Facebook has launched accelerator programmes — India Innovation Hub and School of Innovation — to help tech startups, developers and students in India develop products using emerging technologies.
The two programmes have been designed for existing startups as well as next generation of startups. They would “help unlock the potential of advanced technologies, including virtual reality (VR) in India, the company said on Monday. In partnership with T-Hub incubator, the India Innovation Hub would work with 10 VR-focused start-ups to accelerate their businesses in new and innovative ways.
Each start-up will get access to training, mentors, workshops, research and Facebook’s VR Innovation lab as part of the six-month accelerator programme.
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Applications for the Innovation Hub accelerator would open from January 2018. The first accelerator programme would begin in early 2018.
Under the School of Innovation programme, to be run in partnership with Startup Village Collective, 10 teams comprising selected engineering students from across the country would build a next generation product idea they have using VR. The teams will participate in a 20-week programme that includes online and in-person learning to progress their idea, build a low and high-fidelity prototype and finally launch to customers.
Head of Platform Partnerships of Facebook India and South Asia Satyajeet Singh said: “We know from experience how fast great ideas can thrive when start-ups are given the opportunity to grow... supporting startups, developers and students is a core part of our mission at Facebook.”
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