Bharat Inclusion Initiative (BII)

About

IIMA Ventures' Bharat Inclusion Initiative is an accelerator for idea- to early-stage startups building technology-enabled financial inclusion, jobs and livelihoods, and skilling solutions for India's lower-income segments, offering mentorship, market access and financial support on a rolling application basis.

Benefits

• 💰Financial Support
  USD 50,000 and more for every startup supported, which may be disbursed in tranches based on milestones and fund requirement, and startups may need to provide utilization certificates before the next tranche or at the end of the support period
• 🧑🏫Bespoke Support
  Bespoke support based on startup needs, including training, mentoring, technical assistance and market access as needed and feasible
• 🧠Domain Expertise
  Domain knowledge and access to experts
• 🤝Corporate and Investor Connects
  Periodic corporate connects and investor demo days
• 📣Visibility
  Showcase and visibility at corporate meetups, demo days and partner events
• 🔄Check-Ins
  Regular check-ins for up to a year
• ☁️ Partner Offers
  Cloud credits and exclusive offers and services from essential service partners
• 📈Fundraising Support
  Fundraising support from pitching to deal closure
• 🎁Additional Funding
  Additional funding through grants, convertible debt or other programs, which is conditional and not guaranteed, and introductions to investors are on a case-by-case basis, and selection does not guarantee additional funding

Eligibility Criteria

• Focus Areas
• Mandatory requirement of building technology-enabled solutions in financial inclusion/fintech, jobs and livelihoods, or skilling, with potential to serve lower-income segments in India
• Target Beneficiaries
• At least part of the customers or beneficiaries served must be from lower-income segments, typically earning less than INR 50,000 per month
• Registration
• Applicants need not be a registered firm to apply, but must be an entity registered in India before selection can be confirmed and support provided
• Preferred Stage
• Preferred solutions in prototype, MVP or early traction stages, and exceptional individuals with promising financial-inclusion ideas are also welcome
• Previous Accelerators
• Startups that have participated in other accelerator programs may apply and should highlight prior support
• Evaluation Criteria
• Evaluation considers alignment with program objectives, innovation, potential for impact and team strength

Participation Commitments

• Mentoring Equity
• Mentoring equity of 3 to 5% is expected, and the startup is onboarded as an incubatee
• Program Participation
• Selected startups must participate in program activities and the program’s impact measurement study
• Service Agreement
• A Service Agreement will be signed capturing product, market opportunity, engagement objective, expected activities, and budgets
• Fund Disbursement
• Funds are disbursed in tranches based on fund requirement and milestones, and startups may be required to provide a utilization certificate before receiving the next tranche or at the end of the support period
• Check-Ins
• Regular check-ins will be scheduled for up to a year
• Bootcamps and Events
• Short bootcamps and events may be organized in Ahmedabad or other places, and participation is required
• Location During Program
• The program does not require startups to be based in Ahmedabad during the program

Target Sector

Financial Services, Education, Other

Target Location

Applicants may apply without being a registered firm, but must be an entity registered in India before selection can be confirmed and support provided. Solutions must serve India's lower-income segments; no nationality or residence requirement is explicitly stated. The program does not require startups to be based in Ahmedabad.