GUSEC

What GUSEC does

GUSEC (Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council) is a non-profit, university-based startup incubator established by Gujarat University in November 2015 and formally inaugurated in February 2016 at the Gujarat University campus in Ahmedabad, India. It provides zero-cost, zero-day incubation and co-working infrastructure to early-stage student entrepreneurs, women founders, school children, and international startups soft-launching in India, drawing its applicant pool from Gujarat University's 300+ affiliated institutes and the broader Indian startup ecosystem. As of the latest reporting, GUSEC has overseen the incubation of 600+ startups with 100+ currently active and has collectively helped those startups generate over Rs. 2 crore in revenue and 127+ jobs.

Its core offering is a 30,000 sq ft physical campus spread across two buildings, comprising 50+ co-working seats with 1 Gbps fibre internet, a Fablab equipped with lathe machines, CNC machines, 3D printers, glass-blowing and metal-moulding equipment, and program rooms used for cohort delivery. On top of this infrastructure layer, GUSEC runs a portfolio of specialised programs: the herSTART women-entrepreneurship platform (now on edition 5.0), Meta XR Startup Program in collaboration with MeitY Startup Hub, NIDHI EiR, GUSEC TIDE 2.0 (MeitY-funded), SAMRIDH Accelerator, Techcelerate, Breakthrough Accelerator (UNICEF-supported COVID-19 response), Continuity Accelerator, accelerateBHARAT, the Children's Innovation Festival with UNICEF, and the JumpStart pre-seed grant program of Rs. 40,000 per startup. Launched platforms include VSCIC (Vikram Sarabhai Children Innovation Centre) and GARVI for investor demo days.

The operating model is grant-funded, not commercial. GUSEC does not charge startups and takes no equity in exchange for pre-seed grants. Funding sources include Gujarat University (institution, infrastructure, and initial corpus), government grants (DST-NIDHI TBI ~Rs. 14.5 crore, NITI Aayog Atal Incubation Centre ~Rs. 9.5 crore, MeitY TIDE 2.0), CSR contributions via Gujarat CSR Authority (JumpStart grants), programme-specific partner funds (Meta, UNICEF, HDFC Bank SmartUp), and a confirmed $1.36M funding round from NSTEDB in October 2020. The go-to-market motion is community-led: GUSEC runs an online application portal (apply.gusec.edu.in), reaches founders through Gujarat University institutional channels (SMS, email, faculty coordinators at each affiliated institute), co-markets through state startup portals such as startup.gujarat.gov.in, and surfaces cohort startups at events like the Vibrant Gujarat Startup & Technology Summit.

Name

GUSEC

Legal name

Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council (GUSEC)

Website

https://gusec.edu.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GUSEC is a non-profit university-based startup incubator at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad, India, offering zero-cost incubation, a 30,000 sq ft Fablab-enabled co-working facility, and programs including herSTART, XR Startup, and NIDHI EiR. Founded in 2015, it has supported 600+ startups via government and CSR grants with no equity taken.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321), Educational Services (611)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM), Entrepreneurship, Startup Incubation & Pitch Programs (EDAMAKAK), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), After-School, Tutoring & Academic Enrichment Nonprofits (BPAGADAC)

Keywords

• University startup incubator
• Early-stage incubation
• Co-working infrastructure
• Startup mentoring programs
• Pre-seed funding

Headquarters

HQ city

Ahmedabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Incubation & Startup Support Services: GUSEC is a non-profit company promoted by Gujarat University providing startup support at zero cost. It is funded by Gujarat University, government grants (NITI Aayog, MeitY, Department of Science & Technology), CSR funds (Gujarat CSR Authority, HDFC Bank), and acts as a nodal body for state government startup schemes. GUSEC does not charge startups for its services and takes no equity in return for pre-seed grants.
2. Grant & Government Funding Disbursement: GUSEC receives government and institutional funding to disburse as pre-seed grants (Rs. 40,000 via JumpStart), prototype development grants (up to Rs. 10 lakh), marketing assistance grants, and sustenance allowances (Rs. 10,000/month for up to one year) to startups. GUSEC also facilitates TIDE support, GUSEC NIDHI SSS, Startup Gujarat Grant, and SSIP Grant.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GUSEC is a non-profit university-based startup incubator that provides zero-cost, zero-day startup support at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. Its core offering is physical incubation infrastructure (a 30,000 sq. ft. facility with co-working seats, a Fablab, and 1Gbps fibre internet) combined with mentorship, funding facilitation, patent and IPR support, networking and investor relations, and access to service credits from corporate partners. The services are delivered to early-stage student entrepreneurs and startups at no cost and with no equity dilution, funded instead through government grants (NITI Aayog, DST, MeitY) and CSR contributions.

Product overview

GUSEC (Gujarat University Startup and Entrepreneurship Council) is one of India's leading university-based startup support systems, providing zero-cost, zero-day incubation and co-working infrastructure at Gujarat University in Ahmedabad. GUSEC operates as a platform-plus-programmes model, offering its core incubation and co-working infrastructure alongside multiple specialized programmes including herSTART (women entrepreneurs), NIDHI EiR, XR Startup Program, SAMRIDH Accelerator, GUSEC Techcelerate, Breakthrough Accelerator, GUSEC TIDE 2.0, accelerateBHARAT, and the Children's Innovation Festival. Physical infrastructure includes a 30,000 sq. ft. facility with Fablab and co-working space, while financial support is delivered through mechanisms such as the JumpStart pre-seed grant and various government scheme disbursements. The organization also houses the NITI Aayog-funded Atal Incubation Centre (AIC-GUSEC) and a MeitY-funded Technology Business Incubator.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• herSTART: A flagship program organized by GUSEC to support women entrepreneurs through incubation, mentorship, and market access. The program has gone through multiple editions (1.0 through 5.0), targeting technology and deep-tech sectors.
• herSTART 5.0
• XR Startup Program
• Children Innovation Festival
• Breakthrough Accelerator
• Continuity Accelerator

Products and services

• GUSEC Startup Incubation & Support Core zero-cost, zero-day startup incubation offering that provides co-working space, mentorship, funding facilitation, investor relations, and access to a network of mentors and industry leaders for early-stage startups and student entrepreneurs.
• herSTART Programme Flagship programme dedicated to supporting women entrepreneurs through incubation, mentorship, and market access, with successive editions targeting technology and deep-tech sectors.
• NIDHI EiR Programme Entrepreneurs-in-Residence programme under the NIDHI scheme, supporting startups with residency and mentorship within the GUSEC ecosystem.
• XR Startup Program Meta XR Startup Program implemented by GUSEC in collaboration with MeitY Startup Hub, providing acceleration and grand challenge tracks for Extended Reality (AR, VR, Mixed Reality) technology startups.
• SAMRIDH Accelerator

Quantifiable outcome

• 600+ startups incubated since inception
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gujarat UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 March 2026GUSEC is promoted by and operates within Gujarat University. The university provides funding, infrastructure (30,000 sq ft facility), and institutional reach through 300+ affiliated institutes. GUSEC serves as Gujarat University's official body for supporting startups and entrepreneurs.
• Meta / MeitY Startup Hub (XR Startup Program)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2022GUSEC is one of four implementation partners for Meta's XR Startup Program in collaboration with MeitY Startup Hub. GUSEC focuses on the Western Indian region for the Accelerator (10 startups, Rs. 20 lakh grant each) and pan-India for the Grand Challenge in Education, Learning and Skills.
• FITT IIT Delhi / Sikkim Manipal University / CIE-IIIT HyderabadminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 September 2022Other implementation partners for Meta's XR Startup Program: FITT IIT Delhi (North accelerator, Healthcare grand challenge), Sikkim Manipal University (East accelerator, Agritech/Climate/Tourism grand challenges), CIE-IIIT Hyderabad (South accelerator, Gaming/Entertainment grand challenge).
• Materra / Fashion for Good / Kering / PVH Corp. / Arvind LimitedminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 January 2022Materra, a UK-based climate-tech startup incubated at GUSEC, is running a two-year pilot project in collaboration with Fashion for Good, Kering, PVH Corp., and Arvind Limited to bring climate-resilient cotton farming to India through precision agriculture and controlled-environment greenhouses.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2020UNICEF partnered with GUSEC for the Children Innovation Festival (480+ teams of school children under 18) and the Breakthrough Accelerator for COVID-19 solutions. UNICEF provides funding and support for pre-incubation of young innovators, including cloud credits over US$20,000 for top 30 teams.
• TiE AhmedabadminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2020TiE Ahmedabad provides mentorship to startups and innovators under the Breakthrough Accelerator for COVID-19 solutions. GUSEC also has broader mentorship linkages with TiE for its startup ecosystem development activities.
• Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation / Ahmedabad Smart CityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2020AMC and Ahmedabad Smart City are partners of the Breakthrough Accelerator, providing support and market access for startups developing COVID-19 solutions.
• Student Startup and Innovation Policy (SSIP)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 2 April 2020GUSEC is affiliated to Gujarat's Student Support and Innovation Policy (SSIP) of the state government, implementing the policy for Gujarat University and serving as a nodal body for state government startup schemes under Industries Commissionerate.
• Launch Academy (Canada)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 October 2018MoU signed at Vibrant Gujarat Startup Summit 2018 in presence of Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani. Both organizations agreed to exchange knowledge, provide access to resources, programs, and opportunities. Launch Academy has helped 600+ companies raise over $150 million and create 1,000+ jobs in Canada.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) - IIT Bombay: IIT Bombay's technology business incubator, supporting early-stage deep-tech and engineering startups from a top-tier Indian university. Closely comparable to GUSEC as a university-affiliated incubator, though with a stronger deep-tech and venture-backed funding track record.
• FITT (Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer) - IIT Delhi: IIT Delhi's incubation arm and one of GUSEC's co-implementation partners in Meta's XR Startup Program (handling the Northern region). Comparable as a university-based incubator focused on technology and innovation.
• CIIE.CO - IIM Ahmedabad: IIM Ahmedabad's startup incubator and seed fund, also based in Ahmedabad. Closely comparable to GUSEC by geography and as a premier education-anchored incubation program, but with a venture-fund model that takes equity in portfolio companies.
• NSRCEL - IIM Bangalore: IIM Bangalore's incubation centre supporting early-stage and growth-stage startups. Comparable as a top Indian business-school-affiliated incubator offering cohort-based programs and mentorship, with broader sector focus and stronger VC connections.
• T-Hub Hyderabad: One of India's largest startup incubators, catalysed by the Telangana government. Comparable to GUSEC as a state-supported, sector-agnostic startup incubation platform, but at significantly larger scale (1,000+ startups supported) and with equity-linked programs.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/GUSECIndia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments29 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about GUSEC