Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EiR)
At Social Alpha, we believe that science and technology innovations and entrepreneurship has the potential to bring about a positive change in the life of masses. We search for entrepreneurs and innovators who are on a ‘mission to create social, economic and environmental impact’ and support them through their ‘lab to market’ journey, as they create compelling solutions to fight poverty and address India’s intractable developmental challenges.
The Social Alpha Entrepreneurs-in-Residence (EiR) Fellowship Programme is a year-long immersive programme that equips passionate ‘entrepreneurs-in-the-making’ with end-to-end capacity building and resources to leverage India’s deep science, innovation, and entrepreneurship environment.
It is anchored in solving chronic and emerging problems, providing technology development support, business planning and venture building assistance, and an in-depth understanding of the social sector. The programme is designed to bring together entrepreneurs and innovators, and foster collaboration amongst some of the top educational, technical, and philanthropic institutions in the world.
Social Alpha promotes innovations and entrepreneurship with a mission to create large scale sustainable social, economic, and environmental impact.
We recognise the need for a programme aimed at budding entrepreneurs and innovators that:
- is rooted in a practical, hands-on approach to solving societal problems
- is tailored to attract talented and passionate individuals looking to venture into entrepreneurship
- lowers the opportunity cost & entry barrier of starting a social business
- allows latent entrepreneurs to experiment without ‘fear of failure’
- provides innovators and innovations within the Social Alpha ecosystem an opportunity & outlet to market
- is anchored in social enterprise building and immersive development sector experiences
Program Offerings
Financial Support
- A monthly stipend of INR 60,000
- Opportunity to pitch for seed funding up to INR 50 lakh
Strategic & Business Support
- Master classes and need-based mentoring on entrepreneurial know-how
- Access to domain experts, mentors, entrepreneurs, and functional specialists
- Checkpoint/ milestone-based progression
Innovation Support
- Free access to Social Alpha lab facilities for prototyping and product development
- Easy access to our partner organisations for labs and scientific support
- Mentoring on Design for Manufacturing by Design Alpha
Customised Support
- Access to Social Alpha network for bespoke assistance from domain experts including investors, mentors, and industry leaders
Program Eligibility
The EiR Fellowship is designed for scientific and engineering entrepreneurs in the early stages of technology development, who are dedicated to building a start-up that will solve India’s development challenges. Women innovators are encouraged to apply.
- Student innovators from engineering, medicine, sciences, and design disciplines, who are resilient and highly driven.
- Researchers who have completed their PhDs or post-docs in India or abroad, looking forward to commercialising a technology through their own start-up. Prospective fellows should be deeply focused on creating a business that targets the underserved population
- Mid-career professionals, scientists on sabbatical, or serial entrepreneurs who are empathetic, passionate and have an ability to work with, as well as lead others
- Anyone who considers themselves a misfit, has inter-disciplinary background but committed to the dream of building their own successful company and will leverage every opportunity that comes their way
Program Structure
The EiR Fellowship is a full-time programme designed to accelerate the idea-to-seed investment journey:
Induction
Introduction to Social Alpha and its partner ecosystem. Philosophy of capital, innovation and entrepreneurship for impact. Theory of change – Entrepreneurship as a pathway to create impact.
Huddle 1 – Problem Statements, Need and Interventions
Finding the problem statement, observing sector trends and boiling down to the scope of the intervention planned.
Immersion 1 – Exposure to Grassroots Challenges
A sector-wise immersion exercise along with the Tata Trusts’ on-ground interventions. The E4i candidate will gather contextual understanding of the problem and implementation challenges that exist on the ground. Issues at the Bottom of the Pyramid and various approaches that have been used to address them.
Immersion 2 – Exposure to Start-up Challenges
An enterprise-wise immersion exercise to be done along with the portfolio companies of Social Alpha or partners to understand the daily challenges experienced by entrepreneurs.
Technology Scouting
Developing an understanding of technology adoption and commercialization, gaining an exposure to innovations at various partner institutions like IITs, IISc, MIT, GOI labs etc.
Instructional Huddle 2 – Product-Market Fit:
Transitioning from an idea to a product/ service/ intervention through understanding product-market fit, competitive landscape and the product lifecycle. Understanding and establishing the product market fit and minimum viable product.
Business Bootcamp
Bootcamp to guide entrepreneurs through all the basic business skills for starting their own enterprise.
Instructional Huddle 3 – Product Development and Prototyping:
Building viable products and gaining hands-on knowledge for the new product development process, and prototype development.
Product Development, Piloting and Testing
Iterative process for arriving at solutions and test in the market by piloting and conducting field trials, in parallel to GTM readiness.
Instructional Huddle 4 – Go-To-Market Readiness:
Understanding the techniques for sales, marketing and customer service.
Investor Pitch Week
Final pitch presentation to be presented to the specially constituted investment committee and potential external investors. Graduation ceremony leading to start-up announcement.
Application Timelines
