German software maker SAP on Friday launched the ‘Startup Accelerator Program’ in partnership with the Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE), a technology and business incubator, at the IIT-Bombay (IIT-B) campus. The initiative will enhance SAP’s engagement with IIT-B to support startups and train teachers.
The SAP-IIT-B Startup Accelerator Program will mentor and accelerate the business growth of 10 social enterprises or startups, over the next year. SINE will administer a business incubator that will provide support for technology-based entrepreneurship, and help young minds in their first fledging steps in the market.
The company also launched the SAP Innovation Centre, which will host research projects in association with the computer science department of IIT-B. The Centre will also enable IIT-B students to work on cutting-edge technologies.
Professor Devang Khakhar, director, IIT-Bombay, said: “IIT-Bombay is committed to academic and scientific excellence. We are delighted that SAP is partnering with us through the Innovation Centre and Startup Accelerator program. These programmes will also help our students gain valuable real-life experience in partnership with SAP.”
Dilipkumar Khandelwal, managing director, SAP Labs India and executive vice-president, Enterprise Cloud Services, SAP SE, said, “The partnership with IIT-Bombay will further our existing efforts on strengthening the entrepreneurship ecosystem. So far, SAP has impacted over 250 startups, accelerated and mentored 20 startups and social enterprises to make them investible and enable their next stage of growth.”
