Looking for Initial Funding, must try IIT Kanpur cybersecurity start-up. The Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur’s C3iHub has launched applications for the seventh cohort of its flagship Cybersecurity Startup Incubation Program. The program is being launched in collaboration with the institute’s Technology Business Incubator, FIRST (Foundation for Innovation & Research in Science & Technology). It offers selected startups a funding opportunity of ₹30 lakh over two years. It comprises over a ₹20 lakh grant and a ₹10 lakh equity-based fellowship.
With this initiative, C3iHub continues its mandate of accelerating deep-tech innovation in cybersecurity and allied areas, and supporting startups that are building strategic technology solutions for national security and global resilience. C3iHub is a Technology Innovation Hub (TIH) under the National Mission on Interdisciplinary Cyber-Physical Systems (NM-ICPS), funded by the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of India. In May 2025, the Department elevated C3iHub to a Technology Translational Research Park (TTRP), recognizing its outstanding contributions and impact over the past four years.
Cohort VII program
Through the Cohort VII program, C3iHub is seeking to identify and support early-stage startups working on new-age challenges in cybersecurity, including mobile security and mobile forensics, automotive security, privacy-enhancing technologies, threat intelligence, large language model (LLM) security, AI-ML security, and supply chain security. Startups developing technologies with implications for critical infrastructure, digital sovereignty, and national cybersecurity must apply.
“Our mission at C3iHub is to cultivate a thriving ecosystem where cybersecurity innovation can flourish,” said Dr. Tanima Hajra, COO and Interim CEO of C3iHub. “Cohort VII represents our continued commitment to identifying and empowering the next generation of cybersecurity leaders. With comprehensive funding, mentorship, and access to the rich resources of IIT Kanpur and SIIC, we are confident that these startups will develop solutions critical for national cyber resilience.”
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. Manindra Agrawal, Director, IIT Kanpur said, “At IIT Kanpur, we are committed to advancing India’s cybersecurity landscape through cutting-edge research, deep-tech innovation, and impactful entrepreneurship. C3iHub’s seventh startup cohort reflects this vision by nurturing ventures working at the forefront of cybersecurity. Recently upgraded as Technology Translational Research Park, C3i hub has been delivering solutions. It addresses emerging national and global challenges, while also contributing to India’s self-reliance.”
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IIT Kanpur Cybersecurity Start-up
Selected startups will receive mentoring, access to IIT Kanpur’s research and testing facilities, support for product development, and pilot deployments. It offers an opportunity to connect with industry, academia, and strategic agencies. The program not only provides financial assistance. However, it also fosters sustainable and scalable growth for cybersecurity ventures, from lab to market.
Eligible applicants must be startups with registration (India), preferably less than three years old, with at least one full-time founder. The selection process will include an initial screening of proposals, followed by a pitch presentation before a domain expert committee. Startups will undergo evaluation on the basis of novelty and strategic relevance of their product idea, technological readiness, team capability, and growth potential.
With the launch of Cohort VII, C3iHub reaffirms its commitment to supporting indigenous technological innovation in cybersecurity. In its journey as a TIH between 2020 and 2024, C3iHub successfully nurtured 49 startups, deployed over 15 cybersecurity products. It has 3 spokes and 50 spikes. It enables the commercialization of solutions by over 60% of its incubated startups. More than 10,000 individuals have been trained across academic and vocational programs, further strengthening India’s cybersecurity capacity.
Now, as a Technology Translational Research Park, C3iHub aims to build on this momentum, driving advanced research. It supports transformative startups and enables the translation of critical technologies to safeguard India’s digital future.
Submit the applications through the following link: https://forms.gle/RiXCGMJ7jf83Ua6n6.
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