Question 1

Who can apply?

Accepted Answer

Teams of 1–4 people based in or around Pune, so we can meet in person for the final round. Currently enrolled students, recent graduates, and people who have completed their education and are building independently are all welcome. At least one member must be able to personally build the project — write the code or make the hardware — and the project can't be part of any college curriculum. No connections, referrals, or famous college required.

Question 2

What do funded teams actually get?

Accepted Answer

The headline isn't money, it's leverage: real infrastructure (Adalwin-hosted servers, deployment, and tooling at no cost), 1:1 mentorship from operators who have built and run real products, a network of operators and real businesses (plus DappaSol) who become early users and warm intros, and exposure at demo day and on the Ignite site. There is also a milestone-based grant to cover real costs — the amount is agreed at selection and released as you hit milestones.

Question 3

What does Adalwin get?

Accepted Answer

Today, nothing on your cap table — you don't owe anything back and Adalwin owns no part of your project when you receive the support. The agreement gives Adalwin a pre-agreed option to invest a fixed amount that converts to equity only if you incorporate or raise funding, plus the first right to invest in your first round. It only applies if you go on to raise. The full terms are in an agreement you read and sign before the program starts.

Question 4

Do I keep my IP?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You and your team keep ownership of everything you build. Adalwin gets a non-exclusive license to showcase the work — at demo day, on the Ignite site, and in program reporting. The full wording is in the fellowship agreement you sign before any money moves. Your project stays yours.

Question 5

What about the servers?

Accepted Answer

Adalwin provides and hosts the infrastructure your project runs on — servers, deployment, and tooling — at no cost. Because we host it, we can see deployment activity and usage on the infra we provide, which we use to support you when things break and to release milestone tranches based on real progress instead of paperwork.

Question 6

What's expected once you're funded?

Accepted Answer

Use the support and infrastructure for the project you applied with, honestly and in good faith. To protect the program, Adalwin keeps the final say on selection and on whether support continues, and reserves the right to pause or withdraw — and to reclaim provided resources — if it finds misuse of the infrastructure, misrepresentation, or mistreatment of people. We always raise concerns with you first; these are protections, not gotchas.

Question 7

Will this affect government grants I might apply for?

Accepted Answer

It might. Some government schemes have non-duplication clauses (NIDHI-PRAYAS, for example), meaning the same prototype can't receive funding from two sources. Taking an Ignite grant may affect your eligibility for those schemes for the same prototype. We flag this clearly during onboarding so you can decide with full information.

Question 8

Can I reapply if I'm not selected?

Accepted Answer

Yes — please do. Reapplying is welcome and never held against you. Teams that keep building between cohorts often come back with exactly the evidence that gets them in.

Question 9

My English isn't great. Is that a problem?

Accepted Answer

No. We judge substance, not polish. Answers in simple English or Hindi/Marathi-mixed are fine. Specifics — names, numbers, links — matter far more to us than grammar.

we back the people who

talent was never the problem.

the support goes into building.

real infrastructure, on us.

mentors who've shipped.

real people in your corner.

exposure that compounds.

send a link,
not a pitch deck.

apply

pitch

ship

this was never charity.

if you're in pune and you make things,we'd love to see it.

we back the people whoactually build.