Up to ₹50 Lakhs Seed Funding to Transform Prototypes into Scalable Ventures

The NIDHI Seed Support Program (SSP) is a flagship initiative of the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, providing early-stage financial assistance to technology-driven startups to transition from laboratory prototypes to commercially viable products. Implemented at ACIC-VGU Foundation (Atal Community Innovation Centre at Vivekananda Global University, Jaipur), this program offers structured seed capital up to ₹50 lakhs to promising startups through equity or equity-linked instruments.

What This Program Offers

Milestone-Based Funding Structure:

• Up to ₹50 lakhs in seed capital per startup

• Funding through equity or equity-linked instruments (CCPS – Compulsorily Convertible Preference Shares)

• Minority equity stake taken by ACIC VGU Foundation incubator​

• Disbursed in tranches aligned with startup development milestones​

• Moratorium period up to 12 months (in case of loan-based structures)​

Strategic Support Beyond Capital

Comprehensive Incubation Ecosystem:

• Domain-specific mentorship from industry experts and academic leaders​

• Investor connect programs and pitch preparation support​

• Go-to-market (GTM) strategy development and commercialization guidance

• Access to 6 cutting-edge prototyping labs including Hydroponics Facility, Hi-Tech Nursery, and specialized tech labs

• Co-working spaces and dedicated infrastructure at VGU Campus

• Networking opportunities through 60+ ecosystem partnerships and 200+ events annually​

Purpose & Impact

The program addresses the critical “Valley of Death” gap that technology startups face between proof-of-concept validation and market commercialization. By combining capital with structured incubation, NIDHI-SSP enables startups to:

• Refine working prototypes into market-ready MVPs​

• Validate customer demand and achieve early traction​

• Build sustainable business models with revenue potential​

• Position for follow-on funding from VCs and angel investors​

ACIC-VGU Foundation Track Record:

• 140+ startups incubated across deep-tech, agritech, sustainability sectors​

• 15,000+ aspiring entrepreneurs impacted through bootcamps and programs​

• ₹7.31+ crore raised in startup funding facilitated​

• 50+ mentors onboarded from industry and academia​

• Multiple government schemes managed: DST NIDHI-SSP (₹4 Cr sanctioned), MeitY GENESIS (₹10 Cr), Startup India Seed Fund (₹2 Cr), HDFC Parivartan (₹35 Lakhs)​

Focus Innovation Domains

Startups building cutting-edge solutions in:

• Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning

• Robotics & Automation

• BioTech & HealthTech

• AgriTech & Climate Tech

• IoT & Sensor Technologies

• Space Tech & Aerospace

• Clean Energy & Sustainability

• AR/VR & Immersive Tech​

• Defense Tech & Quantum Computing