Kalaari Capital’s seed funding program Kstart, which was launched earlier this year to empower startups and accelerate ideas has announced collaboration with technology giant IBM to foster the startup ecosystem in India.
Together, the companies will offer training and mentoring sessions, and Kstart’s entire portfolio of companies will have the opportunity to apply for the IBM Global Entrepreneur Program, which provides business mentoring, technical support, networking opportunities with enterprise clients and credits to help entrepreneurs build their applications on IBM Cloud. IBM will also invite Kstart participants to training sessions on cognitive learning, analytics and product design.
In return, Kstart will drive awareness and engagement with IBM’s Global Entrepreneur Program (GEP), where startups can apply for up to $120,000 in cloud credits to develop and run their applications on IBM Cloud.
“We believe in creating an environment that can foster innovation, which is why we working with Kalaari Capital to encourage and support the startup community in their journeys,” said Nipun Mehrotra, Vice President, Growth Initiatives IBM India/ South Asia.
“We have chosen to work with IBM because of the value of its Global Entrepreneur Program, which aligns with our own core tenants of success, including business mentoring and supportive networks. Collaborating with IBM will help us equip our entrepreneurs with the right expertise and tools to succeed. We welcome our new working relationship with IBM to create impact in India by enabling next-generation startups. We appreciate the support and initiative from IBM to foster the startup community,” said Vani Kola, Venture Capitalist, Kalaari.
Kalaari Capital is an early-stage, technology-focused venture capital firm with $650 million in assets. It has made investments in companies like Snapdeal, Urban Ladder, Simplilearn, Myntra and more.
