Nurturing early-stage ventures into market leaders through mentorship, incubation, and investor networking.
An event that caters to the budding startups of our country, UpStart – The Indian Business Model Competition stands apart from conventional competitions. We strive to give our participants more than just prize money.
Startups go through multiple rounds of rigorous screening, structured brainstorming sessions at different levels, and 1-on-1 face-to-face mentorship with seasoned industry leaders.
Finalists get to hone their business models alongside a dedicated panel of VCs and domain experts, accelerating their venture growth on a national stage.
We are expanding to Seoul, South Korea on 10th September, hosting a dedicated international edition of UpStart to bridge early-stage innovators with Korea's world-class tech hubs, angel networks, and institutional venture partners.
Glimpses of last year...
Venue: Outreach Centre SIIC
Venue: We Works
Venue: We Works
Venue: t-works
1 month long one on one mentorship from industry professionals (finale participants only)
Incubation opportunity to your nearest incubation center which are our incubation partner for UpStart'26.
On the spot funding opportunities from top Venture Capital Firms (details about the VC Panel can be found below) , Networking opportunities with dignitaries at E-Summit'26
Startup Founders Linkedin Branding [ Profile optimisation for Top 3 Winners ] Worth 20,000 each, Business Growth Strategies Consulting to Top 3 Winners, Chance to get Selected for Our Accelerator Program worth Rs.2.5 Lakhs.
Legal Services Worth 10 thousand free to winners and 15% discount to all the finalist startups
Free idea subscription to all the zonelist. 16000 worth of free credits to all the finalists valid for six month
Free Swipe Pro Plan (₹2,799) for all participants and Biz Plan (₹50,000) for Top finalists, equipping founders with premium invoicing, payments & growth tools. Integrations with Tally, Shopify & Shiprocket included.
12 months of expert legal support for all Finalists and 6 Months for all Zonalist Startups
Hear from startup founders who pitched at UpStart and unlocked incubation, funding, and national recognition.
“We are thankful and delighted to be a part of UpStart. Coordination and support from E-Cell IIT Kanpur is required for every startup to up start their growth in the global market. The preliminary pitch events had eminent mentors and evaluators who helped refine our vision.”
“The E-Cell IITK team did a great job with the UpStart Competition. Thank you and the whole team for making this one of the most memorable events, giving us the exposure and stage to display our business model to top investors.”
“We at Treacle Tech participated in the UpStart event organized by E-Cell IIT Kanpur in collaboration with C3iHub. The event was exceptionally managed, and the discussions with various investors amplified our pitching capabilities and investor networking.”
In official collaboration with C3i Hub, IIT Kanpur
ON SPOT FUNDING
STARTUPS PARTICIPATED
TOP VC PANEL
Eminent government advisors, corporate CTOs, and international venture leaders who graced UpStart.
Principal Scientific Advisor
DST Secretary
Group CTO of TCS
Judge, UpStart Nationals
SERB Secretary
Judge, UpStart Korea
Former DST Secretary
Judge, UpStart Nationals
Mission Director DST
Every entry in UpStart is rigorously evaluated by VC panels based on these core parameters:
UpStart is a competition meant only for early stage startups. We have set the following criteria for entry into the Final Round:
The Startup must have been incorporated at least, if not registered for official business operations.
The Startup's date of incorporation should be on or after 1st January 2013.
Startup entries must be the original work of participants i.e. team members competing must be the principal owners of the venture.
Backed by a powerful network of media platforms, incubation centers, and venture partners.
Please read the official rules and submission guidelines governing participation in UpStart 2026:
The passionate team at Entrepreneurship Cell, IIT Kanpur orchestrating UpStart 2026.
