BeST - Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster

What BeST - Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster does

BeST (Foundation for Bengaluru Science and Technology) is a Section 8 non-profit company incorporated in 2024 and headquartered on the Indian Institute of Science campus in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru. The organization was initiated in 2021 by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India and operates as a city-level science and technology cluster that convenes stakeholders across six priority areas — healthcare, agriculture, mobility, environment, education, and deep tech.

Its core operating model is the Hexa-Helical Innovation Framework, which structures engagement across six stakeholder groups: government, academia, industry, incubators, investors, and civil society. BeST has onboarded over 50 partner organizations, including IISc, BCIC, Biocon Foundation, NCBS, BAF, EMPRI, and BBIC. Its program surface includes the One Health Bengaluru City Consortium, the BeST Insights Challenge, an Ask-an-Expert service, a Public Talk Series, reports and whitepapers, and an "AI-enabled" STENT network for stakeholder coordination. The core delivery mechanism is convening, challenge design, and knowledge dissemination rather than commercial product development.

The business model is that of a government-backed non-profit: there is no commercial revenue, pricing model, or pay-for-service offering. Activities are funded through grants and institutional support from the PSA and partner ecosystem. As of the input, the organization runs with a lean team of 10 employees and is in an early build-out phase, with limited disclosure of funding inflows, budgets, or programmatic scale metrics that would allow meaningful revenue or growth benchmarking.

Name

BeST - Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster

Legal name

Foundation for Bengaluru Science and Technology

Website

https://bestkc.in

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BeST is a Section 8 non-profit science and technology cluster founded in 2024 on the IISc Bengaluru campus. It convenes government, academia, industry, incubators, investors, and civil society through a Hexa-Helical model, running consortia, challenges, and public programs across healthcare, agriculture, mobility, environment, education, and deep tech.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science and Technology Innovation Cluster

NAICS

Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (54171), Business Associations (81391), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Strong Industry Partnerships (EDAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM, Digital Skills & Innovation Partnerships (EDADALAJ)

Keywords

• Science technology cluster
• Innovation ecosystem platform
• Research collaboration network
• Knowledge facilitation platform
• Public science engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Bengaluru

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BeST (Bengaluru Science and Technology) Cluster is a non-profit science and technology ecosystem facilitation platform that convenes over 50 research institutes, academic bodies, startups, industries, and government agencies through its inclusive Hexa-Helical Model spanning six stakeholder groups. It enables outcome-driven cross-sector collaborations, runs public engagement programs, publishes research reports and whitepapers, and coordinates funded research initiatives in healthcare, agriculture, mobility, environment, education, and deep technology domains. The cluster acts as a catalyst and knowledge platform rather than a commercial vendor, anchored at the Indian Institute of Science campus in Bengaluru.

Product overview

BeST (Bengaluru Science and Technology) Cluster is a Section 8 company and premier Science and Technology Cluster initiative by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. Rather than a product company, BeST operates as a catalyst organization facilitating outcome-driven collaborations across sectors through its inclusive Hexa-Helical Model. The organization offers public engagement programs (Public Talk Series, BeST Insights Challenge, Ask an Expert), research initiatives (One Health Bengaluru City Consortium), and knowledge resources (Reports, Whitepapers, Press Releases). Its activities span thematic areas including healthcare, agriculture, mobility, environment, education, and deep technology domains, targeting scientists, technologists, innovators, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Public Talk Series (Science of Sustainable Urban Living) A monthly in-person and live-streamed moderated panel discussion series co-hosted with the Bangalore Apartment Federation, targeting urban citizens on pressing sustainability topics including waste management, water security, sustainable mobility, sustainable energy, urban farming, and urban health.
• One Health Bengaluru City Consortium A multi-stakeholder research initiative coordinated by BeST Cluster that addresses health and environmental concerns through a united One Health approach, implementing ward-level pilot projects for disease outbreak prediction and prevention in Bengaluru.
• BeST Insights Challenge A public engagement program run by BeST Cluster that invites citizens to engage with science and technology knowledge and develop solutions aligned with the cluster's thematic focus areas.
• Ask an Expert A citizen-facing portal operated by BeST Cluster that allows members of the public to submit queries to subject-matter experts within the BeST ecosystem on topics spanning the cluster's core focus areas of healthcare, agriculture, mobility, environment, education, and deep technology.
• Reports and Whitepapers Published research and analytical reports produced by BeST Cluster covering sustainable mobility, public health, precision farming, circular economy, the Bengaluru water crisis, One Health, megaregion mobility, and agri-tech startups, made available publicly via the cluster's website.
• Hexa-Helical Collaboration Framework BeST Cluster's signature six-helix operating framework that integrates academia and research institutions, industry/startups/professional associations, government agencies, investors and funding agencies, strategic sectors, and society/NGOs to drive cross-sectoral, outcome-driven science and technology collaborations across Karnataka.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50+ leading organizations (research institutes, academic bodies, startups, industries, government agencies) brought together under one cluster

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship / anchor and supporting.

• Biocon FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Biocon Foundation partnered with BeST Cluster and NCBS (National Centre for Biological Sciences) to support 25 women in STEM through the BioWISE 2025 program, empowering women in life sciences careers across Karnataka.
• National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024NCBS partnered with BeST Cluster and Biocon Foundation for the BioWISE 2025 initiative supporting women in STEM. NCBS is a premier research institute within the BeST ecosystem.
• Bangalore Chamber of Industry and Commerce (BCIC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024BeST Cluster and BCIC signed an MoU to strengthen the technology development ecosystem in Karnataka, fostering industry-academia collaboration and innovation-driven growth in the region.
• Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of Indiaflagship / anchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe BeST Cluster was initiated by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India, launched on the recommendation of the Prime Minister's Science, Technology, and Innovation Advisory Council (PM-STIAC). The PSA provides institutional backing and aligns BeST with national S&T priorities for Atmanirbhar Bharat.
• Indian Institute of Science (IISc)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeST Cluster is anchored at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) Campus in Malleshwaram, Bengaluru. IISc serves as the host institution, providing physical infrastructure and deep research ecosystem access.
• 50+ Partner Organizations (Research Institutes, Academic Bodies, Startups, Industries, Government Agencies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeST Cluster is the result of a collaborative effort of over 50+ leading organizations including premier research institutes, academic bodies, startups, industries, and government agencies. These partners form the Hexa-Helical ecosystem across six stakeholder helices.
• Bangalore Apartment Federation (BAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeST Cluster co-hosts the 'Science of Sustainable Urban Living' Public Talk Series with BAF, reaching apartment communities and citizens with science-based knowledge on urban challenges including waste management, water security, and sustainable mobility.
• Environmental Management & Policy Research Institute (EMPRI)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerEMPRI Director participated as a keynote speaker in the BeST-BAF Public Talk Series on Water Security. EMPRI is a government institute focused on environmental policy and management in Karnataka.
• Bangalore Bio Innovation Centre (BBIC)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed among useful links and ecosystem partners. BBIC supports biotech startups in Bengaluru and collaborates on innovation initiatives within the BeST ecosystem.
• PSA Science & Technology Clusters (st-clusters)flagship / anchorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeST Cluster is one of the Science & Technology Clusters established under the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India. The st-clusters initiative covers multiple regions across India.
• ISTEM (Indian Science, Technology and Innovation EMbriO Portal)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a useful link. ISTEM is a government platform for tracking and promoting science, technology, and innovation collaborations across India.
• ManthansupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a useful link. Manthan is a science communication and outreach platform associated with India's S&T ecosystem.
• I AM ONE HealthsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a useful link. I AM ONE Health is an initiative focused on citizen science for health and environmental monitoring, aligned with BeST's One Health sub-projects.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Hyderabad Science and Technology Cluster: Another PSA-affiliated regional S&T cluster operating in Hyderabad with a similar mandate to foster cross-sectoral research collaboration. Closely comparable in structure, governance, and mission.
• IIT Bombay Research Park: University-anchored innovation cluster co-located with a premier Indian academic institution. Highly comparable operating model to BeST's IISc-anchored Hexa-Helical ecosystem.
• Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay: Technology business incubator hosted at IIT Bombay with a mandate to commercialize academic research. Comparable as an academic-anchored innovation platform facilitating industry-startup-research collaboration.
• Bangalore Bio Innovation Centre (BBIC): Bengaluru-based biotech innovation hub and an existing BeST ecosystem partner. Directly comparable as a regional life-sciences-focused innovation facilitation platform, with similar anchor-organization and stakeholder-coordination DNA.
• Pune Science and Technology Cluster (Pune Knowledge Cluster): A sister S&T cluster under the same PSA / PM-STIAC umbrella as BeST, operating the same government-mandated cluster model in a different Indian region. Directly comparable as a peer government-backed S&T cluster initiative.

Broad incumbents

• Confederation of Indian Industry (CII): India's largest industry chamber facilitating industry-academia-government collaboration, including via the BeST–BCIC MoU. Comparable as a large-scale non-profit ecosystem coordinator and BeST's partner body.
• NASSCOM: India's premier technology industry trade association coordinating between industry, government, and academia. Comparable to BeST as a non-profit industry-academia-government coordination body, though at far larger scale.
• Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) / Atal Incubation Centres: Government of India flagship innovation and entrepreneurship program with a network of incubation centres. Comparable as a national-level, government-backed innovation ecosystem builder operating in overlapping thematic domains.
• Stanford Research Park: University-anchored innovation cluster at Stanford, a globally recognized exemplar of the academic-industry cluster model that BeST is emulating. Comparable as a long-running, well-resourced university-adjacent research and commercialization ecosystem.
• Software Technology Parks of India (STPI): Government-backed technology infrastructure and incubation organization operating across India. Comparable as a state-anchored S&T ecosystem facilitator supporting startups and innovation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/BeSTCluster
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCcputxfAyT_YoHhftxrIvQQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bestkc
• Instagraminstagram.com/bestcluster1

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about BeST - Bengaluru Science and Technology Cluster