Want to Startup in Goa? CIBA Has its Arms Open

Goa always brings a smile on a persons face whenever mentioned and so was the case with us when CIBA (Center of Innovation and Business Acceleration) invited us to deliver a talk. The topic was 'Startup landscape in India' and the audience was a young energetic crowd of aspiring entrepreneurs. Goa is definitely not a place that would be at the top of ones mind when you think about entrepreneurship in India but things are changing. Goa has a budding talent pool which has a wider vision and incubators are being setup to foster this scenario (also see Dharamshala)

CIBA is a privately run, government funded organization that acts as a platform to facilitate the engagement and collaboration with domain experts, stakeholders and key participants to create an innovation movement in India. A strong proponent of entrepreneurship, CIBA at the moment is incubating the first batch of 7 startups and is headed by a board of members with a few key thrust areas: Information and Communication Technologies, Solid Waste Management and Food Processing. CIBA also does activities along with the other organizations like the Goa Android User Group (which is headed by Prajyot Mainkar).

CIBA has a selection procedure via which it takes in incubates and takes them through a yearlong process after which the decision lies on the company whether they want to continue. CIBA doesn’t take a stake in the company but the facilities are also not completely free. They have to pay a basic amount of about 2.5 thousand per month. In return for this, CIBA provides facilities like independent air conditioned offices, conference rooms, library, cafeteria, internet and communications which is available 24*7. CIBA also provides mentorship, legal help, and other services that are essential to run a business.

With a calm and serene surrounding, some 25 kilometers from Panjim, CIBA is surely one place you’d like to have in mind if you’re looking for support to startup. Out of the 7 incubatees, Transerve Technologies won the Power of Ideas and has been doing well in its domain. Some very interesting startups are coming in the field of food processing as well. Inspite of having the aforementioned focus areas, at the core, CIBA is open to startups in all domains:

Here is the list of 7 companies that are currently being incubated:

1)   Kreative carafe developed ‘AUXIDIN’, an Electronic Health Recording System (EHRS). Mr. Cicero Silva and Mr. Kennedy Pereira are the founders and they also provide professional services related to marketing, brand and product development.

2)   Longtail Data Analytics is founded by an IIT-Mumbai Alumnus, Ravi Aranke and the company assists customers in deriving actionable insights from raw data.

3)   Fresh n Nice is an entrepreneurial venture manufacturing milk based drinks in Goa. It has been founded by Tom Santosh.

4)   Bosco Engineering works on generating electric power through action of vehicular mass, its movement and compressed air. Bosco is founded by Avelino Carvalho, a diploma holder in production engineering and he has a decade of experience at CCIC in UAE.

5)   Non Conventional Power Devices Pvt. Ltd promotes its technologies with the brand name Energy XS headed by Mr. Orlando V. Fernandes. They have developed hybrid products to utilise solar and wind energy to find sustainable solutions for power generation.

6)   Armada, a company founded by Oscar de Sequeira Nazaret aims to commercialize an old Portuguese family recipe for spice liqueur. Goa born Oscar was educated in Portugal and United Kingdom and obtained professional qualification in the areas of securities trading, finance, insurance and investments. After working in the UK for a few years, Oscar returned to his roots to start Armada.

7)   Transerve Technologies Pvt Ltd is a geospatial product company. Founded by a group of IITians in December 2009. Transerve Technologies is developing an ingenious engineering survey solution based on GPS technology and a weather product using the same platform. Transerve has also developed geo-enabled decision making tools for non-conventional energy.

Website: CIBA