GSF Accelerator ties up with MIT Startup Labs for exchange program

Startup accelerator GSF India has announced a tie-up with MIT's Global Startup Labs for an exchange program. Under the program, startup founders and mentors from MIT's lab in Boston,US would get to visit India and GSF's startups will get access to the technical know-how of MIT-based entrepreneurs and program managers. In addition to this, Ph.D students from MIT will also visit India and will mentor GSF startups in Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

Following the partnership, startups incubated in MIT's Global start-up lab will get an opportunity to expand in India as they'll get access to support from GSF's mentor network in addition to co-working or office space in one of GSF's four accelerators in India.

"The best talent from abroad can come to India and create a new global language here. Our doors are open to the brightest talent from the rest of the world and we're hoping the world will open its doors to the brightest startups from India," said Rajesh Sawhney, founder, GSF Accelerator, in a talk announcing the partnership in Boston, as reported by TechCrunch.

"In 2008, no one was talking about startups there(in India)," said Michael Gordon, faculty director for MIT's program.

"There were a lot of cultural issues with risk tolerance. But now, students at the top universities have this attitude that they can do anything. They're being courted by the top multi-national corporations and they might see entrepreneurship as something of another challenge," he added.

GSF Accelerator is the initiative of Rajesh Sawhney, founder of GSF Superangels, a network of 30 leading digital founders and investors. GSF Accelerator has partnered with 500 Startups from Silicon Valley, Seedcamp from Europe, and Ruvento from Singapore, thus forming a global alliance that aims to provide access to global springboards for Indian startups. The accelerator had inducted 15 startups in its inaugural batch, across three cities, Bangalore, Mumbai and Delhi, NCR, simultaneously. Each received $28,000 in funding and a chance at an investment of up to $3 million from GSF Superangels.

During an interaction with NDTV Gadgets, Sawhney had mentioned that GSF with its EIR (Entrepreneurs in Residence) program intends to attract global talent to come and work with the startups it inducts. He had iterated that through GSF's global network it wanted to attract Global startups to expand in India and take Indian startups to overseas markets. He also mentioned that applications for GSF's second batch are now open in which it will induct up to 20 startups. The last date for applying is April 30th.