Swanari TechSprint 3.0

An accelerator program by the RBIH, IIMA Ventures and HDFC Parivartan to support fintech startups building women-centric financial services.

About the Program

Swanari TechSprint is a program by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH), in collaboration with IIMA Ventures (Formerly IIMA-CIIE), designed to accelerate women-centric fintech startups to scale their businesses. Through expert mentorship, financial support and strategic resources, we equip innovators to develop cutting-edge solutions to drive growth and create a meaningful impact in the financial sector. Swanari TechSprint provides a platform to conceptualise, develop and support innovations in technology that enhance access, usage and quality of financial services for all women in India.

Need Assessment

Pitch Clinic

1:1 Mentoring

Masterclasses

Regulatory Guidance

Networking Mixers

Access to Bank APIs

Bank-FinTech Demo Day

Investor-Fintech Demo Day

Need Assessment

Pitch Clinic

1:1 Mentoring

Masterclasses

Regulatory Guidance

Networking Mixers

Access to Bank APIs

Bank-FinTech Demo Day

Investor-Fintech Demo Day

By applying, you agree to our Terms & Conditions

Who Can Apply?

Startups that have raised Seed or pre-Series A funding onwards, or have a minimum ARR of $100K.

Startups interested in building use cases with banks .

Teams with a minimum of two co-founders.

Theme

Women-centric Financial Solutions

In the past decade, India has made unprecedented progress on various fronts in financial inclusion, made possible by – RBI’s initiatives, Pradhan Mantri Jan-Dhan Yojana (PMJDY), Aadhaar and the spread of smartphones in both rural and urban areas. Thanks to these efforts India has officially closed the gender gap in account ownership. However, data shows that women tend to have more inactive bank accounts than men, fewer women save within their bank accounts and women entrepreneurs still face credit access gaps. Reserve Bank Innovation Hub’s Swanari program has been set up with the mission of enabling “Frictionless Finance for Every Woman in India”. Through the Swanari TechSprint 3.0, RBIH and IIMA Ventures aim to collaboratively support and accelerate a cohort of FinTech startups that are innovative and gender-intentional, striving to improve financial services for women across the country..

Generative AI

RegTech/SupTech

Fraud Detection

Financial Data Analytics

Alternate Credit Scoring

What We Offer

Application window

1st week to 3rd week of October.

Startup selection & onboarding

3rd week of October to 1st week of November.

Program Phase

1st week of November to 1st week of January.

Demo Days & Graduation

1st week of February to 2nd week of February.

What We Offer

Pitch Clinic

Engage with experts to refine your pitch to bank and investors

Tailored Mentoring

Immerse yourself in focused mentoring tuned to your business

Expert-led Masterclasses

Soak in the knowledge led by the Masters in curated learning sessions

Bank Demo Day

Showcase solutions to major banks and financial institutions in the country

Investor Demo Day

Connect and Pitch your startup to leading VCs

HDFC Grant

Get selected for the Innovators’ Grant by HDFC Parivartan

Who Can Apply?

Eligibility

By applying, you agree to our Terms & Conditions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Swanari TechSprint?

Swanari TechSprint is a platform to conceptualise, develop and support innovations in technology that enhance access, usage and quality of financial services for all women in India.

Who organises this program?

The program is jointly organized by the Reserve Bank Innovation Hub (RBIH) and IIMA Ventures (Formerly IIMA-CIIE)

What is the duration of the program?

It is a continuous engagement program including a 2-month high engagement period followed by ongoing portfolio support.

Who is eligible to participate?

Innovators, startups, entrepreneurs, and tech providers working on financial solutions aimed at improving women’s financial inclusion are eligible if they have developed a demonstrable prototype or an MVP.

How can I apply for the program?

Applications can be submitted via this link

What is the deadline for application submission?

The deadline is 15th January 2024. Submissions made after this date may not be accepted.

What support does the program offer?

Participants will get access to the Pitch Clinic, Tailored Mentoring, Expert-led Masterclasses, Bank Demo Day, Investor Demo Day, HDFC Grant.

Are there any prizes or funding opportunities?

Yes. A collective pool of over INR 2 crores has been earmarked to support the further development and piloting of the solutions.

Is there a fee to participate?

The program does not require any participation fee.

Is the program limited to certain geographic regions?

We accept early-stage ideas from across the country. There are no geographical restrictions.

What happens after the program ends?

Select participants may be eligible for further funding opportunities, or partnerships with industry leaders.

Will participants receive a certificate?

Yes, all participants will receive a certificate of participation from RBIH & IIMA Ventures.

By applying, you agree to our Terms & Conditions

Terms & Conditions

What are the terms and conditions for the program?

By submitting the program application form, the applicant acknowledges and agrees to abide by these terms and conditions:

– The selection of applicants for the program will be at the sole discretion of the organizers. The organizers’ decision regarding the selection of applicants is final and cannot be appealed

– Acceptance into the program does not guarantee funding, investment with IIMA Ventures or Pilot/POC opportunity with Banks.

– The organizers reserve the right to terminate an applicant’s participation in the program if the applicant violates any terms and conditions or exhibits inappropriate behavior.

– Participants are responsible for ensuring that their business complies with all legal and regulatory requirements.

– The organizing institutions will not be held liable for any losses, damages, or expenses incurred by the applicants or participants during the application or incubation process.

– All issues and questions concerning the construction, validity, interpretation and enforceability of the terms and conditions, or the rights and obligations of the participant and organizers, in connection with the program shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with the laws of India and the courts in Bangalore shall have jurisdiction over any action arising out of this program, and the venue shall be Bangalore.

– The organizer reserves the right to alter/ amend/ modify any rules of any program at any time without any notice whatsoever.

– All digital data or information provided in connection with the program may be used (saved, stored, processed, transmitted and deleted) by us in accordance with our Privacy Policy, which is hereby incorporated by reference into these event terms.

You may access organizers facilities for the program (the “Purpose”), and during such visits the organizer may disclose, or you may have access to, certain business or confidential information of the organizer (“Confidential Information”). You agree: (i) to use reasonable measures to maintain the Confidential Information in strict confidence; (ii) not to disclose the Confidential Information to any third parties; and (iii) not to use the Confidential Information for any purpose except the Purpose. These obligations will continue for five (5) years, except obligations with respect to organizer’s trade secrets will continue in perpetuity, and will not apply to the extent any Confidential Information is now or thereafter becomes generally known or available to the public, through no act or omission by you. You may make disclosures of Confidential Information required by law, regulation, or court order if you (A) send Scale prompt written notice of the required disclosure and (B) cooperate, at the organizer’s expense, to prevent or limit the disclosure.

– By submitting the application, applicants agree to be bound by the latest version of the terms and conditions.

Have Something to Tell Us?

As an innovation hub, we thrive on new ideas.
Let’s hear yours.

Reserve Bank Innovation Hub

A wholly-owned subsidiary of the RBI