About the Programme

The convergence of Financial Technology and Sustainability can be defined as Green FinTech and it's going to play a significant role in achieving environmental sustainability. As part of this accelerator we are looking to support green FinTech Startups from diverse subcategories such as Green and Sustainable Financing, Green Investments, Impact Traceability, Disaster and Climate Risk Management, Green Transition etc.

The Green FinTech Cohort Programme is a week-long, deep dive, residential programme specifically designed to support early stage Green FinTech startups. The programme gives its participants an opportunity to understand the FinTech industry, connect with Green FinTech experts, understand basic building blocks of innovative and scalable business models, and get personalised mentoring support. The week-long bootcamp ends in a demo day where the participating startups will pitch their ideas to next stage FinTech investors. Startups will be incubated at VentureStudio and will continue to receive support from the centre post programme completion.  

India's FinTech industry, the world's third-largest, presents immense potential, with underserved markets and widespread internet access. India boasts the globe's highest FinTech adoption rate at 87%, driven by technological innovation, internet proliferation, favorable demographics, and financial inclusion initiatives.The programme aims to support startups on their journey towards creating commercially scalable, sustainable fintech solutions with a focus on creating positive impacts in India. The programme will focus on integrating sustainability, technology, and finance to forge a pioneering "green model”.

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Programme Offerings

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Funding

Product development and validation funds of
up to INR 25,00,000*

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Networking

Access to VentureStudio Network of experts and FinTech
Ecosystem players

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Infrastructure

Access to IFSCA
regulatory resources

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Mentoring

One-on-one business mentoring and advisory support

*Subject to approval

Focus Areas

Early stage Green FinTech startups that are operating at a nexus of Financial Technology and Environmental Impact. 

A few key use cases of Green FinTech are listed below for better understanding:

  • Artificial Intelligence to summarise reports on green/transitional effort by companies, organisations, countries
  • Quantify biodiversity risks, impacts and opportunities and embed them into financial decisions
  • Develop green finance solutions that absorb/transfer risks related to climate change, using innovation & technology
  • Credit rating system that takes into account net negative carbon footprint impact generated by a fund
  • Encourage participation from lender in green financing solutions 
  • Multiply impact through developing automated ways of due diligence and risk assessment for smaller scale renewable projects
  • Funding platform that focuses on green finance companies to help in fundraising and develop visibility
  • Build technology solutions that reduce possibilities of green washing and raise the confidence of buyers of carbon credits

Who can apply

Indian startups with innovative Green FinTech solution can apply to be part of the programme

Programme Timeline

  • Application Deadline: November 10, 2023
  • Cohort Announcement: November 20, 2023
  • Bootcamp: November 27 - December 1, 2023
  • Demo Day: December 1, 2023

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Programme Partner

Headquartered at GIFT City in Gandhinagar, The IFSCA is a unified authority for the development and regulation of financial products, financial services and financial institutions in the International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) in India.

Ecosystem Partners

Wadhwani Foundation

Wadhwani Foundation is a not-for-profit with the primary mission of accelerating economic development by driving job creation in India and other emerging economies through large-scale initiatives in entrepreneurship, small business growth, innovation, and skilling. Founded in 2000 by Silicon Valley entrepreneur Dr Romesh Wadhwani, today, the Foundation is scaling impact in multiple countries across Asia, Africa and Latin America, through technology, networks and partnerships.

GVFL Limited

GVFL Limited, formerly known as Gujarat Venture Finance Limited, is a pioneering venture capital company located in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, India. With a rich history spanning two decades, GVFL has successfully managed nine venture capital funds and provided crucial support to more than 105 companies, achieving significant returns through divestment from over 75% of its portfolio firms.

IDFC Bank

IDFC First Bank is guided by ethics and customer first values, powered by technology, and be a force for social good. Bank want to touch the lives of millions of Indians in a positive way by providing high-quality banking products and services to them, using contemporary technologies. The bank believes in making customer-first products.