Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Tourism and Printing and Stationery, Government of Goa, says nearly half of the state’s registered startups are women led
Panaji, February 13, 2026: The Department of Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Government of Goa, through the Startup and IT Promotion Cell, has launched the Goa Startup Accelerator Programme, a five month initiative aimed at supporting early stage founders with mentorship, market access and investment linkages.
The programme comes at a time when Goa has 734 DPIIT registered startups, according to data shared during the launch event. Nearly half of these ventures are women led.
The launch event brought together startups, industry representatives and government officials. The programme will run from February to June 2026 and will conclude with a Demo Day where participating startups will present their progress.
Rohan Khaunte, Minister for Information Technology, Electronics and Communications, Tourism and Printing and Stationery, Government of Goa, said, “Today, Goa is not just known for its quality of life, but for its forward-looking policies and a growing startup ecosystem of 734 DPIIT-registered startups, nearly half of which are women-led. Through the Goa Startup Policy 2025 and its 12 comprehensive schemes, along with initiatives like the Goa Accelerator Program and the Goa Open Innovation Challenge, we are creating an environment where startups have access to capital, mentorship, skills, infrastructure and real market opportunities. The Government is committed to providing every possible resource and support and we encourage our entrepreneurs to leverage these platforms.”
The event began with an orientation session for startups enrolled in the accelerator. Participants were briefed on the programme structure and roadmap, followed by startup pitches and interactions with mentors.
During the event, winners of the Goa Open Innovation Challenge 2025 were felicitated. In the startup category, the winners were SOLO Network, Cidroy Technologies LLP and So-AIR. In the student category, Shri Suraj Vishwakarma and team from Padre Conceição College of Engineering, Verna, and Shri Dattaprasad Narendra Prabhu and team from Don Bosco College of Engineering, Fatorda, were recognised. The Goa Open Innovation Challenge 2025 Report was released at the event.
Winners of the MedTech Hackathon organised by the National Association of Palliative Care for AYUSH and Integrative Medicine in collaboration with DITE&C were also awarded. The winning teams were Team Biomade, Team My Pallo Friend and Team Kindred Tech.
Those recognised for their contribution to the innovation ecosystem included Shri Praveen Volvotkar, MD, InfoTech Corporation Ltd; Smt Revati Kumar, CEO, Goa Electronics Limited; Shri Mangirish Salelkar, President, Goa Technology Association; Shri Milind Anvekar, Senior Vice President, India Operations, Open Destinations; Shri Americo Ricky Noronha, Director, Online Productivity Solutions Pvt. Ltd.; Shri Vincent Toscano, Managing Partner, Uzoorba Technologies LLP; Shri Prajyot Mainkar, Founder and CEO, SoFueled; Dr Anil Wali, CEO, BITS BioCyTiH Foundation; and Shri D. S. Prashant, CEO, Startup and IT Promotion Cell.
Officials stated that the accelerator is intended to provide structured support to startups at different stages of growth within the state.
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