The Acceleration Portfolio
From startups to scaleups, Startup Tunnel (STun), the acceleration arm of Vihara Innovation Network, helps mission-driven enterprises nurture their products and services to create positive social and economic impact in the society. STun provides the platform for individuals and organisations across sectors and countries to converge not only technical abilities and business ambition but also attain social and environmental value by creating an impact in the society, and attract follow on funding for sustained growth.
STun ran an early stage accelerator for startups applying emerging technologies to create impact. We offered advisory and mentoring on product definition, market validation, product launch, customer engagement and early stage funding coupled with facilitation of early connections with seed stage investors for strategic direction.
Year-long, equity-free, mentorship-driven program initiated by YES Foundation, curated and delivered by Vihara Innovation Network in partnership with Grameen Foundation India. Vihara curated a highly-immersive and intensive program for the organizations to develop an ability to identify and verbalise their challenges, through capacity building talks, one-on-one mentorship sessions, panel discussions, and hands-on learning exercises, the acceleration program created valued transformational experiences for the cohort.
The government of Rajasthan has partnered with Vihara Innovation Network for an incubation program for handhold 20 early-stage startups. Team mentors build the capacity of founders early on in their entrepreneurship journey while simultaneously promoting the entrepreneurship ecosystem in the state.
Vihara Innovation Network partnered with UNDP and NITI Aayog to accelerate opportunities for investing in women’s entrepreneurship. Platform advocated for the reduction in gender disparities in startup investments by providing mentoring and networking opportunities, accelerating financial and market linkages, and showcasing success stories.
Vihara partnered with Millennium Alliance to train its cohort of impact organizations on Human Centered Approaches for Product Innovation and Validation; and also facilitated tracks focused investor meet series for the cohort. Vihara conceptualised workshops aimed at making entrepreneurs more empathetic towards their customers, understand their journeys and make the product more user centric.