District-level Hackathons to Identify Student Startups

KOCHI:
As a prelude to the IEDC Startup Summit 2026, scheduled to be held on March 7 at Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kanjirappally, the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is organising large-scale hackathons across all 14 districts of the state. The hackathons will serve as a primary platform to identify promising innovative ideas and student-led startups emerging from campuses.

The initiative aims to identify local clusters in each district and develop practical solutions to problems in priority sectors. Both idea-stage teams and existing startups are eligible to participate in the hackathons. Registrations can be made through the following link: https://iedcstartupsummit.in/cluster-level-hackathon

One of the major highlights of this year’s summit is the innovative ‘Visa to Entrepreneurship’ programme. Through this initiative, selected student startups emerging from the hackathons and the summit will receive comprehensive, year-long support. During this one-year period, KSUM will provide all essential services required to navigate various stages of startup growth and address technological and administrative challenges. The programme will also offer mentorship and market linkages, empowering students to cross key milestones on their entrepreneurial journey.

Student teams comprising two to five members can present both technical and non-technical ideas at the hackathons. Innovation and Entrepreneurship Development Centres (IEDCs) will act as mentors and quality filters to identify the most promising ideas and teams. The objective is to move beyond standalone projects and nurture ideas into startups capable of creating real market impact. This will give students the opportunity to confront real-world business challenges and achieve market validation.

These efforts are being coordinated as part of building a strong innovation ecosystem across the state. Only teams that demonstrate excellence in the hackathons will gain entry to the IEDC Startup Summit. Beyond encouraging participation, the Kerala Startup Mission aims, through these initiatives, to transform student ventures into globally competitive startups capable of succeeding in international markets.