Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati

Our Partners

Why Incubate with us?

At BioNEST Incubator Centre, we envision an ecosystem where entrepreneurs and innovators have access to cutting-edge infrastructure and mentoring support for a unique Incubation experience to Nurture their entrepreneurial skills and create deep impact with their innovation.

IITG-BioNEST is targeted to inculcate a 360-degree translation under the umbrella of IITG starting from Idea generation, Proof-of-concept demonstration, Prototyping, Clearances, Validations, Certifications until Commercialization. At present, BioNEST can support and Nurture 25 startups/MSMEs/SMEs in the facility.

Infrastructure

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IITG-BioNEST provides affordable state-of-art incubation facilities which includes common laboratory space, office cubicles, fully-equipped conference rooms and cutting-edge instrumentation facilities sprawled across 10,000 sq.ft. covered area in the newly constructed CFN (Centre for Nanotechnology) at IITG. In addition, inubatee start - ups /MSMEs /SMEs will get access to state-of-art instrumentation, fabrication, characterization and testing facilities housed at CFN-IITG to foster and support their entrepreneurial journey.

Mentorship & Collaboration

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Leading doctors/scientists/engineers/entrepreneurs will be made available to the Biotech start-ups for trouble shooting and fast-track solutions. Regular interactions with industry experts will provide mentorship and necessary hand-holding instrumental for start-ups in the initial years of incorporation. The incubatees will be encouraged to collaborate with leading IITG faculty for product development, technology transfer and commercialization.

Entrepreneurship ecosystem development

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One of the major objectives will be to nurture IITians for biotechnology incubation and grow them with the existing incubators. Further, being connected to the rural NE India IITG is very well placed to nurture and promote Women Led Entrepreneurship. Running bio-entrepreneurship development programs and investors meet at IITG through this BioNEST for sprouting start-ups, SME, MSME and rural entrepreneurs will enable the development of a larger amount of skilled workforce and employment.

Market Access

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IITG is strategically placed in the south-east Asia with a market size of 340 million population which include 7 NE states of India, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, and Myanmar. In all these places, the majority is rural population. Thus, health care solutions involving the traditional and modern Biomaterials, traditional and modern biochemical agents and state-of-art frugal diagnostics will have the access to this large market for all incubating entities.

Idea-Exchange

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BioNEST organizes multiple National and International Conferences/ Workshops/ Training/ Hackathons/Investor annually to establish synergies between industry and academia also providing excellent networking opportunities for startups to grow and outreach their innovations helping them to generate funding and investments.

Accelerator

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BioNEST also brings in various consultants, angel funding and VC opportunities to work on an accelerator model, so that the successful starts ups may graduate fast into the cycles of private limited companies.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. 1. What is the SOP for incubation at IITG-BioNEST?

   Startups/MSMEs/companies who wish to incubate at IITG-BioNEST, need to submit a “Letter of Intent” to detailing their product/technology which they wish to develop. The letter should also detail the engagement/collaborations the applicant plans to do with IITG faculty. The application will be screened by BioNEST administration and will be recommended to the Dean IISI and BioNEST BOD (Board of Directors). After successful review by the competent authorities, the applicant company will be required to sign the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) with the center for incubation.

2. 2. What is the minimum office/labspace available for rent?

   For physical incubation of start-ups/companies, a minimum of 150sq.ft. office space will be provided @Rs.30/sq.ft. (exclusive of GST). The BioNEST facility will have a common lab area equipped with state-of-art instrumentation facilities which will be accessible to the incubatees for free for a period of one year since start of incubation after which usage charge (for equipments only) will be levied. The office rental charge is exclusive of electricity, water and broadband internet connection fee.

3. 3. Can inubatee companies use instrumentation facilities of IIT-Guwahati other than provided exclusively by BioNEST?

   Yes. Incubatees can avail the equipment facilities from IITG Centre for Nanotechnology on slot availability basis.

4. 4. What are the additional facilities/services be provided by the BioNEST incubator to incubatee companies?

   The sole vision of BioNEST is to foster incubation and develop entrepreneurial ecosystem in NE region. To nurture the innovation and establishing synergies between academia and industry, BioNEST will constantly provide mentorship support, networking opportunities with investors, VC fundings, angel networks etc. The center will always encourage incubatees for fundraising from Government and Private sources. Also, BioNEST encourages and supports collaborations with IIT faculty for product development and commercialization.

5. 5. How does BioNEST will address the IP sharing issues?

   (a)   Any background IP owned by the company, BioNEST will not have any claim on the same.

   (b)   IP/patents filed by the incubatee during incubation will be owned by company and the incubation centre will have no share in it.

   (c)   IP will be jointly shared if company is collaborating with the IIT faculties/researcher/student. In that case, the terms of IP sharing will be decided between both the parties.

   (d)   Foreground IP: If the incubatee company has undertaken the product/technology development without taking any material/intellectual help from the IITG laboratory/faculty, the incubatee will also hold the foreground IP. Even at the possibility of developing the technology further, some IP has been generated where the IITG faculty is involved, the IP may be shared. In what proportion the IP might be shared will be discussed on case-to-case basis based on contribution made by IITG in terms of time and infrastructure.

6. 6. What are the policies regarding Technology transfer?

   (a)   Any proposition for technology transfer coming to a company will be run through BioNEST administration led by CEO. Thereafter, the BioNEST committee will recommend it to the Dean IISI/BOD.

   (b)   Any technology transfer where IITG faculty is involved, the IITG guidelines will be followed.

7. 7. How often the BioNEST Board of Directors meet?

   The BioNEST BOD will meet every four months. All recommendations, issues etc. pertaining to the Center will be tabled during that time.

8. What is the Exit Policies for incubatees after graduating from the center?

   (a)   If an incubatee wants to exit before the completion of agreement period, the incubatee will send the proposal explaining its specific reasons for it to the Board. In the event of premature exit, the procedure detailed in clause 4 of the MoA will be followed.

   (b)   In the event of successful product/technology or in the event of an incubatee having raised adequate non-diluting/diluting funding, the terms of the exit will be worked out on case-to-case basis between BioNEST and the exiting company.

   (c)   5-10% royalty for a fixed period or one-time exit fee will be levied on incubatee successfully graduating from the center.