ELEVATE 2026 , Startup Karnataka Grant-in-Aid Program

• One-time grant up to Rs. 50 lakh
• Equity-free / non-dilutive
• Open to any Karnataka-registered startup
• Mentorship + subsidized incubation at govt-backed incubators
• Milestone-based disbursement in two tranches

About this scheme

ELEVATE 2026 is the open call of the Government of Karnataka's flagship grant-in-aid scheme for early-stage startups, run by the Karnataka Innovation and Technology Society (KITS) under the Department of Electronics, IT, BT & S&T. It offers a one-time grant of up to Rs. 50 lakh to help founders turn an idea into a working proof-of-concept and validate it in the market.

This is the general call: any startup registered in Karnataka can apply, based anywhere in the state. The Department also runs three sibling calls for specific founder categories, ELEVATE Aspire for startups registered beyond Bengaluru Urban, ELEVATE Unnati for SC/ST-owned startups, and ELEVATE Shakti for women-led startups. A startup may apply to more than one call, but a single pitch is evaluated across all applied calls and the cumulative grant is capped at Rs. 50 lakh.

Funding is released in two equal tranches against milestones. The first tranche follows the signing of a tripartite agreement between KITS, the assigned K-Tech innovation partner and the startup; the second is released after the first milestone is reviewed and approved. Beyond the money, selected startups are mapped to government-backed incubators, accelerators, Centres of Excellence and innovation hubs (K-Tech Innovation Partners) for mentoring and incubation support at subsidized rates.

The call suits early-stage Karnataka founders who need non-dilutive capital to build and prove a product. Selection is competitive and merit-based, run through pitch evaluation and multi-city pitching rounds.

Who can apply

• Startup registered in Karnataka, based anywhere in the state
• Incorporated as a Private Limited Company, One Person Company, Registered Partnership Firm, LLP, or State/Multi-State Co-operative Society
• Within 10 years of the date of incorporation at the time of application
• Annual turnover not exceeding Rs. 200 crore in any financial year since incorporation
• Independent entity , not a subsidiary, spin-off or internal division of an existing company
• Minimum team size of two individuals
• Not a beneficiary of the ELEVATE Grant-in-Aid scheme in the last 3 years
• Working on innovation or improvement of products, services or processes with potential to create jobs, wealth or market opportunities

Eligible entity types: Private Limited, LLP, Partnership, Section 8 / NGO

Benefits & funding

• Selected startups are mapped to government-supported incubators, accelerators, Centres of Excellence and innovation hubs (K-Tech Innovation Partners) for mentoring and incubation support at subsidized rates.
• These partners handhold the startup, track milestone progress and recommend tranche releases, with milestone validation coordinated by KITS and the Department of Electronics, IT & BT.

How the application process works

The journey below is informational, compiled from the official program guidelines. Applications are submitted directly with Startup Karnataka, in your own name.

1. 1

   Applications are scored out of 100 across five parameters: Novelty/Innovation (30), Strength of Business Model (30), Potential Socio-economic Impact (20), Team Strength (10) and Budgetary Allocation (10).

2. 2

   Each parameter is scored independently by the jury panel, whose composition changes by round based on domain expertise.

3. 3

   A minimum of 60 marks in the Multi-City Pitching round is required to reach the Grand Finale.

4. 4

   Cumulative scores determine the final ranking and the tiered grant allocation.

Documents checklist 6

• Pitch Deck
• CA Revenue Certificate
• Incorporation Certificate
• Memorandum of Association (MOA)
• Partnership Deed Certificate
• Non-Beneficiary Affidavit

Need help getting these in order? IncorpX provides assistance for incorporation, DPIIT recognition, MSME and GST registrations along with document preparation.

Frequently asked questions