Cohort 1 · Applications Open · Sep 2026 Start
Where deep
science becomes
a venture.
A 12-month Program for founders at TRL 2–3. IP, regulatory clarity, and investor-readiness — built with you, not handed to you.
If your IP requires a lab to exist, Genesis was built for you.
₹30LPer Startup
2–3%Equity
4–5Selected
12 moProgram
The Program
Twelve months.
Four outcomes.
Genesis is not a workshop or a mentorship network. It is a structured translation engine — taking deep science at TRL 2–3 and building it into something a regulator, investor, and customer can each understand and act on.
IKP's in-house team works directly alongside each startup across IP, regulatory pathways, grant strategy, and investor positioning. You bring the science. We bring the translation infrastructure.
IP — What to protect and how
Prior art search, filing strategy, and landscape mapping — defined and actioned during the Program.
Investment & Manufacturing Readiness
What a deep tech investor needs to see — and what a manufacturer needs to hear.
Regulatory Pathway Clarity
CDSCO, ICMR, or global route — the pathway identified and made clear so you know exactly what lies ahead.
Refined Pitch Deck
Reviewed and shaped with IKP's investment team — a deck that clearly communicates the science and the opportunity.
How It Works
From application
to Program start.
01
Step 01
Open Call for Applications
20 Jun – 31 Jul 2026
Submit via the IKP Athena Portal. No business plan required — the science and your team are what matter. A 6–7 slide deck is part of the form.
02
Step 02
Online Review
1 – 15 Aug 2026
IKP's internal team reviews all applications for scientific novelty, TRL fit, IP potential, and team quality. A shortlist is drawn.
03
Step 03
Multiple Rounds of Evaluation
10 – 31 Aug 2026
Shortlisted founders go through scientific deep dives, IP and regulatory assessment, and team interviews.
04
Step 04
Selection & Onboarding
Sep 2026 onwards
4–5 startups selected. Agreements signed. First tranche released. Program begins. Closes September 2027.
Who can apply?
Check all boxes before submitting your application.
✓ Pvt Ltd under Companies Act 2013
✓ 51%+ Indian citizen shareholding
✓ TRL 2 or TRL 3
✓ Science-first — lab-dependent IP
✗ OPCs not eligible
✗ LLPs not eligible
The Investment
Equity-linked.
Milestone-released.
₹30L
Total Funding Per Startup
Program Start — Sep 202670%
Gated Release — Second Tranche25%
Program Close — Sep 20275%
2–3%
Equity Participation
Held as Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares (CCPS). Signed before onboarding in September 2026. IKP is a stakeholder in your success — not a bystander providing advice.
4–5
Startups, Cohort 1
A small cohort by design — so IKP can work directly and deeply with each team. External fundraising during the Program is actively encouraged. IKP's position is locked at signing.
The Team
Who you work with.
Practitioners who have built, funded, and translated deep science — working alongside you for all 12 months.
Core Team
Apoorva Bhatnagar
Program Lead, Genesis
Leading design and execution of Genesis Cohort 1 from application to close.
Aaqib Jameel
Chief Manager, Investments & Incubation
Investment decisions, portfolio management, and Program architecture across IKP's deep science portfolio.
Riya Sarkar
Manager, Strategy — CEO's Office
Works at the intersection of strategy and execution, supporting Program governance and leadership priorities.
Vishaka Sawan
Program Associate
Works closely with the Program Lead on day-to-day delivery, founder engagement, and Cohort 1 operations.
Subject matter experts
Dr. Satya Prakash Dash
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Sridhar Ramanathan
Sr VP & CEO, IKP EDEN
Dr. Viswanadham Duppatla
VP, Partnerships, IKP
Prashant Gaur
Vice President - Biomanufacturing & Scale-Up
Karthik Venkataraman
AVP - MedTech Regulation and Quality
Dr. Priyankana Mukherjee
Assistant Vice President
Sudhakar Sahu
VP- Finance & Accounts
Shreyas Kudva
Senior Manager Manufacturing Services
Dr. B.Sudha Kalyani
Sr Manager & Head, Life Science Incubator
FAQs
Everything a founder
needs to know.
Genesis is a 12-month Program to support early-stage startups doing deep science. It is for startups at TRL 2 to TRL 3, working on cutting-edge, breakthrough science. The aim is simple: support and encourage deep science in India and take it to the next stage on the path of commercialisation.
IKP Knowledge Park — a not-for-profit institution in Hyderabad with over 20 years of deep science infrastructure, a 130+ startup portfolio, and active investment and incubation Programs across Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
No. Genesis provides funding of up to ₹30 lakhs in exchange for equity (2–3%). IKP becomes a shareholder and stakeholder in your success.
Startups get clarity on four areas: what IP to protect and how, investment and manufacturing readiness, regulatory pathway clarity, and a refined pitch deck. IKP works directly and hands-on with each team — not through workshops or advisors at arm's length.
Applications open June and close July 2026. Selection and due diligence run July–August. Onboarding and first tranche (70%) in September 2026. The Program closes with the final tranche in September 2027.
Up to ₹30 lakhs per startup. IKP will select 4 to 5 startups for Cohort 1.
The startup must be registered under the Companies Act, 2013 in India as a Private Limited company. OPCs and LLPs are not eligible.
Yes. At least 51% of the shareholding must be held by Indian citizens, individually or cumulatively.
No. OPCs and LLPs are not eligible for Genesis.
TRL 2 or TRL 3 (preferably). TRL 1 — no data yet — is too early. TRL 4 and above, you are past the stage where Genesis adds the most value.
Breakthrough technologies are radically new, science-driven solutions pursuing a transformative long-term vision for tackling major economic and societal challenges. They emerge from high-risk, high-gain research that turns novel scientific advances into the foundations of a future, game-changing technology.
Biotherapeutics (de novo proteins, saRNA), Industrial Biotech (de novo, synbio), Healthtech and AI (BioLLMs, Digital Twin, flexible electronics), and Diagnostics (digital biomarkers, cell-free biosensors).
Through the IKP Athena Portal at app.athena.page/Genesis.
Eligibility details, your founding team, your science, your IP and regulatory position, the support you need most, and a short deck (6–7 slides) covering your science, evidence, team, prospective competition, 5-year projection, and what you need. No formal business plan required.
Innovation should speak for itself. The science, along with business sense, is what matters most. Let the innovation speak — don't bury it in market size slides.
Write to genesis@ikpknowledgepark.com. We will have a direct conversation.
Have a question?
If you are unsure whether Genesis is the right fit, write to us directly.
Applications Open
The science exists.
Now build the venture.
4–5 spots. 12 months. Up to ₹30 lakhs. If your breakthrough science needs a translation engine — not another workshop — this is the Program.
Applications Open
20 Jun 2026
Deadline
31 Jul 2026
Program Start
Sep 2026
Program Close
Sep 2027