ATOM- FINTECH
Pre Incubation Program
ATOM -Fintech is a 12-week pre-incubation program designed for early-stage founders who are exploring or building innovative ideas in the Fintech domain. The program offers a structured, step-by-step approach to help startups achieve problem/solution fit and solution/customer fit, setting a strong foundation for product/market fit. Through expert mentorship, guidance from industry advisors, and support from IIITB Innovation Centre with strategic ecosystem backing from the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) as Strategic Knowledge Partner, the program enables startups to validate their ideas and business models through expert mentorship and guidance from seasoned industry advisors.
Founders will work with our mentors to identify gaps and select core areas where they seek deeper understanding, which will be addressed through expert-led sessions from Wadhwani Foundation’s Liftoff program for early-stage startups, in collaboration with us.
Successful teams may transition into a 12-month incubation program focused on achieving product/market fit and scaling, with access to funding opportunities.
Thematic Areas
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Digital Payments & Infrastructure
- UPI 2.0 and beyond(AutoPay, Credit on UPI, UPI Lite, international use cases)
- Offline Payments
- Merchant & Micro-business enablement
- Cross-border payments
- Digital wallets & interoperability
- Payment Gateways
- WealthTech & Financial Planning
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Financial Inclusion
- Last-mile banking
- Neo-banking for underserved segments
- SHG and women-focused finance tools
- Micro-credit, nano-loans, and savings tools
- Financial literacy platforms in regional languages
- Voice-Based UPI – Especially for financial inclusion among low-literacy users or the elderly.
- Risk & Compliance Workflow Automation
- Access to financial services for disabled
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Lending Innovation & Credit Scoring
- Alternative data-based credit scoring
- Embedded lending models (BNPL)
- P2P and community lending
- MSME credit tools & invoice financing
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Cybersecurity & Fraud Management
- Real-time threat intelligence & Fraud Monitoring
- Secure payment gateways
- AI-based transaction anomaly detection
- Anti-phishing & anti-spoofing tools
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Climate Tech-Driven Finance
- Green Credit & Lending
- Climate Risk Insurance & Microinsurance
- Carbon Credits & Tokenization
- Sustainable Investment Platforms
- Energy Access & Payments
- Climate Impact Scorecards & Reporting Tools
Mentor Panel
Mr. Sunil Bhat
Associate Partner, Microsave Consulting
Mr. Prasanna Lohar
Chief Innovation Officer, Diamante Blockchain
Mr. Abhimanyu Rathi
Founder & CEO, RenewCred
Ms. Vani Agarwal
Founder, Thinking Spree
Who can benefit
Early-Stage startups working on PoC/MVP
If you’re building a Proof of Concept (PoC) or Minimum Viable Product (MVP) in the fintech domain, and are open to refining your idea using proven frameworks for problem/solution fit and solution/customer fit, we invite you to apply.
What to expect
Business Model Design/Fine tuning
Business Model design using Lean-stack concepts covered through a hands-on workshop followed by one-on-one guidance to fine tune your business model design.
Problem/Solution Fit
Idea Validation with customers to achieve problem/solution fit and stepping back from the product/solution to arrive at a clear vision and implementation strategy for your business venture through hands on workshop followed by one-on-one guidance to fine tune vision and implementation strategy for your startup and achieve problem/solution fit for your innovative idea.
Solution/Customer Fit
Understanding customer segments, identifying early adapters, defining/building minimum viable product with a focus on delivering value to the early adapter customers through hands on workshop followed by one-on-one guidance to arrive at all these steps to achieve solution/customer fit to make your business venture ready for early traction and product /market fit in the next phase.
Focused Learning Areas for Startup Growth
Founders will have the opportunity to choose focus areas to strengthen their startup skillsets—such as Legal, Finance, IP, Fundraising, Sales & Marketing—through curated masterclasses and expert-led sessions.
Timeline
Applications open
May 23,2025
Applications close
June 19, 2025
Cohort Selection
June 28, 2025
Program Kick off
July 1 ,2025
Demo Day
Sept 30, 2025
Strategic Knowledge Partner
Partners
FAQs
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Should I have my startup company formally registered when I apply?
No, you need not have registered when you apply.
Is there a program fee for Atom pre incubation program?
Yes, there is a program fee of ₹15,000 for the ATOM Pre-Incubation Program. This fee is to be paid to the IIITB Innovation Centre prior to the start of the program.
Is the program conducted online or in-person?
The program is conducted online. However, startup founders from Bangalore can opt for in-person one-on-one sessions for their post workshop interactions based on their preference.
I am in the middle of developing my MVP. Is the program suitable for my stage?
Yes, the program will be able to help you in case you have not followed the three-step process of this program or you are looking for guidance in refining them.
Is there a grant or fund provided as part of this program?
No, this pre-incubation program does not offer any grant or fund. However, if you are selected for our follow-on twelve-month incubation program, you will have access to grants and other financial support directly from IIITB Innovation Centre.
IIIT Bangalore Innovation Centre 26/C, Hosur Rd, Electronics City Phase 1, Electronic City, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560100
For further queries, Contact Incubation Manager: programs-innovation@iiitb.ac.in | Phone: 080 41407777