CIE IIIT Hyderabad

What CIE IIIT Hyderabad does

CIE IIIT Hyderabad (Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, IIIT Hyderabad) is an academic technology incubator and accelerator founded in 2008 and operated within IIIT Hyderabad in Gachibowli, Telangana. It supports early-stage and growth-stage startups with a clear vertical specialisation in deep tech (AI, AR/VR, computer vision, machine learning, robotics, NLP), medtech/healthcare, social impact, mediatech, and mobility/ADAS, running dedicated programs such as Avishkar (deeptech), OJAS (medtech via BIRAC), Mediatech, and Mobility accelerators, alongside research-connection modules (CV Labs, RootNode, Research Cafe) that link founders to 37+ IIIT-H research labs. Its customers are founders and early-stage startups; since inception it has facilitated 400+ startups, engaged 10,000+ entrepreneurs, invested 6 Cr into 30 startups, generated 2,500+ portfolio jobs, and reached 800 Cr+ aggregate portfolio valuation.

The business model is non-commercial: CIE is funded through central government schemes (DST NIDHI, MEITY TIDE, BIRAC, NITI AYOG AIC), institutional support from parent IIIT Hyderabad, and partnership with patrons including FICCI FLO, IHUB DATA, and Meta (XR Startup Program). It does not sell SaaS or charge explicit program fees in the conventional sense; instead, selected startups receive incubation support (co-working, mentorship, research access, demo day exposure) and, in some cases, grant-linked investment. Go-to-market is event-driven and community-led — Mentor Cafe, Idea Validation Bootcamps, Demo Days, T-Health Cafe, FASTstart educational series — supplemented by partnerships with HYSEA, eChai Ventures, and SucSEED Indovation Fund. Geographic focus is regional (Hyderabad/South India), with growing national visibility via the Meta XR program and Gen AI 2.0 Summit.

Name

CIE IIIT Hyderabad

Legal name

Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, IIIT Hyderabad

Website

https://cie.iiit.ac.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIE IIIT Hyderabad is a non-profit academic technology incubator founded in 2008 at IIIT Hyderabad. It runs Avishkar (deep tech), OJAS (medtech), Mediatech, and Mobility accelerator programs, connecting 400+ startups to IIIT-H research labs, government grants, and ecosystem partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Startup Incubation and Acceleration Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54), Computer Training (611420)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Engineering & Technology Institutes (Comprehensive) (EDAHAEAA)

Keywords

• Startup incubation services
• Accelerator programs
• Deep tech incubation
• Medtech incubation
• Research-led incubation

Headquarters

HQ city

Hyderabad

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants and Patronage: CIE IIIT Hyderabad operates as a non-profit incubator supported by government schemes including DST NIDHI, MEITY TIDE, BIRAC, and NITI AYOG. The organization invests in startups through these funding mechanisms rather than generating commercial revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIE IIIT Hyderabad (Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship) is a non-profit technology incubator and accelerator operating within IIIT Hyderabad that supports early-stage and growth-stage startups across deep tech, medtech, social innovation, media tech, and mobility verticals. It provides structured incubation programs (Avishkar, Ojas, Mediatech, Mobility), research-led incubation connecting startups with IIIT-H labs and faculty, mentorship events, idea validation bootcamps, demo days, co-working spaces, and funding access through government patron programs (DST NIDHI, MEITY TIDE, BIRAC, NITI AYOG).

Product overview

CIE IIIT Hyderabad (Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship) is a multi-program incubator ecosystem at IIIT Hyderabad offering a platform-plus-modules architecture for startup support. The core offering includes Avishkar (deeptech accelerator covering AI, AR/VR, Computer Vision, ML, Robotics, NLP), Ojas (MedTech accelerator for healthcare and biotechnology startups), Mediatech (media technology with focus on Virtual Production, Metaverse, Multimedia), and Mobility (ADAS and transportation). Supporting these are educational modules like FASTstart, AI in Healthcare course, and Startup Opportunities in AI course. The ecosystem also provides research connection programs including CV Labs, RootNode, and Research Cafe, plus recurring mentorship events (Mentor Cafe), bootcamps (Idea Validation Bootcamp), and Demo Days for investor presentations. Together, these programs form a comprehensive pipeline from idea-stage validation through acceleration to investor showcases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Avishkar: Accelerator program for startups focused on Deeptech, Medtech, Media tech, and Mobility.
• Ojas
• DeepTech Co-Workz
• CV Labs
• RootNode
• Research Cafe
• Mentor Cafe
• T-Health Cafe

Products and services

• Avishkar Deeptech Accelerator An acceleration program tailored for startups focused on AI, AR/VR, Computer Vision, Machine Learning, Robotics, NLP and other deep tech innovations, providing tailored support and mentoring for deep tech founders.
• Ojas Medtech Accelerator An acceleration program designed for startups in MedTech, Life Sciences, Bio-Technology, Diagnostics, Wellness, and healthcare device development, integrating emerging technologies with clinical and regulatory guidance.
• Mediatech Accelerator An accelerator program designed to discover, nurture and foster start-ups developing innovative solutions and AI applications in areas of Virtual Production, Metaverse, Multimedia and Journalism.
• Mobility Accelerator An accelerator program designed to discover, nurture and foster start-ups developing innovative solutions and AI applications in areas of ADAS, Mobility, Road Safety and Freight technology.
• Idea Validation Bootcamp A bootcamp to help founders and early-stage start-ups assess start-up ideas, evaluate market opportunities, establish unique value propositions and evolve an initial business plan.
• FASTstart Education Series An incubator operations education series designed to help incubator managers and startup support professionals learn operational best practices, with curated courses from domain experts and startup founders.
• AI in Healthcare Course A course discussing how to spot opportunities for AI in healthcare and the importance of bringing AI technologies in healthcare applications.
• Startup Opportunities in AI and Emerging Technologies Course A course covering identifying emerging technologies, selling emerging technologies to clients, NLP applications, and market segment identification for startups.
• CV Labs A program connecting startups with IIIT-H research labs and professors to solve real-world problems through technology review and product development support, with a focus on Computer Vision.
• RootNode A 3-month initiative designed to bridge the gap between startups and top-notch research expertise, connecting innovative startups with IIIT-H research labs and professors.
• Research Cafe An event series facilitating networking between startups and research scholars for potential collaborations.
• DeepTech Co Workz A co-working space and community program for deep tech startups to collaborate and grow.
• T-Health Cafe A networking event series focused on healthcare technology, connecting startups, researchers and professionals in the health tech ecosystem.
• Mentor Cafe A recurring mentorship event series connecting startups with experienced mentors for guidance on various aspects of building and scaling their ventures.
• Gen AI 2.0 Summit A summit bringing together corporates, startups, researchers, and mentors to explore Generative AI applications across DeepTech, MedTech, AgriTech, and FinTech sectors.
• Demo Day Quarterly demo events where startups from various accelerator programs showcase their products and pitch to investors.

Quantifiable outcome

• 400+ startups facilitated since 2008
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• FICCI FLOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFICCI FLO (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry Ladies Organisation) incubator partnership for supporting women entrepreneurs and startups.
• Meta XR Startup ProgramminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMeta's XR Startup Program supports extended reality (AR/VR) startups with funding, mentorship, and technical resources. CIE IIITH serves as an implementation partner for the XR Startup Program and XR Startup Program Accelerator in India.
• HYSEAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHyderabad Software Enterprises Association - CIE IIITH partners with HYSEA for joint Startup Forum events and ecosystem collaboration.
• eChai VenturesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStartup community platform - CIE IIITH collaborates with eChai for AI x SaaS Founders Meetups and community events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Axilor Ventures: Indian early-stage accelerator and seed fund running 6-month cohort programs for tech startups with mentorship from operating partners. Comparable to CIE IIITH's Avishkar accelerator in structured cohort-based support for tech founders.
• Social Alpha: India-based deeptech and social-impact incubator providing lab access, seed capital, and mentorship to science and technology startups. Comparable to CIE IIITH in supporting deeptech and impact-focused ventures with structured programs.
• SINE (Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship), IIT Bombay: University-linked deeptech and tech startup incubator at IIT Bombay with multi-stage programs, government patronage, and a portfolio spanning hardware, IoT, AI and biotech. Closely comparable to CIE IIITH in structure, mandate, and target verticals.
• FITT (Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer), IIT Delhi: IIT Delhi's technology transfer and incubation arm supporting deeptech and medtech startups with seed funding, mentorship, and industry connects. Mirrors CIE IIITH's research-led incubation model and government-supported operating structure.
• NSRCEL, IIM Bangalore: Premier Indian university-linked incubator at IIM Bangalore running structured early-stage and growth-stage programs with strong corporate partnerships. Comparable to CIE IIITH in operating multi-stage startup programs with institutional backing.
• CIIE.CO, IIM Ahmedabad: IIM Ahmedabad's technology and deeptech incubation center offering seed funding, accelerator programs, and corporate partnerships. Comparable to CIE IIITH as a top-tier Indian university-linked incubator with deeptech focus and government patronage.
• Atal Incubation Centre (AIC) network: Network of NITI Aayog-supported Atal Incubation Centres across Indian institutes including IIIT Hyderabad's own AIC for social innovation. Directly comparable as a peer government-supported incubation framework operating across Indian research institutes.
• IITM Research Park (including RTBI), IIT Madras: IIT Madras's research park hosts corporate R&D and incubates deeptech ventures through the RTBI (Rural Technology and Business Incubator). Comparable to CIE IIITH in anchoring deeptech incubation to a top Indian technical university's research output.
• Villgro Innovations: Indian impact-focused incubator specializing in healthcare, medtech, and agritech startups with seed funding and mentoring support. Comparable to CIE IIITH's Ojas MedTech vertical in healthcare focus and mission-driven structure.

Regional players

• T-Hub (Hyderabad): Telangana state-backed innovation hub in Hyderabad that incubates and accelerates startups across multiple verticals. Comparable as a Hyderabad-based incubator ecosystem, though broader in mandate and not university-affiliated.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cieatiiithyd
• Facebookfacebook.com/cieatiiithyd
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cieatiiithyd
• Instagraminstagram.com/cieatiiithyd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments87 records

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

Frequently asked questions about CIE IIIT Hyderabad