Sanjeeb Behera
XR Startup
Program
A program to discover, nurture, and accelerate
XR technology startups across India.
A program to discover, nurture, and accelerate
XR technology startups across India.
The Grand Challenge is aimed at supporting early-stage innovators to upscale from the R&D phase to developing workable prototypes and Minimum Viable Products (MVPs) for the Education, Learning and Skills sector. 20 shortlisted innovators will be invited to attend a 2-week bootcamp. Of the 20 innovators, 4 will be supported in development of MVP(s)/ prototypes. The Grand Challenge is a part of the XR Startup Program, a collaboration between Meta and MeitY Startup Hub, and will be run and managed by Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC).
Applications are now closed
The applications should propose ideas or solutions that leverage XR technologies to :
1. Top 20 shortlisted innovators will receive the following benefits:
Opportunity to attend the bootcamp
Shortlist grant of ₹ 50,000 on successful completion of the bootcamp
2. Top 4 innovators out of the bootcamp will receive the following benefits:
Grant of ₹ 20,00,000 to be utilized solely for conversion of solution/ idea/ proof of concept to MVP/ prototype
Mentorship by industry experts and researchers
Access to a network of potential strategic partners and investors
Opportunity to participate and present at demo days and various industry events
Access to technology and infrastructure support
Sanjeeb Behera
Metaverse Evangelist & XR Lead based in Berlin, Germany
Ankit Sahni
Intellectual Property & Technology Lawyer
Achyut Chandra
Manager & Lead (Open Innovation)
HCL Technologies
Anant Saurabh
AVP – Digital Consulting,
Tata Technologies
Abhinav Khare
Head, Technology Venturing and Ecosystem Innovation, HCL Technologies Ltd.
Ravisankar Venkatachalam
Vice President & Global Lead - Consumer Hi-Tech, HCL Technologies
Amit Rajput
Managing Director- Digital Transformation office, PwC
Eligible innovators can click here to submit the application form. They will need to provide information such as the description of solution/ idea/ proof of concept, how it addresses problem statements among other things. For reference, a copy of the application form can be downloaded from here Applicants can submit only 1 application.
Innovators working on Extended Reality (XR) technologies in the gaming and entertainment sector and who fulfill the eligibility criteria mentioned above and detailed in the program terms and conditions available here may apply. All finalists (whether individual or startups) will be required to pursue their solution/ idea with full dedication and commitment, and form a business entity for developing and marketing their solution/ idea before the conclusion of the program.
The terms and conditions of the Grand Challenge can be found here.
GUSEC will establish a 3-member panel to evaluate and shortlist the applications. The applications will then be discussed with the steering committee established by Meta in collaboration with MSH. The shortlisted applicants will be informed by GUSEC.
The selection will be based on the following criteria:
In the event of a tie in the selection, the application with the highest score in the uniqueness, originality, and innovativeness of the proposed solution criterion will be considered.
20 innovators will be selected for the bootcamp. During the bootcamp, they will be required to pitch their proposal/ solution and will receive the shortlist grant. 4 innovators will be selected out of the bootcamp and provided with the program benefits mentioned above. To avail the benefits, the innovators must attend, participate, and complete the 6-month program.
The bootcamp will help the top 20 shortlisted innovators assess their ideas, evaluate market opportunity, establish unique value propositions, and hone an initial startup business plan. After completing the bootcamp, the shortlisted innovators will have to pitch their idea/ solution to the panel formed by GUSEC. The bootcamp will help shortlisted innovators make a Go/ No-Go decision about their startup ideas.
Individuals may participate collectively in a group of up to 4. Individuals may only participate 1 time in the program as an individual/ part of a team/ employee of a startup. Requirements set forth in T&Cs are applicable to each individual member of a team. Shortlist grant and program benefits will be given to the individual who applies to the program. For further details, refer to T&Cs.
Depending on your focus area, you can apply to only 1 implementation partner under the XR Startup Program. For further details, refer to T&Cs.
For further information, drop an email to [email protected]
All the program benefits mentioned on this page above shall be made available to the selected startups by GUSEC. For further details, refer to T&Cs
Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC) is one of India’s leading startup support systems, which has set an unprecedented benchmark by facilitating startup support at zero-cost. Right in the heart of Gujarat University with an ever-growing infrastructure & having supported 400+ innovative tech and non-tech startups, GUSEC has played a pivotal role in shaping and nurturing the startup ecosystem in Gujarat.
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