltiy

Preliminary screening
Internal Evaluation
External Evaluation/ Investment committee selection of final shortlisted startups
Agreement signing and fund release
Impact Assessment

12 months

The following documents may be required for the due diligence once the applicant is selected. A detailed list of requisite documents is communicated once an applicant reaches that stage.

Address Proof
ID Proof
ITR Filled
Patent Copy (if Available)
Copy of Innovator's PAN
Proof of work done, prototype, feedback received, business plan (if required)
Government recognized certificate of product/service (if required)

Contact us

Write to us for any queries: sil@iitk.ac.in

Disclaimer

Any of the above-mentioned content related to program, schedule, pricing, reimbursements, and other miscellaneous items are subject to change. We reserve the right to make those changes and will intimate them to appropriate stakeholders.

Overview