Panaji, July 22, 2025: Aimed at empowering high-potential Goan startups, Hon’ble Minister for ITE&C Shri Rohan A. Khaunte announced the Goa Startup Accelerator Program — a mentor-led initiative designed to support and scale the growth phase of startups across the state.
The program will be led by the Startup and IT Promotion Cell, under the Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications (DITE&C), Government of Goa.
The Accelerator will support a curated cohort of 30 high-potential startups, including 25 startups officially registered in Goa and about 5 startups which are not registered in Goa but operating in Goa. The program focuses on building and scaling local startups by offering structured mentorship and market access needed to grow their ventures. Startups will be selected through a combination of open applications and nominations from incubators and industry partners. Applications open on July 21, 2025.
Once selected, startups will embark on a 5-month journey featuring mentorship tracks across product development, technology, business development, market access and fundraising. The program will include masterclasses by domain experts, one-on-one mentorship clinics, and culminate in a Demo Day, offering founders the opportunity to pitch to investors and corporates.
“Goa’s long-term vision is to build a connected, visible and outcome-driven startup ecosystem,” noted Shri Rohan A. Khaunte, Hon’ble Minister for Information Technology, Electronics & Communications. “The Accelerator is designed to unify Goa’s startup ecosystem through a central platform that enables visibility, performance tracking and meaningful engagement. Startups represent the future of entrepreneurship, and through the Goa Startup and IT Policy, we are working to position Goa as a leading hub for innovation and scalable business growth. This program is a major step forward in that journey.”“We are addressing a key gap by moving beyond one-time incentives to provide structured, sustained support for startups,” emphasized Shri Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C. The program will feature a dashboard for real-time progress tracking, mentor engagement, and outcome measurement, helping build a continuously evolving ecosystem of Goan startup talent.
The Goa Startup Accelerator Program is part of the Government’s broader effort to enable innovation-driven entrepreneurship, create jobs and scale local impact.
With applications opening on July 21, 2025, this program marks a new phase in Goa’s startup story—one that aims to strengthen the capacity of the state’s youth to grow faster into wealth creators and sustainable job creators.