WEscalate (Elevate Women Entrepreneurship)
Opening Soon!
Women-owned businesses are in minority in India. The hurdles faced by women who have embraced entrepreneurship are vast and often different from those experienced by their male counterparts. Karnataka, as the startup capital of the country has always been a supporting ecosystem that has facilitated the growth of innovation and entrepreneurship. Through initiatives like the New Age Innovation Network (NAIN), which supports innovation across 30 engineering colleges in 18 districts beyond Bengaluru, and the Elevate program, which funds early-stage startups, the state has built a robust foundation for entrepreneurship. Notably, around 23% of Elevate winners are women—highlighting the potential for more inclusive participation. Bridging this gender gap is not only a matter of equity but also of economic opportunity, as studies show that equal participation by women could boost India’s GDP by up to 60%, adding as much as $2.9 trillion by 2025.
About programme:
WEscalate programme is designed to accelerate startups from ideation to market readiness through a cohort-based, immersive mentorship model customized to meet each startup’s specific needs and growth ambitions. This programme has two phases; Incubation Phase and Acceleration Phase. Incubation Phase will support early-stage women entrepreneurs to transform their idea into a business. It will include business skills training, mentoring support, peer learning, market analysis, customer analysis, business plan development, pitch preparation, investors connect. This will be a 6-months programme in hybrid mode for selected 15 startups. Acceleration Phase will focus more on market validation, enabling funding for startups, enabling market access. This would be a 6-month long program for selected 15 startups.
Main objectives of the programme are:
- To nurture and grow early-stage women entrepreneurs
- To accelerate the growth stage women entrepreneurs to scale up their ventures
- To make startup ecosystem in Karnataka more inclusive
Programme offerings:
- Meetings with Business, Technical & IP Experts
- 300+ hours of Mentoring, Workshops & Networking Events
- Industry Visits & Investor Connects
- Demoday & deployment support
- Access to C-CAMP Alumni Community
Eligibility criteria for applying for WEscalate:
- Startup should women-led, registered in Karnataka
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Any startup working in area of life sciences, including but not limited to –
- Healthtech including Drug Discovery, Devices, Diagnostics, Digital Health, AI&ML
- Agritech including Animal Health, Nutraceuticals, Food, Soil Health, Plant based therapeutics, Aquaculture)
- Industrial Biotechnology
- Clean & Renewable Energy
- Environment including Water & Sanitation, Sustainability & Climate
Application Start Date (Incubation Phase): Opening Soon!
Application Close Date (Incubation Phase):
Application Link:
Selection procedure & criteria:
Upon receiving the applications, initial administrative screening will be conducted to verify the startup's basic eligibility and the accuracy of the information submitted. Applications that clear this stage will be further evaluated based on scientific merit, commercialization potential, value proposition, go-to-market strategy, scalability, and long-term sustainability.
Assessments will be carried out by a Panel of Experts. Shortlisted applicants will then be invited to present before a Selection Committee comprising of representatives from academia, government, industry, investors, and C-CAMP management. The committee will finalize the cohort for the programme.
For details, write to: advancement@ccamp.res.in