Indo-German entrepreneurship programme

Call for applications: Innovators Connect- Tandem 2025

Innovators Connect – Tandem is two weeks immersion programme for young researchers interested in start-up founding and early-stage start-up founders from India and Germany. The programme takes place in India.

Participants will work in teams to generate innovative ideas, undergo training for bringing research ideas to market and get exposure to start-up and innovation ecosystems of India and Germany. The programme will include design thinking workshops, information sessions, mentoring, networking sessions, lab visits and more.

When?

Location: India – Hyderabad and Bengaluru

Dates: 10 November – 20 November 2025

Who can apply?

Applicants from India

PhD (ongoing or completed) / Postdocs (PhD not older than four years) with a lab to market idea and registered (full time) at any of the partner institutions* of the programme
OR
Early stage-start-up founders (less than two years of incorporation) with minimum bachelor’s degree and preferably a master’s degree incubated onsite at one of the partner institutions*

Applicants from Germany

PhD (ongoing or completed) / Postdocs (PhD not older than four years) with a lab to market idea and currently affiliated with a university, university of applied sciences or a research institution in Germany
OR
Early-stage start-up team members/ early-stage start-up founders (not more than 2 years of founding) with minimum bachelor’s degree and preferably a master’s degree affiliated with a university, university of applied sciences or a research institution in Germany

 

What’s in it for you?

  • Direct access to the innovation ecosystems of India and Germany
  • Intensive, hands-on training with mentors from both countries
  • Collaboration in international and interdisciplinary teams
  • Opportunity to develop an idea ready for incubation
  • Access to a network of mentors, funding agencies, VCs, and more
  • Become a part of our Indo-German entrepreneurship network!

What does the programme cover?
  • Mentoring
  • Design Thinking
  • Connecting with Subject Experts
  • Industry Visits
  • Pitching Sessions
  • Workshops
  • Training
  • Information Sessions
  • Networking
  • Intercultural Training
  • Connecting with VCs
  • Start-up Exchange
  • Pitch Training
  • Teamwork
  • Expert Talks and more

 

Agenda

See the draft agenda of the programme: Draft agenda Innovators Connect Tandem 2025

Focus areas of the programme

Participants should have their academic/research background in the area of
  • Life Science
  • Physics
  • Chemistry
  • Earth Science
  • Engineering
  • Material Science
  • Engineering
  • Electronics and Telecommunications
  • Computer Science (including AI/ML)
  • Economics/ Business Management

Participants should have their lab to market ideas /start-up ideas /application of research in
  • Biotechnology
  • Digital Healthcare Technology
  • Medical Technology
  • Antimicrobial Resistance/ Drug Discovery
  • Clean Technology / Green Technology
  • Marine Technology
  • Agricultural Technology/ Food Technology
  • Mobility
  • Space Technology
  • Semiconductors

Number of participants

30 (15 from India and 15 from Germany).
One team will (ideally) have two participants- one from India and one from Germany

Application details

Application deadline: 20 July 2025

Send your application on Innovators Connect – Tandem 2025

Got questions? Please write to Aadishree Jamkhedkar, Head of Programmes, DWIH New Delhi at jamkhedkar@dwih.org

Financial support for participants

DWIH New Delhi together with the incubators will cover the financial costs for the participants to a large extent. For details see below

Participants from Germany
  • International air travel cost
  • Meals during the programme, wherever applicable
  • Accomodation in India during the entire programme
  • Visa fees

Participants from India
  • Air travel in India for programme in cities other than the city of their institution
  • Accommodation for programme in cities other than the city of their institution
  • Travel and accommodation for the concluding programme
  • Meals during the programme, wherever applicable

Note:

  • Week 2 offers a concluding programme for all the participants in Bengaluru. Accommodation and transport will be covered for non-local participants whose host incubators for the programme are outside of Bengaluru.
  • Participants are expected to take care of day-to-day commute during the programme and meals to an extent on their own. Canteen facilities are available at the host institutions.

Winners Get

At the end of the programme, all teams will present the ideas they have worked on, to a jury comprising of start-up founders, industry experts and researchers. The winning team(s) get the opportunity (financially supported) to meet in Germany in 2026 to work on their ideas and participate in a leading start-up conference in Germany. Teams will get further mentoring and support to raise grants for product development from incubators in India and Germany.

Success Stories from Previous Editions by Indo-German Teams

  • 1 EXIST Women grant awarded in Germany
  • 1 grant secured for prototype development in Germany
  • 1 Indo-German startup successfully incubated in Germany
  • 2 international startup innovation competitions won in the USA and Germany
  • 1 patent application filed in Germany
  • Couple of EXIST grant applications currently in the pipeline
  • Couple of joint Indo-German research papers
  • Numerous innovative ideas mentored for product development

Programme Partners

India 

Hosts and Main Partners*

  1. Centre for Cellular and Molecular Platforms (CCAMP), Bengaluru
  2. Foundation for Science Innovation and Development (FSID) , Indian Institute of Sciences (IISc), Bengaluru
  3. ASPIRE Technology Business Incubator, University of Hyderabad
  4. IIT Hyderabad Technology Incubation Centre (iTIC), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Hyderabad

Associate partners*

  1. Startup Incubation and Innovation Centre– Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Kanpur
  2. KIIT-Technology Business Incubator (KIIT-TBI), Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology (KIIT)

Germany 

  1. KIT Gründerschmiede, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
  2. Transfer Centre (TRACES), University of Stuttgart
  3. Centre for Entrepreneurship, University of Rostock
  4. Fraunhofer Venture, Fraunhofer Gesellschaft 
  5. Hei_INNOVATION, Heidelberg University
  6. Gateway Excellence Centre, University of Cologne
  7. NXTGN
  8. Technische Universität Braunschweig 

The programme is supported by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office (Auswärtiges Amt) 

2024 programme testimonials

2024 programme testimonials

To play the video, click the thumbnail. Once activated data will be transmitted to the respective provider. Watch on YouTube