Chennai, July 25:
The Indian Institute of Technology Madras has launched a week-long residential programme aimed at helping innovators and entrepreneurs transform artificial intelligence ideas into viable startups. The top-performing team will receive ₹4 lakh in seed funding support.
The initiative, organised by the Wadhwani School of Data Science and AI, is titled “Building a Successful AI Startup” and will be held on the IIT Madras campus from August 10 to 14.
The programme is designed to bridge the gap between AI innovation and entrepreneurship by equipping participants with hands-on knowledge across all stages of startup development. The curriculum includes identifying market opportunities, building a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), refining business models, raising investments, and delivering effective investor pitches.
The sessions will be led by Lakshmi Shankar, General Partner at Together Fund and former Vice President of Google Search, who has also held leadership roles at Twitter, IBM, and EY. He will mentor participants through lectures, practical exercises, and real-world case discussions.
According to IIT Madras, the programme aims to nurture AI-driven ventures with strong market relevance and sustainable business models, while also providing participants access to mentors and industry experts in the rapidly evolving AI startup ecosystem.