Current Programs
Across our focus sectors, we build programs to incubate social enterprises that lie at the intersection of unique innovation, potential for high impact and the ability for sustainable scale.
Across our focus sectors, we build programs to incubate social enterprises that lie at the intersection of unique innovation, potential for high impact and the ability for sustainable scale.
FPA India has launched the IPPF YSVF Innovation Challenge, with technical support from Villgro. This program is a global pilot of 'Youth Social Venture Fund', a business initiative of the International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) to discover and mentor startups and youth innovators developing tech-driven innovations (hardware or software-based) that address youth sexual and reproductive health issues.
The identified problem areas within Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights include the following:
The global challenge will provide a cohort of 10 selected innovators with month-long immersion support and access to experts, learning labs focused on maternal health and contraception-related issues.
The top 3 shortlisted innovators will receive the following benefits:
22 October - 22 November 2021
10 December - 10 January 2022
17 January - 21 January 2022
22 February - 22 November 2022
Villgro has partnered with GIZ to scout and support 10 startups creating innovations in agriculture and healthcare that address challenges arising out of COVID-19 pandemic.
The startups will be supported through a 10-week acceleration program by Villgro primarily aimed at:
15 October - 30 October
1 November - 15 December
16 December - 23 December
24 December
In case you have any queries, write to Mohammad Azhar, Lead – Government Initiatives at mohammad@villgro.org
Sectors: Agriculture, Healthcare, Climate Action
Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (SISFS) aims to provide financial assistance to startups for proof of concept, prototype development, product trials, market entry and commercialization. The Seed Fund will be disbursed to eligible startups through eligible incubators such as Villgro.
In case you have any queries, write to Mohammad Azhar, Lead – Government Initiatives at mohammad@villgro.org
Sectors: Agriculture, Healthcare, Energy & Cleantech
Invention Based Enterprises create lasting solutions that have the potential to address challenges at different scales. Because these enterprises are developing unique, physical products, they often require a longer time to market. They require specific expertise in prototyping, manufacturing and go-to-market strategies. Villgro works to help scale such businesses and strengthen support systems that allow them to thrive.
Villgro builds a nurturing environment for IBEs via high touch portfolio management, access to subject experts as mentors and technical assistance that builds long term value in – Product Design, Validation & Testing and Go-to-market Partnerships
We are building an open source business guide for invention based enterprises to help them grow from an idea into a sustainable business.
To know more or partner with us, write to us at info@villgro.org
Sectors: Cleantech
Powering Livelihoods, a CEEW-Villgro initiative launched in 2020, aims to boost India’s rural economy by scaling up the penetration of clean energy-powered appliances for livelihoods. Over three years, the initiative will support at least six enterprises to sustainably deploy at large scale. Villgro will also use the experience and evidence generated to add back and catalyse the sector. The initiative will also help these companies execute business strategies that are gender equitable and drive for a greater participation of women in the workforce.
Powering Livelihoods will meet the unique needs of each selected enterprise through dedicated financial, technical, and sectoral growth support. The program aims to achieve its objectives through the following key streams of activity:
Our incubation efforts will be tailored for each company to ensure technical effectiveness, business growth and financial viability.
Access to technical assistance worth upto USD 100,000 to bridge enterprise specific need gaps, and delivered through strategic technology partners.
Funding of up to USD 250,000 for each enterprise to help in scaling up and commercialising their technologies.
Funding for studies and research to generate evidence that can unlock additional support for similar enterprises. The program intends to build case studies and showcase business success to leverage greater interest and support for the sector.
Read more at www.poweringlivelihoods.org
Sectors: Agriculture / Water
India’s water challenges are widespread and complex; and agriculture has a significant role to play in ensuring our water security. The program moves beyond farm level and local community-led institutions to identify innovative solutions that can scale sustainably.
Villgro will discover and build a cohort of ten innovative enterprises that are working on
The program also seeks to make social entrepreneurship more gender equitable by reserving funding and incubation support for women led enterprises and for those companies whose end beneficiaries are predominantly women.
Our incubation efforts will include active facilitation of partnerships between social enterprises, grassroots organisations and public institutions.
Access to mentors and technical assistance to bridge enterprise specific need gaps, and delivered through strategic business and technology partners.
Seed funding that is adaptable to each enterprise depending on their ability and demonstration of scale up and commercialisation.
Funding for studies and research to generate evidence that can unlock additional support for enterprises and foster partnerships. The program intends to highlight new ways to build partnerships and collaboration in a nascent entrepreneurial sector.
Sectors: Healthcare
BioNest is an initiative by BIRAC to foster the biotech innovation ecosystem in India. Villgro, in association with the Mazumdar Shaw Medical Foundation (MSMF) and Narayana Health (NH) has been selected to support and strengthen innovations in low-cost medical care.
MSMF-NH will support these enterprises with access to physical infrastructure including the use of high end equipment and testing facilities; apart from clinical expertise from the Narayana Health hospital and access to the network of industry experts from the Mazumdar Shaw Medical Foundation.
Read more at www.tbi.ms-mf.org
Sectors: Energy & Cleantech
The BIRAC Social Innovation Immersion Program will support a cohort of innovators to understand and discover problems in India and mentor them to create viable products and services to solve them. These “Social Innovators” are focused on the themes of Waste to Value and Combating Environmental Pollution. Villgro will help individual innovators identify needs & gaps within communities, help gain valuable market insights and enable them to convert these insights into a feasible solution.
In the first cycle which lasts 18 months, a group of 5 Social Innovators have been identified to work on the waste to value theme, which will be followed by the second cycle of 18 months where another 5 Fellows will work on “Combating environmental pollution”. The first 6 months will be focussed on immersion where they will understand the waste ecosystem in India by interacting with various stakeholders and perusing secondary research and followed by a 12 months product development phase where they will be supported in designing scalable products and services that can create value out of the waste.
The SIIP offers Social Innovators the opportunity to work uninterrupted and in a mission mode to find a solution to their chosen problem statement. This will involve,
Villgro has worked with corporates, public institutions and the Govt. of India to run go-to-market and commercialisation accelerator programs
Agri-tech and cleantech startup-corporate innovation partnerships accelerator
Agribusiness scale up accelerator for the Ministry of Agriculture, Govt. of India and Invest India
Sectors: Healthcare
UBS-Optimus Foundation & Villgro have partnered to launch an accelerator program in the healthcare sector to drive better outcomes among underserved communities in India. The program intends to support market ready, revenue stage, for-profit social enterprises and provide them with access to corporate partnerships; strong business advisory and a 100 day acceleration plan with a view to develop the healthcare ecosystem.
Scalable models that increase access to & quality of health services across the continuum of care – from community, to clinics, to hospitals & thus improve quality of healthcare systems through three entry points:
Sectors: Healthcare
Villgro and The Family Planning Association of India (FPAI) partnered to launch an innovation challenge to discover innovative technical solutions in the Sexual, Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) space. The “Innovation Challenge” will identify startups or individuals with innovative solutions across five problem areas in the SRHR space and provide a cohort of 15 selected innovators with a month long immersion support. The best solutions will receive a cash award of upto INR 3.5 lakhs and get the opportunity to showcase their solutions to a global audience.
Apart from dedicated mentorship from healthcare professionals & youth volunteers of FPAI, shortlisted innovators were connected with relevant incubators and received rapid prototyping support for building a pilot Proof of Concept (POC).
Sectors: Agriculture, Healthcare, Energy & Cleantech, Education, Livelihoods
The Innovative Ventures and Technologies for Development (INVENT) program was conceived in 2016 by Technology Development Board (TDB), and the Government of India in partnership with the Department for International Development (DFID), UK.
Villgro played the role of the Lead Incubator and supported four incubators with the goal of incubating hundreds of innovative social enterprises in 8 low-income States (LIS) – Bihar, Chattisgarh, Jharkhand, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh & West Bengal; thereby catalyzing social entrepreneurship in underdeveloped markets.
In three years, INVENT has incubated 161 startups. 72 startups have gone on to raise follow on funding of INR 1407 million. Follow on funding partners include both government and non-government bodies like Intellecap, Omnivore, IAN Fund, AgFunder, Zomato, Social Alpha (TATA Trust), Info Edge, Ankur Capital, Gray Matters Capital, Yes Bank, HDFC, Vijaya, SBI, Angel Investors etc.
The INVENT Program offers Social Enterprises:
Focus StatesUttar Pradesh | Chhattisgarh
Apply at https://www.iitk.ac.in/invent/
Focus StatesWest Bengal | Bihar
Apply at www.iimcip.org/invent
Focus StatesRajasthan | Madhya Pradesh
Apply at www.startupoasis.in/invent.php
Focus StatesOdisha, Jharkhand
Apply at www.kiitincubator.in
