NXP India Launches 4th Tech Startup Challenge for Innovation

NXP India, one of NXP Semiconductors' largest R&D facilities proudly announces the commencement of the 4th Season of the NXP India Tech Startup Challenge 2024. This initiative, in partnership with Startup India, reflects NXP’s commitment to fostering collaboration, innovation and supporting the growth of emerging startups in India. The NXP India Tech Startup Challenge serves as a unique platform for deep tech startups focusing on IP, Processors development, Semiconductor fabless ASIC design, Systems Solutions, Embedded product development and design houses, and Tier 1 & Tier 2 technology product companies across various sectors. By connecting with and nurturing these startups, we aim to propel India's tech ecosystem towards global prominence.

Jointly organized with Startup India, this event is an initiative by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, aimed at linking the Indian startup ecosystem. The program aims to propel the Indian ecosystem towards global visibility and network scalability for tech startups as these startups will get an opportunity to present to thousands of tech leaders. Deep tech startups focusing on technology areas such as AI (Accelerators, Trained Models, Software Enablement), ML, Edge Computing, Secured Connectivity, Software Defined Vehicle, Functional Safety, Human Machine Interface, Security, Motor Control, Ultra-Wideband, Voice, Wifi, 5G, RISC V, Quantum, Digital Twins (Software Modelling), In-Memory Computing, Body Wireless-LAN, etc. are invited to participate in the challenge.

Startup Sectoral Focus Areas:

• Automotive
• In-Vehicle Networking/Network Processing
• Electrification/E-Mobility
• ADAS & Autonomous Driving
• Industrial & IoT
• Smart City
• Smart Fabs (Logistics & Factory Automation, Robotics)
• Smart Home
• Health
• Personal devices
• Diagnostics, Monitoring, Therapy

Key Highlights of the Program:

• Prize and Mentorship: The top 3 finalists will receive a total prize of INR 10 Lacs along with mentorship opportunities provided by NXP India.
• Supporting Partners: Partners such as Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC), Electropreneur Park, Semiconductor Fabless Acceleration Lab (SFAL), InCeNSE at IISc Bengaluru will provide additional support to the program.
• Application Details: Applications open from February 19, 2024.

Benefits for Top 3 Selected Startups:

• Total prize money of INR 10 Lacs along with mentorship opportunity (3 interactive sessions with mentor each month for 3 months) from NXP India Technical Leadership Experts.
• Invitation to participate in the Extreme Tech Challenge (XTC) as finalists, entering global competitions and exposure to elite panel investors.

Benefits for Top 10 selected startups include:

• Opportunity to share their business value proposition to NXP and Industry partners along with networking opportunities.
• Invitation to participate in up to a 3-month Equity-free Pre-Incubation at Electropreneur Park (ESDM Incubator). This opportunity entails complimentary access to cutting-edge ESDM Lab test equipment, facilitating the transformation of ideas into prototypes. Startups will also benefit from mentorship sessions aimed at refining their business plans, technical guidance, connections to ESDM suppliers, and reimbursement of prototyping expenses up to INR 50,000.
• Entry into a 4-month equity-free Cohort period in collaboration with SFAL - Semiconductor Fabless Acceleration Lab (a Semiconductor & IP Design Incubator). During this period, startups will benefit from access to In-Kind Partner (IKP) assets (with a value per startup potentially exceeding INR 10 lakhs), including the FPGA Innovation Lab@SFAL and tools provided by In-Kind Partners. Additionally, they will gain access to webinars hosted by SFAL and IKP partners, as well as guidance on business strategies and potential investments.
• Opportunity for up to a 3-month equity-free pre-incubation at InCeNSE, located at IISc Bengaluru. During this period, startups will receive support from in-kind partners (valued at INR 50,000 per startup through the inupi2i program) to utilize CeNSE facilities for nanofabrication (NNFC), characterization (MNCF), system engineering, and packaging. Additionally, they will have access to events and seminars organized by InCeNSE and FSID, along with mentoring sessions conducted by faculty and research staff (up to 2 hours per month per cohort).

Hitesh Garg, Vice President & India Managing Director, NXP Semiconductors

“We are thrilled to launch Season 4 of the NXP India Tech Startup Challenge, building on the success of the previous three seasons. These successive years have strengthened our commitment, aligning with the Government of India's vision to foster startups. The challenge is designed to connect, collaborate, and nurture Indian technology startups as it serves as a catalyst, driving global visibility and network scalability for tech startups. Our goal is to contribute to making India a global leader in sustainable tech innovation, support the ecosystem for global impact and showcase untapped talent on a global stage."

For more information and to apply, visit NXP India Tech Startup Challenge.