CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Startup and Innovation Mission's (StartupTN) Tamil Nadu SC/ST Startup Fund has won the SKOCH Silver Award 2026 in the Ease of Doing Business category.
The fund, launched by the MSME Department, provides equity funding to startups founded by Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe entrepreneurs.
According to StartupTN, the fund has supported 43 SC/ST-led startups and facilitated investments worth Rs 60.80 crore till the end of 2025-26.
The portfolio companies have also raised Rs 21.66 crore in follow-on investments from other investors.
Among the startups supported under the scheme are OrbitAid Aerospace, which has raised over Rs 15 crore in follow-on funding and launched a satellite through an ISRO mission, and Unibose Technology, which has developed a robotic system certified for hazardous industrial environments and secured Rs 5.46 crore in follow-on investments.
The fund provides equity investments to eligible startups and is supplemented with mentorship, market access and investor connect programmes. StartupTN said the initiative follows a due diligence process covering business, legal and financial aspects before investments are made.