In a bid to accelerate cutting-edge innovation in the domain of electric vehicles, iCreate (International Centre for Entrepreneurship and Technology) has announced the launch of its third edition of the EV startup challenge, EVangelise '23, in the presence of Jagdish Vishwakarma, Minister of State, Government of Gujarat.
EVangelise '23 will be open to innovators and startups from across India and will have two categories: the idea stage and the scale-up stage. Startups at the ideation stage Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 or belowwill have the opportunity to present their concepts and potentially form strategic partnerships with industrial partners. Meanwhile, startups at the scale-up stage (TRL 5 or above) will have the opportunity to connect with venture capital firms to secure the necessary funding for their growth and expansion.
The challenge will conclude in December with a grand finale featuring an EV Expo, award ceremony, thematic knowledge sessions, masterclasses, and an R&D track showcasing cutting-edge innovations in collaboration with research organisations in India and partner countries.
A press release from iCreate noted that the third edition of the challenge aims to elevate its impact by expanding the scope to encompass various classes of vehicles, including heavy electric vehicles, earthmovers and mining trucks. By involving various universities, colleges, and incubators through roadshows, iCreate aims to scout for and help top startups and the brightest innovators forge partnerships with industry-leading brands, the incubator said.
For this edition, iCreate has partnered with tech innovation hubs such as the TEXMiN Foundation, IIT (ISM) Dhanbad, Lukasiewicz Research Network in Poland and other scientific research organisations in India. These strategic alliances aim to drive advancements in EV subsystems and explore technology partnerships.
Furthermore, iCreate has also announced the RISC-V Challenge, a hardware development contest through which startups, businesses, students, and technology enthusiasts can showcase their skills and expertise in building applications based on RISC-V architecture.
This open-source development platform will open up multiple technology use cases that solve India-specific challenges in the EV domain. Up to ten winners will receive a cash prize of INR one lakh each, the release added.
Bhupendrabhai Patel, Chief Minister, Government of Gujarat, noted that as the country embarks on a journey towards a cleaner and greener future, the rise of electric mobility plays a pivotal role in shaping the civic mobility and infrastructure, towards the realisation of the Atmanirbhar Bharat, as envisioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Avinash Punekar, CEO, iCreate, said, “We are in a transformative period for the EV industry in our country, and it is vital that we identify and solve challenges at the sub-component level to accelerate the transition towards sustainable mobility nationwide.”
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