Brinc Ties Up With KSUM, Maker Village For Spring 2020 India Hardware & IoT Programme

Kerala’s proactive nature when it comes to supporting startups from the state to grow and scale-up is not a surprise for anyone who has observed the Indian startup ecosystem. The state has through various policies and initiatives, time and again been an example for other states to follow. It may not house big startup names or not be as big a hub for startups as Bengaluru or Mumbai, even so, Kerala has done a lot to help its startups and innovators reach prominence in both domestic as well as international markets. Focussing on entrepreneurship right from the grassroots level, Kerala set up KSUM (Kerala Startup Mission) to drive a culture of innovation and problem-solving.

Among KSUM’s many initiatives to help the startups is its efforts to bring Brinc, the Hong Kong-based hardware accelerator, to boost hardware and product-based startups in the country. The first international hardware accelerator in the country, Brinc.io also acts as an education platform, product development studio and distribution platform to help the brightest minds from the country.

Along the same lines, the accelerator has partnered with Maker Village and KSUM, for its Spring 2020 India Hardware & IoT programme. The programme aims to support hardware startups from across sectors such as IoT, robotics, consumer electronics and more. The selected startups, who progress through the programme levels can receive up to $250K in investment and additional support services to develop their DFM (Design for manufacturing) products and bring their businesses to the market.

What Startups Can Get From Brinc

The Indian startup ecosystem is still at a nascent stage when it comes to the growth and understanding of hardware tech startups and Brinc aims to change that for the country.

As part of the programme, each startup will be offered an investment of up to $250K in exchange for 12.25% to 22.42% equity. “The funding amount will be paid via a three-gate payment tranche. As the teams progress through the accelerator programme, more cash will be unlocked to support them, right from the product development to their first sale,” said Dr Mikhail Zenchenkov, head of programme, Brinc India. In addition to the funding, the programme also provides benefits such as mentorship, investor networking, a customised curriculum, technical onsite training and more to help the early-stages businesses set up operations. Other benefits for the startups include:

Mentorship

The in-house experts and mentor network of Brinc will guide the teams through all the essentials of starting a business such as branding, legal, fundraising, manufacturing, marketing, production, sales and more.

Network

As the business begins to scale, startups will be introduced to Brinc’s international network of startups, investors, and partners to support their growth.

Customised Curriculum

The curriculum of the programme caters to each startup’s specific needs. Wherever the operations need support, Brinc will step in to provide technical or management guidance.

Technical Onsite Training

During the one-month on-site training, the programme will give startups access to international experts and take the selected startups through lessons in product development and go-to-market strategy.

Startup Perks Package

Through this package, global partners of Brinc give startups access to proprietary tools and services at a discounted rate.

Weekly 1:1 Office Hours

The Brinc Accelerator team will host open office hours for the startups with the aim of providing continuous support to the business development needs and help them achieve their goals.

Monthly Founder Hour

In this, Brinc’s international portfolio teams will come forward to share their progress, challenges, and future plans with the startups in the programme.

Ongoing Support

Post the completion of the programme, Brinc team will support the startups in business development and growth across all global locations.

Brinc Accelerator: Enabling Hardware Boom In India

With the aim of promoting the budding hardware and IoT startups in the country, Brinc India Hardware & IoT Programme will select some startups with working prototypes and help them write their growth story.

Who Can Apply?

Focussing on startups from India, Brinc has laid down the following criteria for the startups to apply to the programme:

• The startup should have a product that fits within one of the Brinc’s Hardware & IoT investment categories and addresses the clearly defined market needs
• The startup must have a working prototype or show the technical capabilities of being able to produce the product
• The startup should have a minimum market traction
• The startup should have at least two cofounders with relevant industry experience
• The startup should have a scalable, innovative business model with high growth potential
• The startups entering the accelerator programme will need to have at least one member of the team in Kochi for the entire duration

The last date to apply to the programme is February 15, so apply now to be part of the Brinc India Hardware & IoT Programme before all the slots are full.

Note: We at Inc42 take our ethics very seriously. More information about it can be found here.