To boost women entrepreneurship in the tech sector, Karnataka government will be offering them grants under the WEscalate (Elevate Women Entrepreneurship) programme. The department of electronics, IT, and biotechnology recently called for applications from women entrepreneurs in segments such as biotechnology, agritech and healthtech.
The programme includes a dual approach of incubation and acceleration, along with funding for selected projects.
“Each cohort will be sector-specific, focusing on biotech, agritech, medtech/healthtech and cleantech,” the information technology and biotech department said in a statement.
After completing the incubation programme, the participants will be eligible for funding under the acceleration programme. The department plans to implement two cohorts every year with support from incubators and accelerators, the statement said.
Speaking at a Conclave last week, the state’s IT-BT minister Priyank Kharge said, "We have close to 1,100 active women-led startups, which have collectively raised nearly $9.8 billion. And these startups are not just limited to Bengaluru; we have expanded beyond Bengaluru.”
Through the Elevate program, the government offers grants of up to Rs 50 lakh to startups. These grants do not need to be repaid, as they are not loans, according to the minister.
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