WEscalate - Karnataka women-led startup programme

Last checked 11 Oct 2026 against the official scheme page. Terms and dates can change, so confirm on the official site before you apply.

State contribution per cohort up to INR 20 lakh (incubation) plus up to INR 30 lakh (acceleration, incl. INR 8.7 lakh deployment grant); paid to incubators

Funding available

One-year incubation and acceleration programme for women-led startups run by mapped incubators, funded by the state as grant-in-aid to the incubator.

Eligibility Criteria

Early-stage and growth-stage women-led startups in focus sectors (Biotech, AgriTech, MedTech/Healthtech, Cleantech); 15 startups per cohort, two cohorts a year.

What You Get

6-month incubation and 6-month acceleration
Mentoring, market access and investor connects

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Apply on the official government portal

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Quick Facts

Governing Body: Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka (Karnataka Innovation & Technology Society / Karnataka Startup Cell)
Ministry / Dept: State
Level: Karnataka
Status: Check official site

Startup Stage

IdeationValidationEarly RevenueGrowth

Target Sectors

BiotechAgriTechHealthtechCleantech