ITEL Foundation Hackathon and Pitch Event 2026

About

A 2-day hackathon and pitch event designed for early-stage AI startups, offering cash prizes, incubation opportunities, and access to mentorship and investors. Participants will engage in a technical challenge followed by a pitch to a jury of experts, with the chance to receive significant support for their innovative solutions.

Benefits

• 💰Cash Prizes
  Winners can receive cash prizes of ₹2,00,000 for 1st place and ₹1,00,000 for 2nd and 3rd places, along with ₹50,000 for 4th and 5th places.
• 🎓Incubation Opportunities
  Highly promising startups may win a chance at incubation by ITEL Foundation and co-incubation by IIT Gandhinagar.
• 📈Mentorship Support
  Access to dedicated mentoring support throughout the incubation program.
• 🌐Investor Access
  Facilitation of access to angel investors and venture capital funds for scaling up.
• 📊Training Programs
  Participation in multi-dimensional training programs designed to support startup growth.
• 💼Performance Guidance
  Continuous monitoring and performance guidance during the incubation period.

Eligibility Criteria

• AI startups with 0-3 years of operation
• Student startups are not applicable
• Startups must be building AI solutions in specified sectors like manufacturing, agriculture, robotics, MSME, BFSI, and healthcare
• Must be able to participate in a 2-day in-person event at IIT Gandhinagar
• Startups must submit a pitch deck as part of the application process

Participation Commitments

• Must attend the 2-day hackathon and pitch event at IIT Gandhinagar on July 31 - August 1, 2026
• Submission of a pitch deck is required as part of the application process
• Travel tickets for shortlisted startups will be reimbursed, not exceeding ₹10,000 per startup
• Participation in the incubation program is subject to the decision of the ITEL – IndiaAI Steering Committee and expert panel.

Target Region

Open to startups across India

Target Sector

Focused on deep-tech AI solutions in various sectors