CHENNAI: StartupTN has signed a memorandum of understanding with Ethiraj College for Women to establish a Campus Circle, strengthening on-campus entrepreneurship engagement.

The tie-up was announced on Tuesday alongside the launch of EmpowHer 1.0, a two-day bootcamp jointly organised by StartupTN and the state government’s TNWeSafe programme.

The initiative was inaugurated by Asha Ajith, project director, TNWeSafe, in the presence of Sivarajah Ramanathan, managing director and chief executive of StartupTN, along with industry leaders and college officials.

The inaugural cohort includes 160 aspiring women entrepreneurs from Chennai, Kancheepuram, Chengalpattu and Tiruvallur districts, selected through a structured application process.

The bootcamp is designed as an outcome-driven programme, focusing on translating entrepreneurial intent into viable business propositions through mindset building, hands-on business modelling, pitch development, risk identification and leadership training.

EmpowHer 1.0 is the first in a series of initiatives aimed at reaching more than 6,000 aspiring women entrepreneurs across the state over the next year, a release said.