Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

What Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship does

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) is the technology business incubator of the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, established in 2004 and recognised as a Centre of Excellence by India's Department of Science & Technology. Operationally, SINE supports early-stage deep-tech startups by providing mentorship, infrastructure, access to IIT Bombay research facilities, industry connections, and pathways to pilots and funding — bridging the persistent gap between lab-stage academic research and commercial ventures. Its customer base is horizontal and distributed across 500+ startups supported since inception, with a stated track record of 250+ technology ventures over two decades. SINE does not generate revenue from operations in the conventional sense; rather, it operates within an academic-institutional funding and grant framework anchored by IIT Bombay, with portfolio monetisation occurring through equity stakes in incubated companies.

In December 2025, SINE materially extended its economic surface by launching Y-Point, a ₹250 crore (~$28 million) venture capital fund that invests from pre-seed through early Series A in deep-tech startups drawn from Indian universities and research centres, spanning AI, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, climate tech, and space and defence. The same month, SINE signed a strategic MoU with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (India) to co-design innovation initiatives and accelerator-linked activities across logistics, maritime operations, energy transition, and social infrastructure, positioning SINE as a curated corporate-inbound channel into India's deep-tech ecosystem. SINE's startup-stage product surface therefore now comprises two pillars: the flagship incubation programme and the Y-Point fund vehicle.

The organisation's economic model rests on three reinforcing layers: (1) institutional and government support via IIT Bombay and DST recognition; (2) eventual equity realisation through successful portfolio exits, exemplified by the upcoming Sedemac Mechatronics IPO (SINE-derived windfall estimated at ~₹55 crore against a ₹6,000 crore listing valuation); and (3) emerging fund-management economics via Y-Point management fees and potential carry. Its go-to-market is not a sales-led motion but rather a partnership- and pipeline-led model in which startups self-select into SINE via the IIT Bombay research and alumni ecosystem, while corporate partners are courted through structured MoUs. CEO Poyni Bhatt leads the organisation, which maintains a lean 1–10 employee footprint consistent with its institutional positioning rather than a large commercial headcount.

Name

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Legal name

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

Website

http://sineiitb.org/

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) is the technology business incubator at IIT Bombay, established in 2004 and recognised as a Centre of Excellence by India's DST. It supports early-stage deep-tech startups with mentorship, research access, and the newly launched ₹250-crore Y-Point venture capital fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technology Business Incubation

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Entrepreneurship & Incubation Focus (EDAHAEAH), Corporate Accelerators & Startup Programs (FSANAHAD)

Keywords

• Technology business incubation
• Deep tech venture funding
• Startup acceleration services
• Academic research commercialization
• Early-stage venture capital

Headquarters

HQ city

Mumbai

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Core offering

Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) operates a technology business incubator at IIT Bombay that selects and supports early-stage deep-tech startups with workspace, mentorship, access to IIT Bombay research facilities, and industry introductions. Since its founding in 2004, SINE has incubated more than 500 startups and more than 250 technology ventures. In December 2025 it launched the Y-Point venture capital fund (₹250 crore / approximately $28 million) to invest directly into early-stage deep tech startups, complementing its incubation services with first-party capital deployment.

Product overview

SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship) at IIT Bombay operates as a technology business incubator providing two core offerings: its flagship incubator program supporting deep-tech startups across sectors including AI, advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, climate tech, and space and defence; and the Y-Point Fund, a ₹250-crore venture capital vehicle that bridges the funding gap between lab-stage inventions and commercial ventures by investing from pre-seed through early Series A stages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Y-Point: A ₹250-crore ($28 million) venture capital fund launched by SINE to invest in early-stage deep tech startups emerging from Indian universities and research centres.

Products and services

• SINE Technology Business Incubator A technology business incubation program for early-stage deep-tech startups, providing workspace, mentorship, access to IIT Bombay research facilities and faculty expertise, and connections to industry and investors. Recognized by India's Department of Science & Technology as a Centre of Excellence.
• Y-Point Venture Capital Fund An early-stage venture capital fund of ₹250 crore (approximately $28 million) that invests directly into early-stage deep-tech startups incubated within the SINE / IIT Bombay ecosystem.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (India) Pvt. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025MOL India and SINE signed a Memorandum of Understanding to strengthen innovation and engage with deep-tech startups. The partnership aims to support collaboration in next-generation technologies across logistics, maritime operations, energy transition and social infrastructure, including co-design of thematic innovation initiatives, technology challenges and accelerator-linked activities.
• Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (India) Pvt. Ltd.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 December 2025The partnership establishes a channel to access India's deep tech startup ecosystem for maritime innovation. The flexible collaboration allows MOL India to engage with startups for evaluations, pilot projects, and potential strategic collaborations in areas like AI, IoT, digital twins, and advanced materials. This reflects a broader shift in the maritime industry where large operators source breakthrough solutions from external innovation ecosystems.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 100X.VC: 100X.VC is an India-focused pre-seed and seed venture fund backing early-stage Indian startups, often sourced from incubators and academic institutions. It is comparable to Y-Point as an early-stage India-focused fund, though broader in sector mandate.
• CIIE.CO (IIM Ahmedabad): CIIE.CO is the innovation and incubation centre at IIM Ahmedabad, supporting early-stage ventures with mentorship, accelerator programs, and seed funding. While anchored at a management institute rather than a technical one, it competes with SINE for India's early-stage venture pipeline and LP capital.
• Social Alpha: Social Alpha is an India-focused deep-tech incubator and investment platform supporting science and technology-led startups in health, agriculture, and climate. It is directly comparable to SINE in its deep-tech thesis, mission-driven capital, and incubation-plus-fund structure.
• Venture Center (NCL Pune): Venture Center is a technology business incubator hosted at the National Chemical Laboratory in Pune, supporting deep-tech and science-led startups in chemicals, materials, and biotech. Comparable to SINE in its anchor-institution model and focus on lab-to-market translation.
• IIT Madras Incubation Cell (IITMIC): IITMIC is the incubation arm of IIT Madras, supporting deep-tech startups across energy, healthcare, automotive, and aerospace. Like SINE, it leverages a top-tier IIT's research base and operates seed/early-stage capital programs for academic spinouts.
• NSRCEL (IIT Bangalore): NSRCEL is the technology business incubator at IIT Bangalore, providing incubation, mentorship, and seed capital to deep-tech and tech-enabled startups in India. It is the closest structural analog to SINE, operating under a premier IIT with a similar academic-anchored incubation model.

Emerging players

• Pi Ventures: Pi Ventures is an India-focused early-stage fund investing in deep-tech and AI-led startups from seed to Series A. It is highly comparable to Y-Point in stage, sector focus, and ticket size, making it a direct competitor for deep-tech deal-flow and LP mandates.

Broad incumbents

• Kalaari Capital: Kalaari Capital is an India-focused early-stage venture capital firm with a deep-tech and enterprise-tech thesis. It overlaps with Y-Point in deal-flow and LP relationships and represents an established incumbent that Y-Point must compete against for high-quality deep-tech deals.
• T-Hub: T-Hub is one of India's largest startup incubators, based in Hyderabad, supporting a broad range of startups across sectors with corporate, government, and academic partnerships. It overlaps with SINE in providing incubation infrastructure and corporate pilot access but operates at a broader, less deep-tech-specialized mandate.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM): AIM is a flagship government of India initiative promoting innovation and entrepreneurship through Atal Incubation Centres and tinkering labs across the country. It competes with SINE for state-level incubation mandates, government funding, and recognition as India's leading incubator network.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/society-for-innovation-and-entrepreneurship---iit-bombay

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments95 records

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

Frequently asked questions about Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship