Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)

Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is a government-backed startup incubator in Thiruvananthapuram, India. A public scheme menu rather than one deal. Non-dilutive grants: Idea Grant up to ₹3 lakhs (idea/PoC stage, Kerala-based innovators); Productisation Grant up to 7 Lakhs; Women / Transgender Productisation Grant up to 12 Lakhs; Market Acceleration Grant up to 10 Lakhs; Scaleup Grant up to 15 Lakhs. Loans: Scaleup Seed Fund up to 25 Lakhs. Centrally funded schemes routed through KSUM: Startup India Seed Fund up to 50 Lakhs; Nidhi Startup Seed Support Scheme from Rs 25 Lakhs to Rs 1 Crore. Grants are disbursed in milestone-based tranches.

What it offers

• “A grant is a form of financial support where startups receive funds without giving away ownership or shares in the company.” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Under this program, eligible startups can receive financial assistance ofup to ₹3 lakhs.” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Productisation Grant Enables startups to convert validated ideas or prototypes into market-ready products through engineering, design, and testing support. Benefits: Upto 7 Lakhs” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Scaleup Grant Supports growth-stage startups to scale operations, enhance capacity, and expand into larger markets. Benefits: Upto 15 Lakhs” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Scaleup Seed Fund Growth-oriented funding to support scaling of validated products and services. Benefits: Upto 25 Lakhs” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Nidhi Startup Seed Support Scheme Provides seed funding to startups graduating from incubators to support early commercialisation and market entry. Benefits: From Rs 25 Lakhs to Rs 1 Crore” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Grant is disbursed in milestone-based tranches (generally 50% first tranche, balance after progress review and utilisation certificate)” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in

How the programme runs

• “Delivered over a 45 day to 3 month period, the program focuses on idea validation, problem solution fit, rapid prototyping, and founder preparedness through structured mentorship and guided experimentation.” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Offered as a 3 month to 6 month engagement, the program delivers deep mentoring, infrastructure access, customer discovery, go-to-market support, and preparation for early-stage funding.” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “This 3 month intensive engagement provides advanced strategic mentoring, investor and enterprise connections, market expansion support, and execution focused growth acceleration.” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Apply through the KSUM website during the official call for applications” — startupmission.kerala.gov.in
• “Applications close Aug 31, 2026” — sparkx-ai.startupmission.in
• “Confirm final dates on the official KSUM portal before publishing — shown here as placeholders.” — sparkx-ai.startupmission.in

Stages

Pre-seed, Seed

How to apply

Apply or read the rules on the official site.

About this listing

TrustList compiled this listing from Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)'s official pages in September 2026. The quotes above are its own words. Amounts, deadlines and eligibility rules change, so check the official site before you rely on them.