User:കാവിന്പുറം/sandbox/Kerala Startup Mission

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) formerly known as ‘Technopark Technology Business Incubator’, is the India's first and Most successful Non Academic Business Incubator, hosted and housed inside the Asia Largest IT Park Technopark. Technopark Technology Business Incubator (T-TBI), a joint association of Technopark, Thiruvananthapuram and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India, to help the technology business start-ups, started operation during 2007. KSUM is the pioneer champion among incubators which functions with a vision to support and nurture the startups in the state of Kerala. It also is the first non-academic business incubator. The Technopark TBI spreads over 20,000 sq ft is situated in the lush green and world class IT infrastructure, The Technopark, the biggest in the continent. Since launching in 2006, KSUM have incubated more than 200+ of India's most promising startups.

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) have been actively initiating various programmes for developing the student entrepreneurship in the state. Government of Kerala declared the start up policy with an aim to accelerate the growth of student entrepreneurs. KSUM being the nodal agency for implementing the Startup policy have come up with various schemes for the effective implementation of the policy. The schemes covers a broad area from schools, colleges and to young entrepreneurs.

Objectives of Kerala Startup Mission

 * Identify entrepreneurial talents among youths and students to promote an entrepreneurial culture in Kerala.
 * Introduce entrepreneurial skills to the students of Technical Institutions.
 * Address the technology based entrepreneurship development requirements in the traditional sectors of Kerala.
 * Build appropriate training programmes suitable for Kerala‟s socio-economic culture.
 * Identify market niche for technology products and services to be addressed by entrepreneurs.
 * Interfacing and networking among academic, R&D institutions, industries and financial institutions
 * Undertake Research & Development activities and build a workable model of technology based Entrepreneurship in Kerala
 * Establishing a platform for speedy commercialization of the technologies developed in the institutes to reach the end-users.
 * Create successful ventures

Incubation program
Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is designed to provide a springboard to budding entrepreneurs who wish to launch themselves into the world of technology based business careers. Entrepreneurs’ bright ideas to develop a product or service using advanced technology solutions can find a fertile ground in Kerala Startup Mission. KSUM is designed to provide entrepreneurs all the support to make technology based business ventures successful. The highly innovative and productive environment of KSUM provides entrepreneurs the right ambiance to build up technology ventures at international standards. KSUM is restricted to high tech startups with technology products and innovations with in a limited time frame that literraly makes the entrepreneur to seriously work on his product idea and boost him to come up with a ‘Market viable prototype.

The incubations stages comprised of; Pre-incubation Stage
 * Pre-incubation Stage (3-6 months)
 * Incubation Stage (6-12 months)
 * Accelerator Stage (3-6 months)

Preincubation stage mainly focuses on ideation stage, where technologist having a potential innovative idea can be provided with a co-working space. During this period, the entrepreneur takes up the role of a ‘techno-evangelist’ who develops the idea to into a proof of concept and prepares him for understanding the technical feasibility of the idea proposed. Sometimes, a number of potential innovations or startup teams may come out of this co-working eco sytem. KSUM will be supporting the startups by mentoring or by creating right platform for networking. Once a marketable technology/product idea evolved, a company can be formed and KSUM can look at for Incubation Stage. KSUM shall assist the innovator in getting grants from DST/DSIR for the ventures.

Incubation Stage

Incubation stage will be 6-12 months where startup companies graft product development and prepare themselves for marketing. During this stage, the entrepreneur takes up the role of a ‘Technopreneur’, who brings all his efforts (such as technology, team, seed money) to build a market viable prototype (MVP’s). KSUM at this stage will allot them specific seats/modules along with funds or grants as applicable under department scheme and right mentorship. KSUM can also offer a wide array of value added services like entrepreneur trainings and workshops, skill development programmes, leadership programmes, R&D facilities, International tie ups etc to speed up the incubation cycle. The incubation stage enables the entrepreneur to be ready with an ‘innovative technology’ in the form of marketable product that can primarily drive the market, and which is easy to pitch before an investor/VC in future.

Accelerator stage

Accelerator stage will be of 3-6 months, and this will be a business tools box and a holistic business advisory service, resembling the traditional management consulting or mentoring, but adjusted to fit for the startups. The focus of accelerator stage shall be on rapid growth and to sort out all organizational, operational, financial and strategic difficulties that may be facing the business under KSUM guidance through a highly systematic approach. The startup shall be presented to VC’s and investors (Strategic & Financial).

KSUM - EY Accelerator
Kerala startup Mission in association with Ernst and Young have started a Business & Technology Accelerator to provide for fully equipped and functional office space of 1500 sq.ft at the Drishya Building, KINFRA Film & Video Park, Thiruvananthapuram.

The objective of the accelerator program is to offer technology and business thought leadership and mentorship support that can aid in the development of the selected start-ups incubated in the state of Kerala through a 6 month acceleration ( extendable by 6 more months) program to facilitate business sophistication and skill enhancement of the selected entrepreneurs. The program would encompass mentorship support in all areas of business and technology including Business strategy, Finance, HR, investment proposals, emerging technology trends, market research etc.

The accelerator program will also support entrepreneurs to network with industry captains, angels, venture capitalists etc.

FAB Labs
With the support of Government of Kerala, KSUM has started two MIT USA Electronics Fabrication labs each at Technopark, Trivandrum and Kerala Technology Innovation Zone (KTIZ), Kochi. The fablab in Technopark, Trivandrum is established inside the Indian Institute of Technology and Management- Kerala (IIITM-K). A Fabrication Laboratory (FabLab) is a technical prototyping platform for innovation and invention which aims at providing stimulus for local entrepreneurship and serves as a platform for learning and innovation. It is a small scale workshop offering digital fabrication which empowers the users to create smart devices for themselves which can be tailored to local or personal needs. The FabLab also becomes a medium for connecting to a global community of learners, educators, technologists, researchers and innovators – essentially becoming a self-sustaining global knowledge sharing network. The FABLAB programme involves setting up state-of-the-art Fabrication laboratories in the state to encourage startups in printed electronics and other such fields. KSM has associated with Centre for Bits and Atoms, MIT Fab Lab Foundation, USA for this. The fablabs being established in Trivandrum and Ernakulam are identical and mainly comprises of the following inventories.

Learn To Code (Raspberry Pi Program)
Learn to Code (Raspberry Pi Distribution) Government of Kerala took the lead and launched the initiative called “Learn to Code”. During the phase 1 of Raspberry Pi Distribution Programme 2500 Raspberry Pi Kits were distributed to 8th STD students.The project’s aim is to add 40,000 talented youngsters from schools to the vibrant maker community being developed through community participation programmes initiated by the Kerala Startup Mission. The students were given hands on training and have encouraged to experiment with the Pi, focused coding sessions were arranged during the month of May. Subsequently Kerala Startup Mission along with IT@School has conducted the Kerala Raspberry Pi Competition for the students who received the Raspberry Pi Kit.

Startup Box
The Kerala government has introduced a scheme 'Start-Up Box program' with the Kerala Start-Up Mission (KSUM) for aspiring entrepreneurs in the state. Government of Kerala has taken pioneering effort to bring about a culture of entrepreneurship and innovation amongst its youth.

Start-up Box is designed to distribute startup kits to various technology and industry verticals. The Start-Up Box Program will motive startup entrepreneurs to attempt new and innovative products by creating varied applications in different platforms.

Government of Kerala aims to use the STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE to empower college students to jump into the entrepreneurial bandwagon. It is very clear that employment and growth opportunities in the next fifty years of the world are going to be based on Technology. STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE is a novel way to simplify the path for up to 50 talented teams (teams of 3-6 college students) into technical entrepreneurship. Yearly the STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE will provide up to 50 teams comprising of college students selected through Bootcamp, the Startup Kerala Tool Box. The college students in the selected teams are expected to be the brightest of the bright in Kerala. As technology continues to evolve, it brings with it new opportunities and challenges for educators and students. STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE aims to address the lack of courage, initiative and encouragement to attempt new and innovative ventures. The STARTUP BOX INITIATIVE aims to debunk the myth of difficult processes that lead to a successful startup.