Incubator

iCreate

Gujarat Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (GFEE)

Ahmedabad, Gujarat, IndiaEst. 2012Coworking

A Gujarat government-backed technology incubator in Ahmedabad, running funding schemes and challenges for hardware and deep-tech founders.

2Programs

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iCreate at a glance

Part of	Gujarat Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (GFEE)
Established	2012
Address	International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Opp. Kensville Golf Club and Resort, Off. Bavla - Rajkot Highway, Deo Dholera Village, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382240
Programmes	10 standing programmes · 1 open call right now
Stages supported	Idea, Prototype, MVP, Early revenue, Growth
Fees	1 of 2 programmes that state a policy are free
Official website	icreate.org.in
Email	info@icreate.org.in

Programs by iCreate

1 open now · 1 past · Filter all programs

Open now

iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway Prototype/PoC Funding Support

by iCreate

₹2L – ₹30L

Past programs

iCreate Drone Challenge 2025

by iCreate

Up to ₹2Cr

Which iCreate programme fits you

5 programmes compared by who they are for, the stage they accept, how long they run and what they cost.

By stage

Idea: iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC), Spark-up Idea Fund, iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway
Prototype: iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway
MVP: NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)
Early revenue: iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator
Growth: NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)

Programme	Best for	Stage	Duration	Format	Cost
iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC)	Idea-stage founders, students and researchers	Idea	About 11 days per batch	—	—
Spark-up Idea Fund	Students and student teams, any discipline or college	Idea	3-day bootcamp	—	Free
iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator	Founders with a market-ready product or service	Early revenue	4 weeks (2 online, 2 on campus)	Hybrid	Paid
iCreate Pro-Fund GatewayWith Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Gujarat	Individual innovators, students and startups with hardware innovation, idea-to-PoC stage	Idea – Prototype	—	—	—
NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)With Department of Science and Technology	Startups already incubated at iCreate, with a minimum viable product	MVP, Growth	Incubation period of up to two years	—	Takes equity

"—" means the programme's own page does not state it. Check each programme's page for current eligibility and intake dates.

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Track record

What iCreate reports about its portfolio.

iCreate reports 952 startups supported, 140+ patents from portfolio companies and around 1,600 jobs created. Its own pages don't fully agree with each other on the startup count, so read these as the incubator's own order-of-magnitude claims rather than an audited total.

952Startups supportediCreate's homepage counter. Other pages on the same site describe 'over 380 innovations' supported, so read this as an order of magnitude rather than a single audited figure.

140Patent families140+ patents generated by portfolio companies, per iCreate's homepage counter.

1,611Jobs created

All figures self-reported — icreate.org.in, as of Sept 2026.

Programmes they run

Standing programmes at iCreate, separate from the funding calls above.

iCreate's stated funding schemes range from a small idea grant to a bundle of five separate prototype-stage schemes under its Pro-Fund Gateway, plus recurring innovation challenges. Two named schemes on this list are open only to startups already incubated at iCreate, so they are not entry points for new founders. Terms differ scheme by scheme, and iCreate's own FAQ states that most incubatees go through a paid grooming programme with costs charged back to the project — check current terms before applying.

iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC)

Incubation

A short, mentor-guided programme that helps idea-stage founders turn an idea into a business plan.

Best for: Idea-stage founders, students and researchers

Idea
About 11 days per batch
Grant support for selected startups

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Idea Catalyst is iCreate's entry point for founders who are still at the idea stage. It runs in short batches — recent ones have run for about eleven days — combining mentoring with customer-facing fieldwork, and ends with a pitch to an expert panel.

What you get

Personalised guidance from startup mentors and industry experts
A personalised scorecard against five factors for building a successful startup
Practice pitching to investors and industry experts, with pitch-preparation guidance
Access to iCreate's alumni network
A chance at a prototype development grant for shortlisted teams

Who can apply

Entrepreneurs and teams with an early-stage idea
University and college students from any discipline
Inventors, researchers and creators with an original idea

How selection works: Three mentor-guided modules — validating the idea, talking to real customers, then refining or pivoting based on that feedback — ending in a pitch to an expert panel.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on the Idea Catalyst programme page.

Full iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC) guide

Spark-up Idea Fund

Grant scheme

A three-day student bootcamp with a small idea grant, aimed at any student or student team with an early idea.

Best for: Students and student teams, any discipline or college

Idea
3-day bootcamp
Free

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Spark-up is a student-only route: a three-day bootcamp with intensive mentoring, aimed at helping students validate a technology-based idea with real customers.

What you get

A three-day bootcamp with intensive mentoring
Help validating your idea with real customers
Access to iCreate's alumni network

Who can apply

Any student or student team, from any discipline or college
An innovative, technology-based idea or project
Implementable and capable of becoming a real product or solution
Commercially viable, and new or a better alternative to what already exists
Backed by a committed individual or team who can take it forward

How selection works: Application review, shortlisting, a final pitch session, then onboarding with a signed non-disclosure agreement.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on the Spark-up Idea Fund page.

Full Spark-up Idea Fund guide

iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator

Accelerator

A paid four-week accelerator for founders with a product or service ready to be taken to market.

Best for: Founders with a market-ready product or service

Early revenue
4 weeks (2 online, 2 on campus)
Hybrid
Paid
Grant support for selected startups

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Seed-stage Accelerator runs two weeks online followed by two weeks on the iCreate campus, and is built for founders who already have something close to a market-ready offering rather than an idea.

What you get

Guided validation of your business assumptions with customers, suppliers and ecosystem partners
Mentor-guided review of your market validation, including whether to pivot
Strategies for raising capital and going to market
An operational and financial roadmap
A pitching session for incubation, with a route into iCreate's own Pro-Fund Gateway funding
Access to iCreate's alumni network

Who can apply

A product or service that is ready to be taken to market

How selection works: Application, then a result announcement, then the batch itself, ending in a demo day.

How to apply: Apply through the online form; the programme carries a fee.

Full iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator guide

iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway

Grant scheme

iCreate's route into five separate prototype-stage funding schemes, from its own small grant to national and state programmes.

Best for: Individual innovators, students and startups with hardware innovation, idea-to-PoC stage

Idea – Prototype

With Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of Gujarat

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Pro-Fund Gateway is not a single scheme but a bundle of five, all handled through one application route: iCreate's own Technology Exploration Cell grant, and four government schemes iCreate is empanelled to administer — the Department of Science and Technology's NIDHI-PRAYAS and NIDHI-EIR, the Ministry of Electronics and IT's TIDE 2.0, and the Government of Gujarat's Startup Gujarat scheme. Which one a founder ends up on depends on their stage and sector.

What you get

Business and technical mentorship, plus capacity-building workshops
Access to iCreate's workshop, library and iLab prototyping lab
Hostel accommodation and cafeteria access on campus
Access to a countrywide network for expansion and growth
Investor and corporate connects

Who can apply

Individual innovators, students or startups, Indian citizens
At the idea-to-proof-of-concept stage, or with a working proof of concept already
A technology-driven hardware innovation with real technical novelty — a conventional software or service business without proprietary technology is not considered
The startup should own or be developing its own core technology, not just reselling or repackaging someone else's product
At least one founder working full-time, or committing to full-time within three months of joining
For the Government of Gujarat route specifically, the startup must be registered as an LLP or Private Limited Company in Gujarat
Campus residency is strongly recommended and may be preferred in selection

How selection works: Application review, shortlisting, a final evaluation and pitching session, then onboarding with a signed non-disclosure agreement and work starting from the iCreate campus.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on the Pro-Fund Gateway page.

See the latest call

NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS)

Grant scheme

DST seed support for startups already incubated at iCreate for at least three months, with an MVP ready.

Best for: Startups already incubated at iCreate, with a minimum viable product

MVP, Growth
Incubation period of up to two years
Takes equity
Grant support for selected startups

With Department of Science and Technology

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

NIDHI-SSS is a national Department of Science and Technology scheme that iCreate administers for its own resident and virtual incubatees — it is not an entry route for new founders.

What you get

Seed financial support, based on requirement, stage and assessment
Support for proof of concept, prototype and technology development
Support for product trials, validation and de-risking
Support for market entry and commercialisation
Financing may take the form of equity, a soft loan or an equity-linked instrument
Disbursement is milestone-based

Who can apply

Registered in India, preferably with DPIIT registration or a pending DPIIT application
At least three months of association with iCreate through its resident or virtual incubation programme
A demonstrated unique selling proposition, validated with customers
At least 51% of shareholding held by Indian promoters; Indian subsidiaries of foreign companies are not eligible
Preference given to startups that have not previously received government funding
The venture is expected to give iCreate a stipulated amount of equity on joining this scheme

How selection works: Application review, shortlisting, a final evaluation and pitching session, then onboarding with a signed non-disclosure agreement.

How to apply: Apply through the online form on the NIDHI-SSS page.

Full NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS) guide

Pitch to Rise

Competition

A monthly pitching series held on the last Friday of every month, with prototyping grants for shortlisted projects.

Monthly, last Friday of the month
Hybrid
Grant support for selected startups

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

Pitch to Rise is a recurring, low-commitment way to get in front of iCreate without applying to a full programme — it runs both online and on campus.

What you get

A pitching slot in front of iCreate
Shortlisted projects get a chance to apply for a prototyping grant

How to apply: Sessions are announced through iCreate's events and programme pages; there is no standing application form.

Official programme page

iCreate Aerodynamic Blade Challenge

Competition

An innovation challenge for fan, rotor and propeller design across aerospace, aviation and home appliances.

Grant support for selected startups

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

This challenge is aimed at teams working on blade design that improves airflow, reduces power use or cuts noise, for use in ventilation, propellers or turbines.

What you get

Incubation support and funding for shortlisted teams
Mentoring for product development from industry experts
Access to research facilities and laboratories
Guidance in IP protection
Customer and investor connects

How to apply: Apply through the online form on the challenge page.

Official programme page

iCreate Lighter Than Air Challenge (iLTAC)

Competition

A challenge for researchers and startups building balloon and airship (lighter-than-air) technology.

Grant support for selected startups

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

iLTAC brings together researchers, startups and enthusiasts to design, build and demonstrate lighter-than-air systems, including a High Altitude Balloon category focused on reaching the stratosphere and safely recovering data.

What you get

Access to research facilities and laboratories
Incubation support and funding for shortlisted teams
Exposure to markets and potential investors
Mentoring support from industry experts

How to apply: Apply through the online form on the challenge page.

Official programme page

iCreate Drone Challenge

Competition

A recurring challenge for drone-technology innovators; the most recent edition is closed.

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

The Drone Challenge looks for innovative solutions in drone technology; its most recent edition has closed. Check the challenge listing for the next call.

See the latest call

EVangelise

Competition

iCreate's electric-vehicle innovation challenge; between editions since 2022.

What you get, who can apply and how to apply

EVangelise is iCreate's own electric-vehicle innovation challenge, run out of its EV Centre of Excellence, focused on sub-component innovation for 2- and 3-wheeler EVs. Its most recent edition ran in 2022 with roadshows across several Indian cities; iCreate's programme pages have not listed a newer edition since.

Official programme page

Incubation tracks

The routes into iCreate, and what each one includes.

iCreate is a public-private partnership under the Gujarat Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence, not a university-affiliated incubator, so there is no student- or alumni-only gate on most of its programmes.

Track	Type	Space	Includes
iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC)Aimed at idea-stage startups to translate ideas into profitable business plans. Duration inferred from previous batch timelines (e.g., 24th June 2024 to 4th July 2024).	Pre-incubation	—	Immersive learning journey, Personalised guidance by seasoned startup mentors and industry experts, Certificate of participation from iCreate, India's leading incubator of startups based on tech innovation, Personalised scorecard based on 5 parameters critical to building a successful startup, Hands-on learning that provides you practical, real world insights, Learning through peer interaction, team mentoring, and one-to-one mentoring, Experience of pitching to investors and industry experts, with guidance on pitch preparation, Access to our Alumni Network
Spark-up Idea FundA unique opportunity for students to submit innovative ideas/projects.	Pre-incubation	—	Participate in a 3-day bootcamp and receive intensive mentoring from experts, Validate your idea with real customers, Learn about how to create a successful technology-based product, Interact with other startups who are at a similar stage, and learn from their journey, Receive support and funding of up to Rs. 50,000/- from iCreate, Get Access to our Alumni Network
iCreate Seed-stage AcceleratorAn intense 4-week programme (2 weeks online + 2 weeks at iCreate campus). Program Fees: INR 40000. For startups with a product or service ready to be taken to market.	Acceleration	—	Curated validation of assumptions with customers, suppliers, ecosystem partners, Mentor-guided examination of the market validation (e.g. need for pivot, etc.), Realistic strategies for raising capital & go-to-market, Operational & financial roadmap to a high-growth business, Actual pitching session for incubation plus financial support (grants up to Rs 10 lakh and investments up to Rs 40 lakh) through iCreate's Pro-Fund Gateway, that offers access to varied schemes from reputed government institutions, Get access to our Alumni Network

Labs & facilities

Equipment and space on campus.

The equipment story here is prototyping and electronics rather than wet-lab or biotech, centred on iLab and what iCreate describes as Cisco's largest IoT lab in India — a natural fit for the hardware, EV and drone founders iCreate targets.

iLab@iCreate

A fabrication and rapid-prototyping lab designated a 'PRAYAS Shala' by the Department of Science and Technology, supported by the Government of Gujarat, Cisco and Solidworks. Its services are open to outside manufacturers and research organisations, not only iCreate's own incubatees.

CNC Lathe, Welding and Plasma Cutting Equipment

Named machines inside iLab: a multi-purpose CNC lathe, TIG/spot/MIG welding and aluminium welding, a plasma cutter that handles steel, mild steel and aluminium up to 25mm, and a thermal conductivity tester.

Cisco IoT innovation lab

Access via Cisco

Described by iCreate as Cisco's largest IoT-enabled tech lab in India, hosted on the iCreate campus.

Dev Dholera residential campus

A 40-acre campus with capacity for 100 resident incubatees, including dining facilities, classrooms, project rooms, a 200-seat auditorium and two 40-seat seminar halls.

Support services

Help offered alongside funding and space.

Business advisory

Every startup is assigned a mentor or group of mentors for business and technical guidance, plus capacity-building workshops.

IP & patents

A non-disclosure agreement is signed with every incubated project, and IP-protection guidance is offered on several challenge programmes.

Market access

Investor and corporate connects, plus a countrywide alumni network, offered across most programmes.

Recognitions & empanelments

Official approvals this incubator holds.

iCreate's standing rests on a 2020 national Technology Business Incubator award and its recognitions under DST's NIDHI and PRAYAS schemes and MeitY's TIDE 2.0, rather than a long list of scheme empanelments.

Supported by Government of Gujarat· 2012National Award for Technology Business Incubator 2020, instituted by NSTEDB, DST, Government of India· 2020DST-recognized PRAYAS CentreDST approved Technology Business Incubator for NIDHI-EIR ProgrammeRecognized Incubation Centre under TIDE 2.0

The Gujarat model, and what it changes

iCreate is unusual among Indian incubators in not being attached to a university or a research institute. Founded in 2012, it runs as a public-private partnership backed by the Government of Gujarat and the Government of India, on its own campus at Deo Dholera near Ahmedabad.

That has two practical consequences. There is no affiliation gate — nothing here is restricted to one institution's students or alumni, which is a real contrast with PIEDS, where the largest funds are closed to non-BITS founders. And the sector spread is broad by design: electric vehicles, Industry 4.0, fintech, healthtech, agritech, edtech, watertech and renewable energy, with a dedicated EV Centre of Excellence.

The partner list is the other distinguishing feature — Cisco, Start-up Nation Central and Technion in Israel, the University of Houston, ICRISAT, Mumbai Angels, Bootup Ventures and Social Alpha. The India Israel Innovation Accelerator exists because of those relationships and has no obvious equivalent elsewhere in this set.

The easiest way in

Use Pitch to Rise first. It runs on the last Friday of every month, hybrid and online as well as on campus, and shortlisted projects receive prototyping grants. A recurring monthly pitch with no application cycle is a materially lower-friction entry point than anything else in Indian incubation, and it is the obvious first step before committing to a programme.

Then match yourself to a stage. iCreate organises its support as a ladder: Idea Catalyst for idea stage, the Pro-Fund Gateway and iLAB for prototyping, the Seed-Stage Accelerator for early market, and NIDHI-SSS for scale-up (that last one open only to startups already incubated here).

Best fit: hardware and deep-tech teams — EV, drones, Industry 4.0 — who want prototyping facilities and corporate access without an institutional affiliation. The EV Centre of Excellence and the Cisco innovation lab are the differentiators.

On terms: iCreate sets funding amounts and incubation terms per programme and per stage rather than publishing a single schedule, so the practical step is to apply through the funding portal or raise it at a Pitch to Rise session, where you can get an answer for your specific case.

How to apply to iCreate

Match the programme to your stage

iCreate runs several schemes side by side, and applying to the wrong one is the easiest way to be screened out.

Still at the idea stage: iCreate Idea Catalyst, or Spark-up Idea Fund if you are a student.
Have a working proof of concept in hardware: the Pro-Fund Gateway, which routes you into whichever of its five underlying schemes fits your project.
Have a market-ready product: the Seed-stage Accelerator.
Already incubated at iCreate for three months or more: NIDHI-SSS.
Working in a named challenge area (blades, drones, lighter-than-air, EVs): the matching innovation challenge, or the monthly Pitch to Rise session as a lower-commitment first step.

How applications work

Most programmes follow the same online-form route, with a published phase timeline: applications open, applications close, shortlisted startups are announced, a final pitch or evaluation session follows, results are announced, and selected startups sign a non-disclosure agreement before starting work from the iCreate campus.

What reviewers look for

Real technical novelty in hardware. iCreate's own eligibility criteria say a conventional software or service business without proprietary technology will not be considered, and a startup should own or be developing its core technology rather than reselling someone else's.
Full-time commitment. Several schemes expect at least one founder working full time, or committing to do so within three months of joining.
Willingness to be on campus. iCreate says campus residency is recommended and may be preferred in selection for its funding schemes.
A clear proof of concept or customer validation, matched to the stage of the programme you are applying to.

Before you apply

Check the specific scheme's eligibility page for citizenship, shareholding and registration requirements — several of iCreate's schemes, particularly the government-funded ones, require Indian citizenship or majority Indian ownership, and one requires Gujarat registration specifically.

About iCreate

iCreate — the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology — is a technology business incubator on a 40-acre campus at Dev Dholera near Ahmedabad, Gujarat. It was set up under the Gujarat Foundation for Entrepreneurial Excellence (GFEE), a joint venture between the Gujarat Mineral Development Corporation and the Gujarat Entrepreneurship and Venture Promotion Foundation, with its foundation stone laid in 2012 and its first cohort starting in 2013.

What they support

iCreate focuses on technology-driven, and particularly hardware-driven, startups: electric vehicles, renewable energy, fintech, Internet of Things and Industry 4.0, watertech, agritech and healthtech, plus aerospace and defence work such as drones and blade design. Its programme pages are explicit that conventional software or service businesses without real technical novelty are not considered — a startup should own or be developing its own core technology rather than reselling or repackaging someone else's. Support spans idea stage through scale-up, and both individual innovators and students can apply, not only registered companies. For its government-scheme routes, an Indian citizen or an India-incorporated startup with majority Indian ownership is required.

Programmes

iCreate's programmes fall into three groups. Idea-stage support includes the iCreate Idea Catalyst, a short mentoring programme that turns an idea into a business plan, and the Spark-up Idea Fund, a three-day bootcamp for students with a small idea grant attached. Prototype-stage support runs through the iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway, which is not one scheme but a bundle of five: iCreate's own Technology Exploration Cell grant, and four government schemes iCreate administers as a recognised centre — the Department of Science and Technology's NIDHI-PRAYAS and NIDHI-EIR, the Ministry of Electronics and IT's TIDE 2.0, and the Gujarat government's Startup Gujarat. Scale-up support comes through the iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator, a paid four-week programme combining online and campus modules, and the NIDHI Seed Support System, open only to startups already incubated at iCreate for at least three months. Alongside these, iCreate runs recurring innovation challenges — Pitch to Rise, a monthly pitching session; the Drone Challenge; the Aerodynamic Blade Challenge; and the Lighter Than Air Challenge for balloon and airship technology — plus past editions of EVangelise, an electric-vehicle challenge. Two programmes look outward rather than at Indian founders: the India Israel Innovation Accelerator brings Israeli companies to the Indian market, and the India-Israel Business Resilience Program gives Israeli startups a base in India.

Facilities and support

The centrepiece is iLab@iCreate, a fabrication and rapid-prototyping lab recognised by the Department of Science and Technology as a PRAYAS Shala, supported by the Gujarat government, Cisco and Solidworks. It holds a CNC lathe, welding and drilling equipment, a plasma cutter and a thermal conductivity machine, and its prototyping services are open to outside manufacturers and research organisations, not only iCreate's own incubatees. The campus also hosts what iCreate describes as Cisco's largest IoT-enabled lab in India. On the residential side, the campus has capacity for 100 incubatees, with dining facilities, classrooms, project rooms, a 200-seat auditorium and two 40-seat seminar halls. Every startup is assigned a mentor or group of mentors, and iCreate states it signs a non-disclosure agreement with every incubated project to protect its intellectual property.

Scale

iCreate reports 952 startups supported, 140+ patents generated by its portfolio, and around 1,600 jobs created; its pages elsewhere put the startup count nearer 380, so read these as orders of magnitude rather than an audited total. Its incubated companies include TecSo CHARGE+ZONE, an EV charging-infrastructure company that has raised multiple funding rounds and signed a large memorandum with the Gujarat government, along with Karkhana.io, Hubilo, BioScan Research, Drone Nation, The Solar Labs, Almashines and Photom Technologies.

Who runs it

iCreate's advisory board is led by N. R. Narayana Murthy, with Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharma as its chairman; other advisory-board members include Uday Kotak, Jyoti Sagar, and Sulajja Firodia Motwani of Kinetic Engineering. Day-to-day programme delivery runs through a resident team of mentors and technology heads. iCreate holds the National Award for Technology Business Incubator (2020) from the Department of Science and Technology's NSTEDB, and is a recognised incubation centre under both TIDE 2.0 and the NIDHI programme.

Locations

iCreate's campus is at Dev Dholera, off the Bavla-Rajkot highway near Ahmedabad, with a separate city office in Vastrapur, Ahmedabad.

Get in touch

Send a message to iCreate — we'll forward it on your behalf.

International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Opp. Kensville Golf Club and Resort, Off. Bavla - Rajkot Highway, Deo Dholera Village, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382240

Who they work with

Stage

Sectors

Technology

Notable alumni

TecSo CHARGE+ZONEKarkhana.ioHubiloBioScan ResearchDrone NationThe Solar LabsAlmashinesPhotom Technologies

The team

N. R. Narayana Murthy

Leads iCreate's Advisory Board; Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Infosys

Dilip Shanghvi

Chairman of iCreate's Advisory Board; Founder & MD, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries

Uday Kotak

Advisory Board member; Executive Vice-Chairman & MD, Kotak Mahindra Bank

Jyoti Sagar

Advisory Board member; Founder & Chairman, J. Sagar Associates

Sulajja Firodia Motwani

Advisory Board member; Vice Chairperson, Kinetic Engineering

Parag Amin

Chief Mentor, iCreate; one of the seven founding experts of GFEE

Praveen Desai

Head, Technology Business Incubation, iCreate

Frequently asked questions about iCreate

What does iCreate do?

iCreate — the International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology — is a technology business incubator on a 40-acre campus at Dev Dholera near Ahmedabad, Gujarat.

Where is iCreate located?

iCreate is located at International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology, Opp. Kensville Golf Club and Resort, Off. Bavla - Rajkot Highway, Deo Dholera Village, Ahmedabad, Gujarat 382240.

What programs does iCreate run?

iCreate currently has 1 open programme: iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway Prototype/PoC Funding Support. 1 further programme has run in the past.

Which iCreate programme should I apply to?

It depends on how far along your startup is. Idea stage: iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC), Spark-up Idea Fund and iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway. Prototype stage: iCreate Pro-Fund Gateway. MVP stage: NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS). Early revenue stage: iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator. Growth stage: NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS). Check the programme's own eligibility before applying — several programmes are sector-specific.

Do iCreate programmes charge a fee?

Most do not. Spark-up Idea Fund is free to join, while iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator charges a fee.

Does iCreate provide funding?

Selected startups in some iCreate programmes can receive grant support, including iCreate Idea Catalyst (iIC), iCreate Seed-stage Accelerator, NIDHI Seed Support System (NIDHI-SSS), Pitch to Rise and iCreate Aerodynamic Blade Challenge and others. Grant amounts are set per programme and cohort, and selection into a programme does not guarantee a grant — check the programme's own page for current terms.

What sectors does iCreate support?

iCreate works with startups in DeepTech, Fintech, Agritech, Healthtech, Mobility and CleanTech.

What stage of startup does iCreate support?

iCreate supports startups at the Ideation, Validation, Early Revenue and Growth stages.

What facilities does iCreate offer?

iCreate offers iLab@iCreate, CNC Lathe, Welding and Plasma Cutting Equipment and Dev Dholera residential campus. Incubatees also get access to Cisco IoT innovation lab through its host institution.

Is iCreate government recognised?

iCreate holds the following recognitions and affiliations: Supported by Government of Gujarat, National Award for Technology Business Incubator 2020, instituted by NSTEDB, DST, Government of India, DST-recognized PRAYAS Centre, DST approved Technology Business Incubator for NIDHI-EIR Programme and Recognized Incubation Centre under TIDE 2.0.

How do I apply to iCreate?

iCreate runs several schemes side by side, and applying to the wrong one is the easiest way to be screened out. - Still at the idea stage: iCreate Idea Catalyst, or Spark-up Idea Fund if you are a student. - Have a working proof of concept in hardware: the Pro-Fund Gateway, which routes you into whichever of its five underlying schemes fits your project.

Who runs iCreate?

N. R. Narayana Murthy (Leads iCreate's Advisory Board; Founder and Chairman Emeritus, Infosys), Dilip Shanghvi (Chairman of iCreate's Advisory Board; Founder & MD, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries) and Jyoti Sagar (Advisory Board member; Founder & Chairman, J. Sagar Associates).

Where do I log in to apply to iCreate programmes?

iCreate takes applications through its own Accubate portal at icreate.accubate.app. Each programme opens its own form there when its intake is open.

When was iCreate founded?

iCreate was founded in 2012. It operates as an incubator.