IIT Kharagpur Launches Startup Accelerator with z21 Venture

Kolkata, Nov 22 (PTI) IIT-Kharagpur signed an agreement with venture capital firm z21 Venture on Friday to launch a startup accelerator programme for final-year students.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Rajendra Mishra School of Engineering Entrepreneurship of IIT Kharagpur and the VC firm, a statement said.

"Designed to harness the talent at IIT-Kharagpur and transform ideas into market-ready ventures, the accelerator will offer participants access to mentorship, funding and top-tier resources," it said.

"With a focus on building technical solutions to tackle global challenges, this programme aims to blend IIT-Kharagpur's cutting-edge research with z21 Ventures' proven investment expertise, empowering student entrepreneurs to create world-changing impact," it added.

The accelerator will have up to 10 teams in its inaugural cohort, equipping them with year-round mentorship, strategic guidance and seed funding to bring their concepts to life, the statement said.

Additionally, IIT-Kharagpur will offer crucial infrastructure support, ensuring that the journey from ideation to implementation continues seamlessly, it said.

The accelerator programme would be open to BTech, MTech and PhD students in their final year.

IIT-Kharagpur Director VK Tewari said, "This collaboration aims to provide aspiring entrepreneurs with mentorship, resources, financial support and professional networks which is necessary to transform their ideas.