BIRAC LEAP Fund
Offered by BIRAC
Overview
The BIRAC LEAP Fund (Launching Entrepreneurial driven Affordable Products Fund) is a scheme run by the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) to help emerging biotech startups pilot and commercialize their innovations and become attractive to venture capital investors. Rather than funding startups directly, BIRAC channels the scheme through selected BioNEST incubators designated as LEAP Fund Partners, each of which receives Rs 500 lakh per funding cycle to deploy to startups. As of February 2023, the fund had supported 47 startups with approximately Rs 30 crore in equity investment.
Eligibility
- For incubators to become LEAP Fund Partners: must already be a BIRAC SEED fund partner
- Incubator must have operated for at least five years
- Must have internal capacity to incubate early-stage biotech and life sciences startups
- Must offer established IP and technology transfer facilitation services
- Must have four years of prior experience managing early-stage funding schemes
- For startups: must be transitioning from proof-of-concept to pilot stage in biotech or life sciences
Funding Purpose
Funds are meant to help biotech startups move from proof-of-concept to pilot stage, piloting and commercializing innovations, positioning them to subsequently attract venture capital investment.
Application Process
Startups apply through one of six designated LEAP Fund Partner incubators: FITT-IIT Delhi, IKP Knowledge Park, C-CAMP Bangalore, Venture Center, KIIT-TBI, and SINE-IIT Bombay. Applicants should consult the official LEAP Fund guidelines and approach the relevant partner incubator directly for the detailed process.
How to Apply
- 1Click "Apply Now" above and submit your application directly on the official page.
- 2The offering organisation screens applications against its own eligibility criteria.
- 3Shortlisted applicants may be invited to a pitch or interview round.
- 4The final decision rests solely with the offering organisation.
- 5There is no guarantee of funding at any stage.
Before You Apply
- ZeedFund is an independent tracker, not the offering organisation or a funding body.
- Verify current eligibility, funding amount, and deadline on the official page before applying. Details can change after we last verified them.
- Once you apply, all follow-up (screening updates, interview or pitch invites, and the final decision) comes directly from the facilitator, incubator, or investor, never from ZeedFund. Check their application portal or email yourself for status updates; we won't have visibility into it.