India's largest incubator, Hyderabad-based T-Hub has partnered with Microsoft to launch an accelerator to help take startups to the next level.
Launched at the Road to GES 2017 event in the presence of Srinivas Kollipara, T-Hub COO, Anil Bansali, MD, R&D, Microsoft and Navin Asrani, Director, Products, Microsoft, the accelerator will work with startups to help them leverage T-Hub and Microsoft's network to validate their products.
"The idea is to consolidate everything we have been doing at T-Hub for two years into a 90-day program. The concept is to tightly knit everything through three avenues - product validation, market validation and revenue validation," Jay Krishnan, CEO, T-Hub says.
The startups will get access to all the mentorship and workshops at T-Hub for the 90-day period and will have an opportunity to leverage it's network.
Post the program, these startups will become a part of T-Hubs alumni network and can continue to work with the startup engine.
Startups will also have an opportunity to raise up to Rs 1 crore from T-Fund.
While Microsoft will not invest in these startups, these startups will able to leverage Microsoft's sales channels to help sell the products to outsiders.
The accelerator is looking for startups that have already seen some traction in business.
"If you are a B2B startup, then we would like to see 3 happy customers, whether they are paying you or not. If you are B2C, show us that your consumers value your service or product. We want to back startups with IP and innovation, whether it is deep tech or process innovation, leveraging India Stack. We are not restricted to any particular vertical, just that you have the potential to disrupt an important market," the website says.
The acceleration program is not restricted to India alone. Global startups who want access to the Indian market can apply.
Every 90-day cohort will have 10 startups and there will be three cohorts run every year at the T-Hub campus in Hyderabad.
The first cohort will start on February 1, 2018 and applications for it are now open.