Top 10 Startup Accelerators in India in 2025
India's startup ecosystem is thriving in 2025, with founders across fintech, SaaS, climate, and consumer sectors building ambitious companies. Alongside VC funding, startup accelerators play a vital role by supporting early-stage teams through mentorship, resources, and capital.
In this guide, we list the top 10 startup accelerators in India that are actively investing in and accelerating founders at the pre-seed and seed stages.
Quick list of top startup accelerators in India
- Sequoia Spark: Women-focused accelerator run by Peak XV
- Antler India Residency: Global pre-seed platform for Indian idea-stage founders
- Accel Atoms: Accel India's accelerator for early-stage startups
- 100X.VC: India's most active pre-seed investor, investing via iSAFE notes
- Indian Angel Network Incubator: Supports early-stage startups via IAN's network
- IIMA Ventures (formerly CIIE.CO): IIM Ahmedabad-backed accelerator and pre-seed investor
- NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore): Academic accelerator supporting student and non-student founders
- Venture Catalysts: Pan-India incubator network with early-stage funding
- T-Hub: Based in Hyderabad, one of India's largest innovation hubs
- PedalStart: Community-led accelerator for founders across India
How to find the right accelerator in India?
Choosing the best accelerator for your startup depends on stage, sector, and support needed. Here's how to evaluate:
- Check stage fit: Are they accepting MVP-stage or idea-stage companies?
- Look for industry alignment: Some accelerators specialize in fintech, SaaS, or impact startups.
- Review previous cohorts: Success stories show program strength.
- Location & network: Some accelerators provide local office space and investor access.
- Application timing: Many operate in cohorts—check their open application periods.
You can explore and filter programs in Papermark's investor database.
How to send your pitch deck to startup accelerators in India
To get into a top Indian accelerator, your pitch deck needs to be more than just good — it needs to be seen, understood, and tracked.
Here's how to do it right:
- Don't send attachments: Avoid sending PDFs via email — they often get ignored or lost.
- Use tracked links: Share your pitch deck using a secure, trackable link via Papermark.
- Personalize your outreach: Reference the accelerator's recent portfolio, demo days, or focus areas.
- Include a short intro: Summarize your startup in 3 lines — problem, solution, traction.
- Mention your stage and goals: Make it easy to match with their cohort or vertical.
- Be ready to follow up: Track engagement and follow up based on viewing behavior.
Why use a pitch deck link instead of attachments?
- Get notified when an accelerator team opens your deck
- Track how long they were on each page of your deck
- Capture emails of those who viewed your deck
- Protect your IP with watermarking, screenshot protection, and other link permissions
- Securely send your data room with additional docs like your roadmap or traction metrics
1. Sequoia Spark
A women-centric accelerator by Peak XV Partners (formerly Sequoia India) that offers capital and community support to early-stage founders.
- Focus: Women-led startups, generalist
- Funding: ~$100K
- Website: Sequoia Spark
2. Antler India Residency
Antler's India program supports founders from day zero with validation, capital, and global access.
- Focus: Idea-stage across all sectors
- Funding: Up to $300K
- Website: Antler India Residency
3. Accel Atoms
A fast-track early-stage program from Accel India that includes capital, mentoring, and GTM guidance.
- Focus: Tech, B2B, SaaS
- Funding: $250K
- Website: Accel Atoms
4. 100X.VC
One of India's most active pre-seed accelerators, investing through iSAFE notes and mentoring startups at scale.
- Focus: Agnostic
- Funding: ₹1 Crore
- Website: 100X.VC
5. Indian Angel Network Incubator
Supported by IAN's angel community, this incubator provides mentorship and access to its investor base.
- Focus: Diverse sectors
- Website: Indian Angel Network Incubator
6. IIMA Ventures (formerly CIIE.CO)
IIMA Ventures, formerly known as CIIE.CO, is the startup incubator and accelerator at IIM Ahmedabad. It supports early-stage startups through funding, mentorship, and access to a vast network of collaborators.
- Focus: Deeptech, digitization, climatetech
- Website: IIMA Ventures
7. NSRCEL (IIM Bangalore)
Academic accelerator at IIM Bangalore open to students and external founders.
- Focus: Early-stage startups across sectors
- Website: NSRCEL
8. Venture Catalysts
An integrated incubator and angel investment platform that operates pan-India.
- Focus: Fintech, D2C, SaaS
- Website: Venture Catalysts
9. T-Hub
Based in Hyderabad, T-Hub is India's largest innovation ecosystem and supports startups with scaling and global connects.
- Focus: Innovation, B2B, SaaS
- Website: T
10. PedalStart
Community-driven accelerator and founder support platform.
- Focus: Early-stage founders
- Website: PedalStart
Didn't find the right accelerator?
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Final Thoughts
India's accelerators are a powerful launchpad for early-stage founders. Whether you're validating an idea or scaling your MVP, these programs offer capital, mentorship, and investor access to help you succeed. As you apply, track every touchpoint to improve your outreach.