WE Invest NIDHI Accelerator Program

The WE Invest NIDHI Accelerator Program, supported by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, is a 4-month acceleration initiative in collaboration with Venture Catalyst and FundEnable. Designed to empower women-led startups, the program offers intensive mentoring, capacity building, and access to funding, culminating in a Demo Day.

The program, focused on accelerating 15 high-potential women-led startups, is ideal for founders with MVPs or early revenue. It provides structured guidance to help achieve product-market fit, scale operations, and secure funding opportunities.

Awards

Top 5 startups will receive a grant of ₹2.00 Lakhs each to support their growth journey.

Eligibility Criteria

To participate, startups must meet the following requirements:

• DPIIT Registration: Startups must be registered with DPIIT.

• Women-Led Ownership: Startups should have a minimum of 51% shareholding by women founders or groups of women, with decision-making rights. Male co-founders are allowed.

• MVP and Revenue: Startups should be MVP-ready and generating revenue.

• Residency: Founders must be citizens or residents of India and at least 18 years old as of April 1, 2023.

• Program History: Applicants must not have previously participated in the NIDHI Accelerator Program at any other center or in prior years.

TakeAways

• Intensive one-on-one mentoring from Industry & Academia experts,
• Access to investors / angels /VC’s,
• Master Classes covering a range of topics for capacity building such as Business Modelling, Term Sheet, Due-diligence, Sales Playbook, capital Raising etc.
• Access to Co-working space,
• Access to 150 + R & D Labs & Faculty pool at Banasthali Vidyapith,
• Support in developing an impactful investor pitch deck,
• Practice sessions for pitching through mock pitch sessions,
• The culmination of the program with a Physical Demo Day event
• Award to the selected startups up to INR 10 Lakhs.
• Master sessions cover Business Modelling, Go-To-Market Strategy, Digital Marketing, Sales Playbook, UI-UX, Financial Modeling, Term Sheet Negotiation, Startup Valuation, Deal Structuring, Due-Diligence, Exit Strategies, and Investor Outreach, ending with Mock Pitching and Pitch Day for real-world readiness.

Program fees: INR 25,000

Focus Areas

Startups leveraging Science & Technology (Preference will be given to DeepTech, AI, Fin-tech, EV, Creator economy, Space-tech, Semiconductor)

This program is a dedicated platform to elevate women entrepreneurs, empowering them to scale their startups and unlock their full potential.