IIIT-H incubator to focus on deeper technologies

Hyderabad: The IIIT-H incubator on Monday announced the shift in its focus from being a business incubator to deeper technologies gearing up to work in the areas of deep learning and AR/VR products and solutions. This shift will help foster startups developing products which are technologically superior to the competition by building the right partnerships and through strong engagement with various domain experts.

Tom Thomas, Chief Operating Officer, IIIT-H Foundation (CIE) said, “Today it is possible for machines to see, hear and understand like human beings do, because of the recent evolution in technology especially in the field of machine learning. Our mission is to help startups leverage these deep learning technologies and build products which will help create a better tomorrow.”

The startups working on core technology products would need a longer gestation period and stronger hand holding. An effective collaboration between the different entities in the ecosystem is essential to create this conducive environment.

While T-Hub, the Telangana govt. initiative can provide a platform for these visionary startups to find business mentors and investors, IIIT Hyderabad can help startups get access to technology and talent. In its effort to tie all these pieces together, the IIIT-H Foundation is identifying partners who can help startups through various requirements of their journey.

Co-creation consulting, a high-impact business consulting service in the domain of innovation and strategy, is one of the first partners to come on board and work towards the incubator’s vision by working closely with startups to fast-track their customer development cycle. The immediate focus is to build more such partnerships with various industry experts.

The IIIT-H Foundation will have two programmes which will cater to both the early stage and the growth stage startups. Launch pad, a co-working space, will house the early stage tech startups building their MVP’s and/or gearing up to release their products into the market. The application process for this programme will start in the first week of February.

The first batch of deep tech startups will start working from the incubator in March. For these startups, the identification of their first set of customers and/or securing investments from angels or VC firms would act as a credible validation of their product strategies. The Tech Propeller programme will cater to the growth stage startups.