Social Alpha

Social Alpha, through the DST Seed Support Programme, administers the NIDHI Seed Support Scheme, aiding startups with promising innovations. The initiative provides crucial financial backing, enabling these startups to establish a sturdy financial footing and seek further investments from venture capitalists or loans from financial institutions. Under the National Initiative for Developing and Harnessing Innovations, Social Alpha manages a 10 crore INR seed fund, facilitating the smoother transition of innovative technologies and products into the commercial realm. An expert committee, the NIDHI-Seed Support Management Committee, assesses and supports potential startups, overseeing their progress and ensuring proper utilization of financial assistance. The assistance covers a range of developmental activities but prohibits usage for personal benefits or speculative purposes, aiming to bolster the startups' growth and innovation.

Techtonic represents a serious commitment to groundbreaking innovations in science and technology, addressing crucial societal issues like health, education, agriculture, and climate change. It's a collaborative platform seeking entrepreneurs and innovators dedicated to solving major global challenges. Through the Social Alpha Accelerator programme, Techtonic supports these visionaries throughout their journey from concept to market. In particular, Techtonic's focus on AgriTech 2.0 aims to leverage India's agricultural landscape by supporting indigenous innovations tailored for the nation's farms. Despite historical efforts and emerging trends, millions of small farms and their inhabitants still grapple with significant financial, technological, and climate-related hurdles.

The Transform Plastics Challenge, partnered with Social Alpha, champions circular business models in social enterprises to combat plastic waste. This programme seeks innovative solutions benefiting the environment and informal workforce. Five chosen start-ups could secure grants up to INR 60 lakh each, alongside seed capital and comprehensive support. Indian social enterprises demonstrating societal, environmental, and economic impacts, and scalability, are encouraged to apply. Emphasizing material recovery, reuse systems, and eco-friendly packaging, the programme offers financial aid, market access, fundraising support, networking opportunities, and knowledge services to empower startups for market viability and impactful scaling.

Social Alpha's Accelerators aid startups in scaling growth. These programmes annually select promising startups, providing essential support to become 'growth-ready.' Tailored to each cohort's needs, it refines business models, access innovation labs, and offers mentorship from industry leaders. Funding opportunities, operational support, and guidance in fundraising readiness are also provided, ensuring startups are well-prepared to pitch to investors.

Social Alpha's ACT Grants, a non-profit venture platform, harnesses technology and collective collaboration for impactful social change at scale. Focused on education, healthcare, climate action, and gender inclusivity, it incubates and accelerates innovative solutions. Operating as a Venture Philanthropy Fund and Collective Action Platform, ACT provides seed capital, expert networks, and operational guidance to pioneering entrepreneurs and organisations. Emphasizing sustainable strategies and leveraging industry mentorship, it aims to create a meaningful societal shift. With a strong belief in technology's potential, ACT targets India's complex social needs, treating each grant as an investment in the nation's future. Its areas of concentration span education accessibility, climate action, healthcare affordability, and women's workforce empowerment.