The Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), through its Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST), has launched the ‘Startups for All’ initiative — a first-of-its-kind effort aimed at democratizing access to high-quality, comprehensive data on India’s startup ecosystem.
Developed in collaboration with YNOS, an IIT Madras–incubated startup, the initiative seeks to empower startup founders, entrepreneurs, and a broad range of stakeholders by providing free and affordable access to critical startup-related information.
Launched by Palanivel Thiagarajan, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, during the TN Global Startup Summit, the initiative represents a significant step in making India’s vibrant startup landscape more inclusive and data-driven.
The platform currently hosts over 275,000 startups, 15,000 angel investors, 5,500 venture capital firms, 1,400 incubators, 800 banks, and 110 government support schemes, making it the most comprehensive resource of its kind in India.
It also offers tools such as investor recommendations for startups seeking funding, comparative analytics for growth and investment, downloadable investor reports, and personalized outreach features for connecting with investors and incubators.
Recognizing the growing integration of startups into mainstream society, IIT Madras noted that startups today influence not just founders, investors, and enablers, but also students, job seekers, corporates, consumers, and service providers.
As India’s startup economy becomes increasingly pivotal to the nation’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision and $5 trillion economy goal, improving information accessibility is vital.
A major challenge in the startup ecosystem has been the “information conundrum”—the illusion of abundant data when in reality, information remains fragmented and difficult to access.
‘Startups for All’ addresses this by offering cost-free initial access to verified startup and investor data.
Registered users receive complimentary credits to explore profiles of startups, investors, venture capital firms, incubators, banks, and government schemes.
After using the free credits, users can continue through a pay-as-you-go micro-payment model, removing the barrier of expensive subscriptions.
This model is especially beneficial for students, faculty, researchers, first-time entrepreneurs, and innovators from smaller towns and institutions, providing them with actionable insights and access to the same data that established players enjoy.
By bridging India’s startup information gap, IIT Madras’ ‘Startups for All’ initiative marks a key step toward fostering a more inclusive, informed, and innovation-driven entrepreneurial ecosystem.
