WINStep Forward

Name

WINStep Forward

Legal name

WINStep Forward

Website

https://winstepforward.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Academic Exchange and Research Scholarship Programs

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Research & Lab-Based Short-Term Programs (Undergraduate/Graduate) (EDAIAIAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hybrid, Multi-Location & Multi-Country Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAE), Faculty-Led & Custom Group Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAA)

Keywords

• Bilateral science exchange
• Academic exchange programs
• Research scholarship programs
• International research internships
• US-India scientific collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Madison

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Donations and Sponsorships: WINStep Forward operates as a non-profit organization funded through donations and sponsorships. The website includes a donate feature, and partnerships with government agencies and institutional sponsors provide funding for scholarship programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WINStep Forward facilitates bilateral scientific research exchange between India and the United States by administering funded summer research internship programs for students and early-career researchers. Core offerings include the Khorana Scholars Program (placing Indian students in U.S. research labs), the S.N. Bose Scholars Program (placing U.S. students in Indian labs), the Khorana Tech Transfer Program, and a Rural Development Program focused on agricultural science and food security.

Product overview

WINStep Forward operates as a non-profit organization managing multiple interconnected scholarship and exchange programs that facilitate scientific collaboration between India and the U.S. The core programs include the Khorana Scholars Program (for Indian students in U.S. labs), S.N. Bose Scholars Program (for U.S. students in Indian labs), Khorana Tech Transfer, and Rural Development Program. WSF Ekulvya serves as a professional development platform. These programs collectively aim to educate, engage, and facilitate mutually beneficial scientific research and education-based public-private partnerships between the two countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Khorana Scholars Program Funded summer research internship program that places Indian undergraduate and graduate students at cutting-edge U.S. research laboratories, named after Nobel Laureate Har Gobind Khorana.
• S.N. Bose Scholars Program (U.S. Bose Scholars) Funded 8–12 week summer research internship program for U.S. students at Indian institutions, including INR 50,000 stipend and airfare reimbursement up to $1,800.
• Khorana Tech Transfer Program Program focused on technology transfer and innovation collaboration between research institutions in India and the U.S.
• Rural Development Program Program engaging in rural development and food security via scientific and technological developments in agricultural sciences.
• WSF Ekulvya Professional development and resources platform for the WINStep Forward community, including events and professional development resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of scholars placed at top-tier research institutions since 2008
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Science & Engineering Board (SERB), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Govt. of IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSERB and DST are key government partners providing funding and institutional support for the U.S. Bose Scholarship Program. These government bodies help enable the bilateral scientific exchange between India and the U.S.
• Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIUSSTF partners with WINStep Forward to support the student exchange program, providing administrative services, visa assistance, stipend disbursement (INR 50,000 for U.S. Bose Scholars), and airfare reimbursement up to $1,800.
• Government of India Scientific AgenciescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWINStep Forward has partnered with various Government of India scientific agencies to achieve its aims of educational exchange and rural development collaboration.
• Top-tier Schools in India and the U.S.coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with premier Indian institutions (IITs, IISc, IISERs, etc.) and U.S. institutions (Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Yale, Johns Hopkins, UW-Madison, etc.) for hosting scholars and providing research opportunities.
• Indian National Science AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Aseem Ansari attended the launch of Women In Science Portal on February 11, 2024, indicating collaboration with INSA on women in science initiatives.
• Bioinformaticals LTDminorOthersCompany founded by Khorana alumnus Dr. Devesh Bhimsaria, representing alumni entrepreneurship in the WINStep Forward ecosystem.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Broad incumbents

• DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service): DAAD is the world's largest national academic exchange organization, funding international student and researcher mobility. Comparable as a benchmark for government-backed science exchange infrastructure, though it operates Germany-focused rather than India-U.S. bilateral flows.
• Rhodes Trust: Rhodes Scholarship is a globally recognized postgraduate scholarship with strong brand equity. Comparable because it competes for elite STEM and graduate candidates seeking prestigious international research opportunities, though it funds study at Oxford rather than research internships.
• EducationUSA: EducationUSA is the U.S. State Department's global student advising network. Comparable as a U.S.-government-backed channel facilitating international student mobility and study-abroad flows, including into U.S. research institutions.

Others

• Schwarzman Scholars: Schwarzman Scholars funds a master's program at Tsinghua University, targeting global future leaders in science, policy, and business. Comparable as a high-prestige international scholarship funded through philanthropic capital that competes for elite Indian and U.S. STEM applicants.
• Gates Cambridge Trust: Gates Cambridge funds postgraduate study at Cambridge for non-U.K. applicants. Comparable as a high-prestige international scholarship competing for top-tier global STEM talent considering international research opportunities.
• Indo-U.S. Science and Technology Forum (IUSSTF): IUSSTF is both a partner and a comparable entity: an India-U.S. government-backed body that administers bilateral science programs including student exchange. Comparable because it operates the same bilateral exchange model and handles stipend disbursement and visa support for WINStep Forward scholars.

Direct peers

• Institute of International Education (IIE): IIE administers Fulbright and many other international academic exchange and scholarship programs. Comparable because it operates cross-border educational exchange platforms for students and scholars, including STEM research placements, at much larger scale.
• Fulbright Program (USIEF in India): Fulbright is the largest and most recognized U.S. international academic exchange program, with USIEF serving as the India counterpart. Comparable because it facilitates bidirectional U.S.-India research and graduate study exchanges for high-caliber candidates, directly competing for the same applicant pool.
• Amgen Scholars Program: Amgen Scholars provides funded summer undergraduate research experiences at top-tier universities. Comparable because it targets the same undergraduate STEM talent pool seeking summer research internships at premier institutions, competing directly for candidates.

Regional players

• MITACS (Canada): Mitacs facilitates bilateral research internships and exchanges between Canadian and international universities. Comparable as a bilateral research-internship model with government backing, though it operates Canada-focused rather than India-U.S. corridors.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/WINStepF
• Xx.com/winstepf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/winstep-forward

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about WINStep Forward