About Kerala Startup Mission
Kerala Startup Mission, an accelerator and incubator program founded in 2006, is based in Thiruvananthapuram, India. With a presence in 20 countries, it has supported around 963 startups in sectors like Enterprise Applications, High Tech. As of Aug 2026, Kerala Startup Mission has witnessed 9 portfolio exits. Most notable companies in
its portfolio include AgniKul, BuildNext and BestDoc. The program is backed by a team of 38 people who primarily support Grant (prize money) startups based in India. Its latest investment was a $12.5K Grant (prize money) round in Tevanovatechtrade on Jul 30, 2026.
Key Metrics
Founded Year
2006
Location
Thiruvananthapuram, India
Sectors of Investment
Stages of Investment
Grant (prize money) & Seed
Locations of Investment
Kerala Startup Mission's List of Top Investments
Kerala Startup Mission has a portfolio of 963 companies. Their most notable investmentis in IgnitariumTheir portfolio spans across India, United States, United Arab Emirates and 17 more locations. They have invested in Enterprise Applications, High Tech, Consumer and 39 other sectors, across stages such as Grant (prize money), Seed stages. Here is the list of top investments by Kerala Startup Mission:
1. AgniKul
Provider of customized orbital launch vehicles and private space missions. They offer dedicated launches tailored to payload size, ensuring cost-effectiveness. The company utilizes single-piece 3D-printed semi cryogenic engines and a mobile launchpad for deployment from optimal geographic locations. Clusterable configurations allow for customized rocket designs to fit specific mission requirements. An in-house autopilot and avionics architecture ensure adaptability and seamless software-hardware integration. Propulsion components are designed to meet exact mission needs.
Key facts about AgniKul
- Founded Year: 2017
- Location: Chennai (India)
- Annual Revenue: 0 - ₹10 Cr as on Mar 31, 2025
- Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Series C
- Total Funding till date: $75.5M
- Employee Count: 288 as on Aug 31, 2025
- Investors: LionRock Capital, Celesta Capital and 105 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Series C, Mar 14, 2026, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
2. BuildNext
Tech-enabled construction company building customized homes. It offers personalized, functional, and ready-to-build houses. It offers features like a VR-based experience, a project-tracking app, optimal design scores, and much more.
Key facts about BuildNext
- Founded Year: 2015
- Location: Ernakulam (India)
- Annual Revenue: 0 - ₹10 Cr as on Mar 31, 2026
- Last Known Valuation: $*****
- Stage: Acquired
- Total Funding till date: $5.49M
- Employee Count: 219 as on Mar 31, 2026
- Investors: LetsVenture, Callapina and 54 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Oct 30, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Acquired
3. BestDoc
Digital patient relationship management tool for providers. The products offered by the company include BestDoc plus a solution for doctors, to manage appointments, Queue, payments, and collect feedback from patients. Also, it enables users to appointments for doctor consultation and concierge services.
Key facts about BestDoc
4. StackGen
Cloud-based low code platform code development. Platform automatically generates secure and compliant IaC without requiring changes to the application code. Platform analyzes application source code to automatically generate secure and compliant IaC, such as Terraform or Helm charts.
Key facts about StackGen
- Founded Year: 2023
- Location: San Francisco (United States)
- Stage: Seed
- Total Funding till date: $18.3M
- Employee Count: 61 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: WestWave Capital, Firebolt Ventures and 3 Others
- Latest Funding Round: Seed, Sep 17, 2024, $*****
- Highlight: Editors' Pick
Poltrona Frau is a home furniture brand. Offers products such as sofas, armchairs & poufs, tables, beds. Also sells bedroom accessories. Products are sold through authorized dealers and stores.
Key facts about Poltrona Frau
- Founded Year: 1912
- Location: Tolentino (Italy)
- Annual Revenue: £1M - £10M as on Dec 31, 2023
- Stage: Acquired
- Employee Count: 304 as on Jun 30, 2026
- Investors: Brand Capital and Kerala Startup Mission
- Highlight: Acquired
Kerala Startup Mission's Year-on-Year Investment Trends
Kerala Startup Mission has invested in 963 companies over the last 7 years, with an average of 1 new investment annually in the last 5 years. As of Jul 2026, it has made 2 investments in this year. Its most recent first time investment was in Tevanovatechtrade and most recent follow-on round was in PlaySpots.Year | No. of Investments | ||
|---|---|---|---|
1st Round | Follow-on | Total | |
2026 (YTD) | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2025 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2024 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
2023 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2022 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
2021 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
2020 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
2019 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
Kerala Startup Mission's Investments by Stage
Kerala Startup Mission has made 6 investments in Grant (prize money) stage with an average round size of $53.9K and 2 investments in Seed stage with an average round size of $199K.Stage of entry | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
Grant (prize money) | 6 |
Seed | 2 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Kerala Startup Mission's Investments by Sector
Kerala Startup Mission has a diverse portfolio, with companies operating in the High Tech, Consumer, Enterprise Applications, Food and Agriculture Tech and Industrial Goods and Manufacturing. Notably, it has invested in 355 Tech companies, 236 Enterprise (B2B) companies, 189 Consumer (B2C) companies and at least 181 companies focusing on Software.Sector | No. of Investments |
|---|---|
High Tech | 4 |
Consumer | 3 |
Enterprise Applications | 3 |
Food and Agriculture Tech | 2 |
Industrial Goods and Manufacturing | 2 |
Others | 10 |
Note: We have considered here, only first round of investments
Kerala Startup Mission's Investments by Geography
Kerala Startup Mission has made most investments in India (8).Kerala Startup Mission's recent investments
Kerala Startup Mission has made 2 investments in 2026 so far - Tevanovatechtrade and Crink.Here are the most recent investments by Kerala Startup Mission:
Filter this listDate | Company | Location | Round Details | Round Amount | Co-Investors |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Jul 30, 2026 | India | Grant (prize money) | 7129 | - | |
Feb 11, 2026 | India | Seed | 2818 | ||
Aug 30, 2024 | India | Grant (prize money) | 4485 | - | |
Jun 2024 | India | Grant (prize money) | 3760 | - | |
Jul 21, 2022 | India | Grant (prize money) | 7641 | - |
Acquired companies in Kerala Startup Mission's Portfolio
9 companies from Kerala Startup Mission's portfolio have been acquired. The most recent acquisition was BuildNext in Apr 2026 by JSW Group for $*****.Here are Kerala Startup Mission's portfolio companies that got acquired most recently:
Company | Acquisition Date | First Invested on | First Round of Investment | Round Size |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Apr 30, 2026 | - | - | 2416 | |
Nov 01, 2025 | Jun 30, 2019 | Seed | 6516 | |
Jul 03, 2025 | - | - | 3728 | |
Dec 12, 2023 | - | - | 8853 | |
Dec 01, 2023 | - | - | 8574 |
Team profile of Kerala Startup Mission
Kerala Startup Mission has a team of 38 members including 7 Partners and 19 Principals located in India and United Arab Emirates. Kerala Startup Mission's team does not sit on the board of any company as of now.Here is a list of top team members in Kerala Startup Mission:
Name | Designation | Location | Board Memberships | Contact Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Partner | Thiruvananthapuram | - | - | |
Partner | - | - | - | |
Partner | Abu Dhabi | - | - | |
Partner | Kochi | - | - | |
Partner | Malappuram | - | - | |
Partner | Kasaragod | - | - | |
Partner | Thrissur | - | - | |
Principal | - | - | - | |
Principal | Thiruvananthapuram | - | - | |
Principal | Thiruvananthapuram | - | - | |
Principal | - | - | - |
Co-investors of Kerala Startup Mission
Over the past 7 years, 4 investors have co-invested in Kerala Startup Mission's portfolio companies. This includes funds and angels.
- Top Co-investors of Kerala Startup Mission: The Stepup Ventures entered a company along with Kerala Startup Mission.
- Invested after Kerala Startup Mission: A total of 3 investors have invested in Kerala Startup Mission's portfolio after their investments. Top Investors include Arali Ventures (1 company) and Anand Mahindra (1 company).
Recent News related to Kerala Startup Mission
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Kerala Startup Mission: Govt considers more seed funds for incubation centersBusiness Line•Jul 25, 2025•Kerala Startup Mission
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Zoho Boosts Innovation: New R&D Campus, Asimov Robotics Acquisition, KSUM PartnershipCyberMedia India Online•Jul 03, 2025•Zoho, Kerala Startup Mission
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Indian edtech segment looks to make a rebound despite the Byju’s debacleTHE WEEK•Apr 11, 2025•IMARC Group, Lightspeed Venture Partners, GSV Ventures, WestBridge Capital and 9 others
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HDFC Bank Signs MoU with Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM)News Experts•Dec 22, 2022•Kerala Startup Mission, HDFC Bank
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KSUM Secures Best Institute Honour at IndiaFirst Tech Startup MeetNews Experts•Jun 09, 2022•Kerala Startup Mission
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KSUM’s Innovation Grants to Startups Crosses Rs 25 crNews Experts•Apr 30, 2022•Kerala Startup Mission
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Kerala Government Announces Partnership with Unity Technologies to Launch Startup Centre of ExcellenceCyberMedia India Online•Jan 14, 2019•Unity, Kerala Startup Mission
