Startup Stairs, NSDC Kick Start Growth Acceleration Program The Growth Acceleration Program with 4i (Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation and Impact) will provide seed funding of INR 20 lakh to INR 1 crore to 20 shortlisted innovative startups
By Soumya Duggal •
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
You're reading Entrepreneur India, an international franchise of Entrepreneur Media.
Seed-stage accelerator Startup Stairs has collaborated with The National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) to together launch the 'Growth Acceleration Program with 4i (Integrity, Inclusion, Innovation and Impact)' to help startups get funding and other key kinds of support.
As the official portal of Start-up India, the program will identify and give seed funding of INR 20 lakh to INR 1 crore to 20 most innovative startups that are working towards the upliftment of informal sectors in the areas of agri and food tech, logistics and SCM, media and entertainment, fashion technology, e-commerce, travel and tourism, hospitality and IT.
The deadline for applying to the program is November 25th 2022. The best 20 startups, shortlisted from an pool of 50 startups, will be announced on 9th December.
"Startup Stairs was founded with a singular purpose -- support and empower the evolution of startups and MSMEs to make them create employment, wealth, and a resilient economy. By finding startups who can provide the forward market linkage to skilled and certified youth by either making them employed or small entrepreneurs, the country can improve its skill index and multiply the number of home-grown startups, thereby attracting global investors," said Preet Sandhuu, Founder & Director, Startup Stairs.
Startup Stairs claims to be on a mission to fast-track the growth of startups and early-stage businesses by enabling ease of access to funding and other resources. It targets offering several services to selected startups: a relaible and vetted collaborative network of active angel investors and VCs looking to invest in early-stage, high potential startups; extensive hands-on experience; startegic alliances; investement deck; accounting and fundraising support; and expertise with regards to growth strategies and processes.
Eligibility criteria for startups to participate in Growth Acceleration Program with 4i dictates that they must be DPIIT recognized, have tech-driven innovative ideas to uplift the unorganized sector manpower by upskilling them, be on a scaling stage with a ready tech platform, and be focused on the unorganized, informal, and socially deprived section of the society.
