Incubation
Incubation is oriented around launching a business. As part of the program proper legal and accounting structures are put in place and initial funding of 3 - 5 lakh INR is provided. At this phase in a company's life keeping costs low is critical to survival. For this reason founders are encouraged to live and work from an apartment close to upStart.in.
Founding teams will typically have 2 - 6 members and be heavy in engineering. Strong marketing,
business and design skills are a definite positive, and teams with these skills coming in are more
attractive, but we recognize that many engineers do not have these people in their network.
To compensate for this we make a strong effort during the incubation process to introduce teams to individuals from these disciplines who can help complete the teams. Additionally we provide training in
engineering internet marketing and other areas to ensure that all teams going through the program adhere
to certain standards of quality software development, customer interaction and business operation.
During incubation teams should establish a track record of developing quality software,
reaching the market and interacting with customers, and presenting a well developed plan for
how to scale the business.
Entrepreneur In Residence (EIR)
The EIR program is meant to provide a space for individuals interested in technology entrepreneurship to develop ideas and meet potential partners. These people can have strong technology, marketing, design or business backgrounds. Strong communication skills are essential as during their residency they will be expected to interact with the incubation companies and research and blog about findings in their field of interest. EIRs are provided with stipends similar to the incubation founders and encouraged to share an apartment with other EIRs close to the UpStart office and the other incubation companies.
Startup Clubs
This is an outreach program to encourage and mentor students and other people not yet ready for incubation or the EIR program. Individuals are given instructions on steps they can take immediately to prepare such as developing their online profile, creating a website and blogging about their interests. Individuals and teams who demonstrate an aptitude are provided with ongoing expert mentorship to help them further prepare for incubation.Startup Clubs are often organized in partnership with a college or university or regionally as an extention of the barcamp community.