KDEM’s K-Combinator, an industry-led startup acceleration programme launched in Mangaluru
The Karnataka Digital Economy Mission has launched 'K-Combinator' in Mangaluru to accelerate high-potential startups. The program offers mentorship, bootcamps, and performance-linked grants to help early-stage startups scale their operations.
Why it matters
This initiative represents a significant government-backed effort to decentralize the startup ecosystem in India by fostering innovation in coastal regions outside of major tech hubs.
K-Combinator, a structured, industry-led startup acceleration program of the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) aimed at identifying, nurturing, and accelerating high-potential startups in the State, was launched here on Friday, under the auspices of the Mangaluru chapter of The Indus Entrepreneurs (TiE).
The programme was launched under the Beyond Bengaluru Mission and the State government’s Local Economy Accelerator Program (LEAP) initiative.
Speaking on the occasion, Rohith Bhat, founder-president of TiE, Mangaluru, said that TiE Mangaluru had been selected by the government to host and drive the first K-Combinator initiative in Karnataka. Launching the K-Combinator in Mangaluru on the day marked the beginning of the programme’s rollout across the State, with a focus on supporting startups from the Udupi-Mangaluru and wider coastal Karnataka regions.
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