ISB I-WIN Accelerator for Women-Led Startups (Cohort 5)

• Fully virtual, 4-month accelerator for women-led startups
• 1:1 mentorship + expert-led sessions + closed peer cohort + Demo Day
• Sector-agnostic , SaaS, HealthTech, AgriTech, consumer, enterprise and more
• Investor connect at Demo Day; structured gap analysis at intake
• Program fee Rs. 25,000 + GST; 2% success fee on investments sourced via I-WIN (no equity)

About this scheme

I-WIN (Women in Innovation) is ISB I-Venture's flagship accelerator built for women founders who are past the idea stage and working through the real complexity of scaling. Cohort 5 is now open for applications.

The program runs for four months, fully virtually, and is built around the specific gaps in each founder's business , not a fixed curriculum. Every selected startup begins with a structured gap analysis to identify the actual growth bottleneck, whether that's GTM, fundraising readiness, revenue quality, or team structure. The program then delivers targeted support across those specific areas.

Founders get access to expert-led live sessions on growth strategy, unit economics, org structuring, and compliance; 1:1 mentorship sessions with industry veterans and seasoned founders; brand and performance marketing labs; structured market access pathways; and investment readiness preparation including pitch clinics and a curated Demo Day for investor conversations. The peer cohort is kept deliberately small for high-signal interactions, and selected founders also gain access to ISB I-Venture's broader alumni network.

I-WIN is designed for founders who already have paying customers and are stuck on specific problems , inconsistent growth, fundraising preparation, or distribution. The program is sector-agnostic and open to startups at pre-seed through pre-Series A.

Who can apply

• Woman founder or co-founder with at least 25% equity stake and an active decision-making role
• Startup must have a live product with early traction , revenue, users, pilots, or partnerships
• Operating at pre-seed to pre-Series A stage and actively looking to scale
• Open to all sectors: D2C, HealthTech, SaaS, Agritech, Climate, AI, and more
• Fully virtual program , open to founders across India

Eligible entity types: Private Limited, LLP

Benefits & funding

• ISB I-WIN does not provide a direct grant.
• The accelerator's value is in the structured 4-month curriculum (gap analysis, 1:1 mentorship, expert-led live sessions, a closed peer cohort across sectors) and the Demo Day investor connect at the end.
• A 2% success fee applies on investments sourced through I-WIN's network , no equity is taken by I-WIN itself.

How the application process works

The journey below is informational, compiled from the official program guidelines. Applications are submitted directly with ISB I-Venture, in your own name.

1. 1

   Online applications at i-venture.org/iwin are initially screened and evaluated by the ISB I-Venture team from May to June 2026.

2. 2

   Shortlisted founders are interviewed and assessed for fit, traction, and scaling readiness before final selection.

3. 3

   Selected women-led startups join the structured 4-month accelerator cohort; a 2% success fee applies on investments sourced through I-WIN's network.

Documents checklist 4

• Pitch Deck
• Woman Founder / Co-founder Profile
• Certificate of Incorporation (at least 1 year old)
• Traction / Proof-of-Concept Summary

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

Frequently asked questions