TechXpedite

Contributing to the vision of a trillion dollar digital economy

Inviting applications from Startups solving across Gaming, AI and Inclusive Technology

Applications Closed

About TechXpedite

As India moves toward becoming a trillion dollar digital economy by 2028, the startup ecosystem is playing a vital role in this transformation. Games24x7 is dedicated to nurturing the next generation of startups that create meaningful change through advanced and inclusive technologies. We proudly present TechXpedite, an accelerator program aimed at catalyzing innovation at the intersection of gaming, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and inclusive Technology. The 60-day accelerator designed to empower and foster the entrepreneurial ecosystem, driving innovation and supporting the next gen of disruptive startups.

Participants will benefit from one-on-one mentorship with industry leaders, access to strategic funding, and collaboration opportunities with global tech partners. Additionally, the program offers national media exposure and valuable networking opportunities with key investors and industry experts. Join us in shaping the future of technology and making a lasting impact!

Program Focus Areas

We seek visionary early-stage founders in India driving innovation in gaming, AI and inclusive technology.
GAMES
We are seeking cutting-edge ideas that enhance gameplay mechanics and engage diverse audiences with innovative solutions and products in the gaming world. Apply now if your focus area includes:
Fantasy gaming
E-sports
Cloud gaming
AR/VR
Mobile gaming
Gaming content creation
ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI)
This theme is dedicated to leveraging AI to solve real-world problems and enhance variousaspects of life through innovative solutions. Startups driving advancements in:
Health
Sports
Fitness
Wearables
Education
Rehabilitation
Customer & Fan Engagement
INCLUSIVE TECH
We are inviting startups that are building innovations (both hardware and software) to close the accessibility gap, empowering individuals with disabilities to live with greater independence and dignity. Apply to be part of our mission to create more inclusive and empowering solutions through inclusive technology focused on:
Health
Education
Sports & Gaming
Financial
Social

Key Benefits

Mentorship
Direct access to industry leaders through master classes and one-on-one sessions to guide you through your business challenges
Startup Toolkit
Cohort startup gets access to tech credits up to $500K* from partners such as AWS, Canva, Notion, PayU, Zoho, Zoom & more.
Business Development & Strategy
Proven frameworks and strategies to refine your business model & GTM strategies
Fundraising Opportunities
Gain access to a curated network of VCs, Angels, and strategic partners who are actively looking to invest in tech-startups
Demo Day
Selected top 15-20 startups from the program will get an opportunity to present and pitch their startup to investors, business leaders, corporations, enablers and the Government.
Equity-free Support
Receive equity-free support for the duration of the program

Program Timelines

10th October
Application Live
Program applications open with the launch event in Bangalore
10th Oct - 10th Nov
City Events
Five city road shows starting with Bangalore
30th November
Applications Deadline
Last day to apply for the program
16th December
Program Starts
Top 10-15 startups to be selected to participate in the accelerator program
14th February
Demo Day
Grand Demo Day in Delhi featuring the cohort startups presenting to investors, industry experts & media

Program Mentors

Rajat Bansal
CTO, Games24x7
Rajat, a seasonedleader with over two decades of experience, excels in building products andplatforms from scratch and expanding them globally to international markets. AtGames24x7, he prioritizes innovation to offer players an intuitive gamingexperience with zero downtime
Tridib Mukherjee
Chief Data Science & AI Officer, Games24x7
Tridib leads the application of ArtificialIntelligence and Machine Learning to automate business decisions and developcutting-edge algorithms for enhancing user experiences. He holds a PhD inComputer Science & Engineering from Arizona State University, specialisingin AI-driven data centre optimisation and body sensor networks.
Saroj Panigrahi
Chief Data Science & AI Officer, Games24x7
Saroj has been a driving force for over 15 years, shaping the company's product strategy from across several key positions. He heads marketing and operations for all our platforms. With exceptional leadership and dedication to user experiences, Saroj is leading the company’s next phase of growth.
Rahul Tewari
CFO, Games24x7
Rahul has over two decades of leadership experience in strategic finance, corporate development, and investment banking in the technology sector. At Games24x7, he leads corporate development initiatives, including acquisitions, partnerships, and investments. Rahul has worked in prominent investment banks like Bank of America Merrill Lynch and Deutsche Bank in New York, and led technology sector coverage at ICICI Securities. He holds a MBA from Cornell University's Johnson School of Management and an undergraduate degree in engineering from IIT, Delhi.
Avin Sharma
Vice President,  Games24x7
Avin Sharma is Vice President at Games24x7. An ISB alumnus, he brings over 18 years of experience in the gaming industry. Previously, as VP of U Games, a wholly owned subsidiary of Games24x7, Avin and his team were responsible for building globally targeted casual freemium games from the ground up. In the previous avatar of U Games, Avin led two of the most successful social casino titles in India - Ultimate Teen Patti and Ultimate Rummy, each amassing  20M+ downloads and being consistently among the top grossing charts in the Indian market.
Ritesh Agarwal
Sr. VP - Engineering Games24x7
Ritesh Agarwal has around 18 years of experience in the technology sector. At Games24x7, he leads product engineering, playing a pivotal role in developing key gaming platforms such as My11Circle and RummyCircle. With a strong background in solution architecture and management, Ritesh previously held leadership roles at British Telecom. An IIT Kharagpur alumnus, he is dedicated to fostering innovation and scaling up technology in the gaming industry.
Jason Della Rocca
Co-Founder of Execution Labs
A globally recognized expert in the gaming industry, Jason brings his unmatched network and deep expertise in business development and corporate strategy. He has helped build lasting gaming ecosystems through his work with governments worldwide and was the executive director of the IGDA for nearly nine years.
Shylaja Rao
Founding General Partner at Ventana Ventures
With over two decades of experience, Shylaja has played a pivotal role in scaling companies like Robosoft, transforming it from a small startup into a leading innovator in the mobile services industry. Her teams have delivered award-winning solutions for clients such as Apple and Microsoft Game Studios.
Padmaja Ruparel
Co-Founder at IAN Group
A nationally recognized leader in India’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, Padmaja has been instrumental in co-founding many key institutions and is an active angel investor. She built the Indian Angel Network (IAN) into one of the world’s largest angel investor groups, with 500 investors across 10 countries and a portfolio of nearly 200 companies. Her experience spans large corporates, M&A, and early-stage startups.
Rajesh Sawhney
Founder & General Partner, GSF
Rajesh Sawhney is a veteran entrepreneur, investor, and mentor, and the Founder and General Partner of GSF, a leading startup accelerator and seed fund. He has been instrumental in shaping the Indian startup ecosystem and has supported numerous successful ventures. Sawhney is a respected voice in the industry, known for his expertise in innovation, leadership, and strategy. With over two decades of experience building successful businesses, Rajesh has made 125+ investments, backing notable startups like Whatfix, Quizizz, Slintel, and many more.
Tarun  Katial
Founder & CEO of coto
Drawing from over two decades of experience in media and digital innovation, Tarun has led major industry transformations, from steering ZEE5 to success in the OTT market to pioneering radio as the CEO of BIG FM. Tarun’s expertise in creating versatile digital products will provide invaluable guidance to entrepreneurs looking to thrive in today’s competitive landscape.
Jaspreet Bindra
Founder of & AI Beyond & Tech Whisperer Limited, UK
In his corporate career, Jaspreet was the Group Chief Digital Officer at Mahindra Group, a Regional Director at Microsoft India, and General Manager in the Tata Group, as a part of the select Tata Administrative Services. He was also a member of the Founding Team at Baazee.com, which later became EBAY India. Jaspreet works as a Senior Advisor for ThoughtWorks India, Senior Advisor for PWC, Senior Advisor for Mahindra Holidays and sits on the Advisory Board for Findability Sciences, a Boston-based Enterprise AI firm. He was recognized as the inaugural ‘Digitalist of the Year’ by Mint and SAP, teaches at Ashoka University and is an Expert/Faculty for Singularity University and Harvard Business, among others.
Ninad Karpe
Partner at 100X.VC
He has authored the book "BOND to BABA" and previously served as MD & CEO of Aptech Ltd., turning the company around and expanding its global footprint. Karpe has held various leadership roles, including Managing Director at CA Technologies (the world’s fourth-largest software vendor) and Chairman of CII Western Region. He is also a consultant, writer, speaker, and entrepreneur, pursuing his passions in theatre and fashion.
Karan Shroff
CEO & Co-Founder LightFury Games
Karan Shroff is a marketing professional and entrepreneur who has previously worked with Unacademy and Xiaomi. With a strong background in brand building and marketing, Karan aims to tap into the growing gaming market in India, bringing his expertise from leading marketing efforts at some of the country's most innovative companies.
Satinder Singh
Solution Architect Leader, India at Amazon Web Services
Satinder Singh is a seasoned IT professional and leader with over 20 years of experience in the industry. He has held various senior roles, including Director and VP positions, and has expertise in IT strategy, digital transformation, and team management. Satinder has worked with top companies like IBM and Wipro, and is currently associated with Tech Mahindra. He holds a degree in Computer Science and Engineering.
Kumara Raghavan
Head Startups, AWS India
Kumara Raghavan is the Head of AWS Startup Sales for India at Amazon Web Services India Private Limited. He leads a diverse team of sales, technical architects, and former startup founders who are focused on enabling startups across industry segments begin and grow their cloud journey on AWS. Prior to joining AWS, Kumara spent 15 years at IBM in leadership roles serving markets across Asia, Latin America, Middle East, Africa, and Central Europe. He also spent six years at Lenovo leading strategy and sales for Lenovo's Software Defined Infrastructure Solutions across Asia Pacific markets.
Shayan S
Global Games Industry BD Leader at Amazon Web Services
Shayan leads Global Games Industry Business Development for the  Media, Entertainment, Gaming and Sports Business Unit at AWS. His team helps game developers, betting and gaming companies, studios and publishers build and distribute amazing games on AWS. Before this, Shayan led the EMEA Games BD team, and he spent 3 years before that helping out startups build and scale on AWS Cloud. Prior to AWS, Shayan spent nearly a decade as a startup founder/operator. He is a Techstars (the global startup accelerator and investment firm) all star mentor, and he devotes a significant amount of his spare time to founders as a mentor and advisor. Shayan also is an active angel investor in the Game Tech space. Shayan is based in Paris, France, and he is currently playing Silent Hill 2 (PS 5) and replaying Baldur's Gate 3 on his Steam Deck.

Government Partners

Cloud Partner

Media Partner

Implementation Partner

Technology Credits

Each startup in the cohort receives a tech startup toolkit with offerings from 25+ partners through our strategic partner, Startup Réseau. The toolkit includes credits up to $500K*. Explore all partner offerings here.

Success Stories

Janarthanan K
Co founder, Geniuscrate Games
The program provided practical support and helpful mentorship that allowed us to focus on key areas of our business, such as refining our product, scaling operations, & customer acquisition strategies. The access to experienced mentors from Games24x7 was particularly useful and helped us make progress on some of our immediate goals. I also appreciated the connections we built with other founders and mentors, which have been valuable for exchanging ideas and experiences.
Anurag Chaudhary
Founder & CEO, Felicity
The program helped us focus on specific areas like tech stackimprovement and user acquisition, which has had a lasting impact on how weoperate. We also gained some practical takeaways from the interactions with thementors, which we’ve since applied to our day-to-day work

Program FAQs

The application process begins online, with an application form where you can tell us about your team, your product, the market you are in and your business traction. The questions are geared to understand both the business and the founders. Shortlisted candidates will be invited for virtual interview.

For more details please visit startupindia.gov.in

You can also explore the Indian Startup ecosystem and become a part of the nation’s innovation and collaboration journey at www.startupindia.gov.in/bhaskar

To be eligible for the program, startups must meet several criteria. First, they must be a registered legal entity (e.g., company, partnership, or LLP) with a valid business license. A dedicated team with relevant skills and experience in the chosen theme is essential. Additionally, startups should have a well-defined product or service that aligns with the program's themes—gaming, AI, or accessibility technology. It’s important to demonstrate a clear understanding of the target market and to present a viable business model. Applicants are required to submit a comprehensive pitch deck that outlines their business idea, team, market, technology, and financial projections. Furthermore, startups should show market presence and impact by meeting minimum revenue or user thresholds, providing positive customer testimonials or case studies, establishing partnerships or collaborations with industry players, and ideally having received awards or recognition for their work.

The accelerator program is largely online with a few mentorship sessions that may be held in-person. However, that will be decided depending on a  number of factors including participation interest, geographical spread of startups, availability of venue and time constraints. The grand Demo Day will be an in-person event in Delhi, scheduled for mid-February 2025. Selected startups will receive detailed information well in advance.

Your application should capture the necessary information about your startup. Make sure that your application and pitch deck address all the selection criteria.

Here are the points we recommend including in your deck:

1. The problem you are solving

2. Market Analysis

3. Overview of your Solution / Technology

4. Competitive Advantage / Differentiation

5. Validation (number of users, downloads, awards, or recognitions)

6. Business model,

7. Key Milestones / Timeline for go-to-market: Specify the funding needed for each milestone.

8. Summary, including Value Proposition

9. Team details

10. Advisors / Partners details

There is no equity component for the accelerator program. Games24x7 does not commit any investment and is not affiliated with any investment arrangements made. However, depending on the interest levels in your solution, you can discuss this with Games24x7 if such a situation arises.

No, there are no guarantees. It's entirely the discretion of the core program management team as to whether or not we enter into any commercial arrangement with a participating company after the accelerator program.

The information collected as a part of the application form is sourced to evaluate the startups and the offerings. This information will be used by Games24x7 and Startup Réseau as a part of the selection process for the same. We take pride in our confidentiality policy.