IIT-M start-up to connect entrepreneurs to academia

The IIT-M incubated start-up YNOS Venture Engine launched ‘Delphi’ platform to catalyse Deep Innovation and Hi-Tech start-ups. This platform would help the start-ups and young entrepreneurs to access top notch scientific expertise in higher educational institutions.

Faculty members would be part of this initiative that will enable entrepreneurs across India, or even globally, to identify faculty members they would like to work with using the tools available on the platform. Once an entrepreneur expresses interest in interacting with a faculty, YNOS would facilitate the interaction.

As many as 128 faculty members from IIT Madras, Delhi, Bangalore, BITS Pilani, Hyderabad, IITDM Kanchipuram, Ropar, Mandi, Palakkad, NIT Trichy, Warangal and Raipur have so far joined hands in this initiative.

Speaking about the benefits of the programme, Professor A Thillai Rajan, Department of Management Studies, IIT Madras and Co-Founder of YNOS Venture Engine said, “There is a strong potential for institutes of higher education to engage with start-ups over and above to what is currently being done”.

“While many institutes have incubation cells to encourage faculty and students to create start-ups, there is tremendous scope for helping start-ups outside their institutions with their expertise and help them in bringing their innovations to market,” he said adding, “Delphi has a tremendous potential to contribute to an important area of India’s economy by providing a direct interface between the start-ups and academics.”