Startup incubator T-Hub launches venture studio to support entrepreneurs

Hyderabad-based T-Hub, the world's largest startup incubator, has launched Flashpoint, a venture studio that co-builds companies with founders across India.

"Through Flashpoint, T-Hub and industry partners will define a problem and select founders to build a startup around it. Selected founders will gain operator-led mentorship and infrastructure from day zero, including access to labs, testbeds, and existing supply chains," T-Hub said in a release.

"T-Hub will support founders through its vibrant network of investors, mentors, and resource partners, while they keep 100% ownership with no equity dilution," it added.

A venture studio, unlike PEs and VCs, builds a startup from scratch in close collaboration with the founders/entrepreneurs.

“Flashpoint offers founders something genuinely valuable - an industry-validated problem to solve, an experienced operator to build it with, and access to resources and network of T-Hub. If you have the entrepreneurial bug and the passion to build something meaningful, but don't know where to start, this is the right program for you," said Kavikrut, CEO, T-Hub.

"With more than 3,300 startups supported, T-Hub has a clear view of the constraints founders face at the earliest stages. They often spend significant time identifying the right problem, securing industry expertise, and validating demand before they can start building," the release said.

"T-Hub designed Flashpoint to address these constraints from the outset, so founders can focus on developing solutions for the industry," it added.

How will T-Hub's Flashpoint work

T-Hub will work with category-leading companies across multiple tracks, and the program launches with agri-tech and space-tech, according to the statement.

"Flashpoint has partnered with Kheyti, an Earthshot Prize-winning agri-tech company building climate-resilient farming solutions with smallholder farmers, and Dhruva Space, a space infrastructure provider offering satellites, mission-critical subsystems, launch facilitation, ground segment solutions, and capacity building," it added.

T-Hub has sought support from operators and industry partners to build in many more tracks across sectors at the studio.

"Founders selected for the agri-tech track will join Kheyti as Entrepreneurs-in-Residence, with a ₹1 lakh monthly stipend, sponsored pilots, and direct work with 8,000 greenhouse farmers from week one. For the space-tech track, Dhruva Space will provide founders with access to its end-to-end Space engineering infrastructure, including cleanrooms, thermal-vacuum and vibration testing facilities, and ground stations, enabling them to develop, test, and validate their technologies from day zero," it added.

Speaking on the agri-tech track, Kaushik Kappagantulu, co-founder and CEO, Kheyti, said, "This is a full-circle moment for us. Kheyti started at T-Hub. We were among the first teams allocated space at the T-Hub campus at IIIT Hyderabad in 2015, and we were there when Mr. Ratan Tata inaugurated it."

"Ten years on, we are back at T-Hub as the partner, helping the next generation of agritech founders start where we started, and further our vision of making every smallholder farmer in India climate smart," he added.

Adding to this on the space-tech track, Sanjay Nekkanti, co-founder & CEO, Dhruva Space, said, “As India expands its presence in space, the requirements for indigenous technology will grow across every part of the value chain. The opportunity is to build more satellites or launch systems, and also to develop the components, subsystems, software, data and services that will support a much larger space economy."

He further said that India has a deep pool of business, engineering and technical talent that can build these capabilities here and take them to global markets.

"The planned Bharatiya Antariksh Space Station will also create an entirely new environment for innovation, with opportunities for companies to develop technologies for in-orbit operations, servicing, research and other applications. Through Flashpoint, Dhruva Space is very excited to help founders take on these opportunities early, giving them access to the infrastructure, expertise and real-world environments they need to build and scale,” Nekkanti added.