Start your BIG journey with us!
Call 24 now closed. Stay tuned for next call.
The call for proposal is announced twice a year, i.e. on 1st January and 1st July. Call for proposals typically remains open for about 45 days.
Sign up for Mentoring
Venture Center provides mentoring to the applicant through out BIG application process.
- Meeting in person or over phone to understand applicant’s idea that he/she plans to submit under BIG scheme.
- Discussion of BIG scheme guideline document that includes scheme purpose, supported areas (suggestion in which area your application will fall into), eligibility criteria (w.r.t. your case), technical details, screening process, budget planning, incubation services with respective incubators, etc.
- Explaining and sharing BIG pre-application PPT followed by working together on the PPT. This PPT could be later uploaded with the application as a concept note.
- Numerous follow on meetings for technical and business mentoring will let you sharpen:
- Technical feasibility of the idea
- Novelty
- Value proposition
- Commercialization strategy
- Team strength
- Strategy to overcome challenges
- BIG project plan
- Brief description of application form (technical + information) including what is to be filled in a particular section w.r.t. applicant’s idea, documents to be uploaded, etc.
- Thorough explanation of step-by step application process, if required.
- If applicant plans to incubate at Venture Center, explaining services offered with discounts to BIG grantees followed by process of LOI issue.
Request for Letter for Intent: Those of you who wish to incubate in Venture Center, will require a Letter of Intent (LOI) from Venture Center stating that we are willing to support you if you get the BIG grant. If you need a LOI when the BIG call is open kindly write to us on big@venturecenter.co.in.
If you would like to sign up for a Mentoring session with BIG team, write to big@venturecenter.co.in, with subject line "Mentoring for BIG".
In order to avail deep tech mentoring from Venture Center, kindly enroll yourself in our – Ignition Program
Once you sign up for the Ignition program, Venture Center team will mentor the entrepreneur /innovator for the following activities:
- Technology/ IPR/ capabilities assessment. IPR strategy securing protection and FTO.
- Sharpening of value propositions. Identifying target applications where the value proposition is strongest.
- Defining key proof-of-concept studies required and demonstrations/ answers required for key questions/ technical risk factors.
- Raising funding for POC or validation studies (for example from sources like the Biotechnology Ignition Grant of BIRAC or SBIRI, BIPP)
We look forward to you taking this idea ahead!
Priority areas and themes of projects
The BIG scheme aims to foster the generation of ideas with commercialization potential, facilitate the upscaling and validation of proof of concept, encourage researchers to bring technology closer to the market through startup initiatives and stimulate the formation of new enterprises. These are the domains under the program:
- Healthcare - Medical Devices, Diagnostics, Drugs ( including Delivery systems) Biosimilars and stem cells
- Industrial Biotechnology (Industrial Products and Process) - Recombinant technology, Bio-Energy, BioFuels, Clean energy, Sanitation, Waste Management
- Agriculture, second agriculture and allied areas - Soil Irrigation, BioFertilizers, Food processing, Fisheries, Poultry, Sericulture, Animal Husbandry, Aquaponics
- BioInformatics and Bioanalytics
- Big Data, Artificial intelligence, Machine Learning, Internet of Things, Automation integrated in Biotech applications
Objectives of BIG
- Foster generation of ideas with commercialisation potential
- Upscale and validate of proof of concept
- Encourage researchers to take technology closer to market through a start up
- Stimulate enterprise formation
Eligibility criteria
Impact
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93% applicants who choose Venture Center as BIG Partner founded a startup |
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96% grantees have raised Rs 375 Cr + in follow on funding. |
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96% of the grantees completed their BIG project successfully |
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68% of the grantees have products or services in the market. |
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82% of grantees are still active as startups |
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27% of grantees are female |
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296 IPs have been filed till date |
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Why choose Venture Center as BIG Partner?
1. Recognized as the best!
Venture Center is India’s No 1 Bioincubator for 2021 as surveyed by BioSpecturm Survey 2020-21. Venture Center has won the National Award for TBI (2015), AABI (Asian) Incubator of the Year (2018) and National Entrepreneurship Award (2019).
2. Mentoring at its best!
Venture Center has a strong in-house mentoring team led by Dr Premnath Venugopalan (himself a technology developer, startup founder, and an alumnus of MIT and IIT Bombay). The team is known for its depth and thought leadership. The Venture Center also has a large network of technical, business and other specialist mentors.
3. Peer group!
Venture Center boasts one of the strongest networks of entrepreneurs pursuing innovation-led biotech/ biomed ideas. Find entrepreneur mentors and role models.
4. Credibility and standards!
Venture Center team works hard to strengthen your case for technical soundness, scientific credibility, quality of study designs and high standards of work.
5. Efficient and responsive!
The BIG Partner team at Venture Center is known for efficiency, thoroughness and being responsive.
6. Entrepreneur first!
The BIG Partner team at Venture Center takes many actions to put entrepreneur concerns first and ensure predictability in milestones and reporting requirements, timely release of funds, and planning for longer-term success of the grantee even beyond the grant period. We help grantees plan realistic milestones but also teach them to achieve milestones that can impact their future ability to raise investments.
7. Visibility!
Venture Center has an active program of showcasing its grantees and incubatee through various media channels and forums.
8. Funding programs!
Venture Center has a funding database accessible to all its grantees. Venture Center operates multiple fellowship, grant and seed funding programs. Venture Center works with more than 20 CSR grantors to create funding pockets for startups in its networks.
9. Networks!
In the last 15 years, Venture Center built extensive networks across the startup world, academia, R&D labs, industry, hospitals, NGOs, service providers etc. The Venture Center team may have a connect for you for need definition, customer discovery and validation, testing and trials and market entry related needs.
Empower your projects to thrive and begin your impact journey with us!
Testimonials
BIG Grantees in the News
Revy
REVY emerged as one of the winners at the Karnataka Water & Sanitation Innovation Conclave
BIG Core Team
| BIG Applications and Contracts | BIG Mentoring | BIG Project Management |
| Promotion, Application pipeline, Screening, Reviewing, DD, Contract Management, Project Management | Mentoring of applicants and grantees | Overall Project Management and Financial Support |
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Shalini Singh |
Dr. Premnath Venugopalan |
Shruti Devasthali |
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Pallavi Bawaskar |
Dr. Smita Kale |
Dr. Manisha Premnath |
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Siddhi Bodke |
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