K-Combinator, a structured, industry-led startup acceleration program of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) aimed at identifying, nurturing, and accelerating high-potential startups in the State, was launched here on Friday, under the auspices of the Mangaluru chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).

The programme was launched under the Beyond Bengaluru Mission and the State government’s Local Economy Accelerator Program (LEAP) initiative.

Speaking on the occasion, Rohith Bhat, founder-president of TiE, Mangaluru, said that TiE Mangaluru had been selected by the government to host and drive the first K-Combinator initiative in Karnataka. Launching the K-Combinator in Mangaluru on the day marked the beginning of the programme’s rollout across the State, with a focus on supporting startups from the Udupi-Mangaluru and wider coastal Karnataka regions.

Mr. Bhat said: “K-Combinator will select 4–6 startups per cohort, with three cohorts planned every year. Selected founders will undergo a structured 16-week acceleration journey, including bootcamps, masterclasses, 15-plus mentoring sessions, peer reviews, market, and industry connects, investor readiness, and demo day opportunities.”

Shyamaprasad Hebbar, president of TiE, Mangaluru, said that the programme was targeted at startups that had successfully tested their Proof of Concept (PoC) or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) and were entering the initial stages of scaling, with support focused on product-market fit, customer validation, go-to-market strategy, market access, and investment readiness.

Mr. Hebbar said that two qualifying startups from each cohort would be eligible for a ₹10-lakh performance-linked grant at 0% equity, subject to successful programme completion, applicable criteria, and approvals.

Mr. Bhat said that the K-Combinator initiative had a total approved grant outlay of ₹9.26 crore over five years, of which the first tranche of ₹1.89 crore had already been released, marking the commencement of programme implementation.

Suyog Shetty, vice-president of TiE, Mangaluru, said that K-Combinator would provide founders access to TiE’s global mentor network, with its wider industry, investor, and entrepreneurial ecosystem, enabling promising regional ventures to gain expert guidance, access markets, build scalable businesses locally, and scale globally.

Mr. Shetty said that applications for the first cohort opened on Friday.

Published - August 21, 2026 06:39 pm IST