Kerala Startup Mission

Kerala Startup Mission

Industry	Technology Business Incubator
Founded	2006
Headquarters	Thiruvananthapuram, India
Key people	Dr. Jayasankar Prasad C (Chief Executive Officer)
Website	www.startupmission.kerala.gov.in

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) formerly known as ‘Technopark Technology Business Incubator’ , is India's first and successful Non Academic Business Incubator, hosted and housed inside Asia's Largest IT Park Technopark. Technopark Technology Business Incubator (T-TBI), a joint association of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, to help the technology business start-ups, started operation during 2007. KSUM functions with a vision to support and nurture the startups in the state of Kerala. It also is the first non-academic business incubator. Since launching in 2006, KSUM has incubated more than 200+ of India's most promising startups.

Kerala Startup Mission have been actively initiating various programmes for developing the student entrepreneurship in the state. Government of Kerala declared the start up policy with an aim to accelerate the growth of student entrepreneurs. KSUM being the nodal agency for implementing the Startup policy have come up with various schemes for the effective implementation of the policy. The schemes covers a broad area from schools, colleges and to young entrepreneurs.^[1]

Incubation program

KSUM provide entrepreneurs all the support to make technology based business ventures successful. The innovative and productive environment of KSUM provides entrepreneurs the right ambiance to build up technology ventures at international standards. KSUM is restricted to high tech startups with technology products and innovations with in a limited time frame that literraly makes the entrepreneur to seriously work on his product idea and boost him to come up with a ‘Market viable prototype.^[2]

The incubations stages are

• Pre-incubation Stage (3-6 months)
• Incubation Stage (6-12 months)
• Accelerator Stage (3-6 months)

Pre-incubation Stage

Preincubation stage mainly focuses on ideation stage, where technologist having a potential innovative idea can be provided with a co-working space. During this period, the entrepreneur takes up the role of a ‘techno-evangelist’ who develops the idea to into a proof of concept and prepares him for understanding the technical feasibility of the idea proposed. Sometimes, a number of potential innovations or startup teams may come out of this co-working eco system. KSUM will be supporting the startups by mentoring or by creating right platform for networking. Once a marketable technology/product idea evolved, a company can be formed and KSUM can look at for Incubation Stage. KSUM shall assist the innovator in getting grants from DST/DSIR for the ventures.

Incubation Stage

Incubation stage will be 6–12 months where startup companies graft product development and prepare themselves for marketing. During this stage, the entrepreneur takes up the role of a ‘Technopreneur’, who brings all his efforts (such as technology, team, seed money) to build a market viable prototype (MVP’s). KSUM at this stage will allot them specific seats/modules along with funds or grants as applicable under department scheme and right mentorship. KSUM can also offer a wide array of value added services like entrepreneur trainings and workshops, skill development programmes, leadership programmes, R&D facilities, International tie ups etc. to speed up the incubation cycle. The incubation stage enables the entrepreneur to be ready with an ‘innovative technology’ in the form of marketable product that can primarily drive the market, and which is easy to pitch before an investor/VC in future.

Physical space

KSUM will be initially provide shared workspace, that enables the entrepreneur to incubate their ideas in a right ecosystem and limits him on spending into unwanted luxury spaces in the startup phase.

Review and monitoring

The entrepreneurs will undergo a regular and frequent review in the new system, that creates a mental urge to hunt for his passion and to expedite his entrepreneurial venture in a serious way.

Mentoring sessions

The startups will be provided with regular orientation programmes and mentoring sessions. KSUM has industry specific mentors with international exposure, domain experience and connections within the area and level of business the entrepreneurs work at. KSUM offers mandatory mentoring sessions like „Meet the Mentor programme‟ to encourage the entrepreneurs by sharing their knowledge and entrepreneurial experiences.

Funding – seed/angel & early stage VC

KSUM would create a funding platform for those incubated technology startups for developing or enhancing the technology product or innovations and marketing them. KSUM can either provide a seed loan of NSTEDB (National Science, Technology and Entrepreneurship Development Board), DST or TDB(Technology Development Board); MSME grants, PRISM grants and link to any institutional funding of KSIDC (Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation), KFC (Kerala Financial Corporation), KSCSTE(Kerala State Council for Science, Technology & Environment) or KSITM (Kerala State IT Mission). KSUM can also make arrangements to access Angel Investors like IAN (Indian Angel Network) or TiE (The indus Entrepreneurs); Venture Capitalists and Accelerator funds for the entrepreneurs.

Networks, Memberships and Contests

KSUM has wide networks comprising the government, industries, industry associations like TiE, NASSCOM, NBIA (National Business Incubator Association), InfoDev (initiative by World Bank), investors, universities, institutions like MIT USA and IIMs, R & D centres, OEM‟s like Apple & Raspberry Pi Foundation, business mentoring consultants like D2E, training institutions like ICT Academy, UNCTAD-Empretec and so on. KSUM‟s collaboration with Technopark has created a brand value and right industry ecosystem for the technopreneurs to groom.

Further KSUM would also encourage the startups to participate in various contests like TATA first.NEN, In 50 Hrs, international exhibitions like CeBIT & GITEX and international conferences like ISBA (Indian STEPS and Business Incubators Association).

Pipeline

KSUM would be devising potential technopreneurs from iEDC‟s or BootCamps at Colleges and mentor them to develop potential technology products that can be brought out in markets. KSUM in associating with government and incubators like startup village would constantly endeavor in inculcating entrepreneurship spirit right from schools and colleges by hosting several programmes and initiatives.

Accelerator stage

Accelerator stage will be of 3–6 months, and this will be a business tools box and a holistic business advisory service, resembling the traditional management consulting or mentoring, but adjusted to fit for the startups. The focus of accelerator stage shall be on rapid growth and to sort out all organizational, operational, financial and strategic difficulties that may be facing the business under KSUM guidance through a highly systematic approach. The startup shall be presented to VC’s and investors (Strategic & Financial).^[3]

KSUM - EY Accelerator

Kerala startup Mission in association with Ernst and Young have started a Business & Technology Accelerator to provide for fully equipped and functional office space of 1500 sq.ft at the Drishya Building, KINFRA Film & Video Park, Thiruvananthapuram.

The objective of the accelerator program is to offer technology and business thought leadership and mentorship support that can aid in the development of the selected start-ups incubated in the state of Kerala through a 6-month acceleration (extendable by 6 more months) program to facilitate business sophistication and skill enhancement of the selected entrepreneurs. The program would encompass mentorship support in all areas of business and technology including Business strategy, Finance, HR, investment proposals, emerging technology trends, market research etc.

The accelerator program will also support entrepreneurs to network with industry captains, angels, venture capitalists etc.^[4][5]

FAB Labs

With the support of Government of Kerala, KSUM has started two MIT USA Electronics Fabrication labs each at Technopark, Trivandrum and Kerala Technology Innovation Zone (KTIZ), Kochi.^[6] The fablab in Technopark, Trivandrum is established inside the Indian Institute of Technology and Management- Kerala (IIITM-K). A Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) is a technical prototyping platform for innovation and invention which aims at providing stimulus for local entrepreneurship and serves as a platform for learning and innovation. It is a small scale workshop offering digital fabrication which empowers the users to create smart devices for themselves which can be tailored to local or personal needs. The FabLab also becomes a medium for connecting to a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers and innovators – essentially becoming a self-sustaining global knowledge sharing network. The FABLAB programme involves setting up state-of-the-art Fabrication laboratories in the state to encourage startups in printed electronics and other such fields. KSUM has associated with Centre for Bits and Atoms, MIT Fab Lab Foundation, USA for this. The fablabs being established in Trivandrum and Ernakulam are identical and mainly comprises the following inventories.^{[7][8][9][10]}

Technology Innovation Zone (TIZ)

The Technology Innovation Zone is a much innovative project under the TBI that operates at Kalamassery and which promotes technology in diverse sectors like Biotechnology, IT/ITeS, Telecom, Agriculture, Tourism, Coir, Health & Media. An area of 13.5 acres is earmarked for setting up the Innovation Zone.

Other Programs

Startup Bootcamp

The Kerala State government has created this program to build a startup ecosystem in every college campus through active participation of students. Bootcamp is a student focused program that helps students to realize their entrepreneurship spirit in early stage of higher education.Extension centres at Colleges have been established under the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centre (IEDC) of the T-TBI to promote students in technology entrepreneurship. Currently, 103 Academic Institutions in Kerala run IEDCs.

The Government of Kerala has come up with a Student Entrepreneurship Policy for promoting Entrepreneurship by offering 4% grace marks and 20% attendance. The student needs to be an incubatee under the TBI to be eligible to avail the privileges under the policy.

Learn To Code (Raspberry Pi Program)

Learn to Code (Raspberry Pi Distribution) Government of Kerala took the lead and launched the initiative called “Learn to Code”. During the phase 1 of Raspberry Pi Distribution Programme 2500 Raspberry Pi Kits were distributed to 8th STD students.The project’s aim is to add 40,000 talented youngsters from schools to the vibrant maker community being developed through community participation programmes initiated by the Kerala Startup Mission. The students were given hands on training and have encouraged to experiment with the Pi, focused coding sessions were arranged during the month of May. Subsequently Kerala Startup Mission along with IT@School has conducted the Kerala Raspberry Pi Competition for the students who received the Raspberry Pi Kit.^[11][12][13]

Startup Box

The Kerala government has introduced a scheme 'Start-Up Box program' with the Kerala Start-Up Mission (KSUM) for aspiring entrepreneurs in the state. Government of Kerala has taken pioneering effort to bring about a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation amongst its youth.

Start-up Box is designed to distribute startup kits to various technology and industry verticals. The Start-Up Box Program will motive startup entrepreneurs to attempt new and innovative products by creating varied applications in different platforms.

Government of Kerala aims to use the STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE to empower college students to jump into the entrepreneurial bandwagon. It is very clear that employment and growth opportunities in the next fifty years of the world are going to be based on Technology. STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE is a novel way to simplify the path for up to 50 talented teams (teams of 3-6 college students) into technical entrepreneurship. Yearly the STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE will provide up to 50 teams composed of college students selected through Bootcamp, the Startup Kerala Tool Box. The college students in the selected teams are expected to be the brightest of the bright in Kerala. As technology continues to evolve, it brings with it new opportunities and challenges for educators and students. STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE aims to address the lack of courage, initiative and encouragement to attempt new and innovative ventures. The STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE aims to debunk the myth of difficult processes that lead to a successful startup.^[14][15]

See also

• List of business incubators

References

External links

• Official website