Karnataka Launches ELEVATE Schemes to Back DeepTech Startups

The Karnataka government has launched new schemes under its ELEVATE banner to boost inclusive and DeepTech entrepreneurship, ThePrint reports.

The announcement adds a new chapter to one of India's most closely watched state-level startup programs. Karnataka, home to Bengaluru — India's largest startup hub — has used ELEVATE as its flagship vehicle for identifying and funding early-stage founders outside the traditional venture capital circuit.

What do the new ELEVATE schemes target?

According to ThePrint, the freshly launched schemes pursue two explicit goals: making entrepreneurship more inclusive and strengthening DeepTech ventures in the state. Inclusion, in the program's framing, means widening the founder base beyond the metro core — reaching entrepreneurs across districts, and groups historically underrepresented in the startup economy.

DeepTech marks the second pillar. The category covers startups built on substantive engineering or scientific innovation rather than services or commerce models. By directing state support at this segment, Karnataka signals where it wants its next generation of companies to compete.

Why does ELEVATE matter to founders?

ELEVATE has functioned as a state-run pitching and funding mechanism. Startups present to government panels; winners receive grants and support without surrendering equity. For founders too early for institutional investors, or based far from Bengaluru's venture networks, that structure has been the program's core draw.

The new schemes extend that machinery toward two groups the state now wants to prioritize: first-time and underrepresented entrepreneurs, and founders building technology-heavy businesses that typically face longer development cycles before revenue.

What comes next?

ThePrint's report does not yet detail the schemes' budget allocations, individual grant sizes, application windows, or disbursement timelines. Those specifics will determine how much the launch changes behavior among Karnataka's founders.

For now, the move tells the market one thing plainly: Karnataka intends to keep its startup policy aggressive, and it is betting state money on both broader participation and deeper technology. Founders in the state should watch for the rollout terms — the detail, not the announcement, will decide who actually benefits.