Mangaluru: The ITBT department of Karnataka govt under our flagship Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP), is establishing the K-Combinator Startup Accelerator at WrkWrk, Mangaluru, in collaboration with TiE-Mangaluru. With an investment of over Rs 9.5 crore, this initiative is another important step towards strengthening the emerging Udupi-Mangaluru startup cluster, stated minister of home, e-governance, electronics, IT & BT Priyank Kharge on X.He wrote that the accelerator will identify high-potential startups at the proof-of-concept and MVP stages, and help them scale through structured mentorship, market access, industry linkages and funding support. It also aims to foster stronger collaboration between industry and academia while nurturing globally competitive startups and cutting edge R&D from the region.With its growing IT/ITeS base and strong innovation ecosystem, the K-Combinator Startup Accelerator will further strengthen the Mangaluru cluster’s reputation as the ‘Silicon Beach of India’ and mark another significant step in Karnataka’s innovation ecosystemReacting to this development, Rohith Bhat, founding president, TiE Mangaluru, stated that it is our belief that accelerators should be operated by industry bodies like TiE Mangaluru, as these bodies are run by folks who have started, scaled and exited companies. They know what it takes to accelerate the growth of high potential, high growth startups and can improve chances of success for other aspiring startups, he added.“TiEMangaluru is now a very vibrant community of 150 plus startup founders or professional CEOs. Between us, we already employ over 20,000 plus in the region, delivered three $100m+ exits and helped to create jobs and innovation BeyondBengaluru. Initiatives like K Combinator at the Silicon Beach, help us deliver on the promise of building one of the most vibrant startup ecosystems here in the long run,” he stated.
