- 230+ startups incubated across technology, healthcare, agriculture, sustainability, consumer products, and education
- Rs 30 crore+ in cumulative startup revenue generated
- 1,100+ direct jobs created by PIERC-incubated startups
- 37 women-founded ventures within the portfolio
- Ranked among the top 50 universities in India in NIRF Innovation Ranking (Ministry of Education)
- 4-Star rating from the Ministry of Education‘s Innovation Cell
- The only university in Gujarat recognised as a Mentor Institute by the Ministry of Education’s Innovation Cell
Shark Tank India: From Campus to National Television
It was a proud moment for Parul University when Rehabveda, a startup, appeared on the show Shark Tank and got a deal from Namita Thapar and Mohit Yadav. The PIERC section at Parul University helps the young minds to find their path to startups. This incubation led to an e-commerce startup planned and founded by Mayur Garje, Abhishek Singh and Uday Tople. They were also the finalists on Shark Tank India Season 2, judged by Namita Thappar, Vineeta Singh, Aman Gupta, Anupam Mittal, Peyush Bansal, and Amit Jain. This is not the only one, a start up that featured in the season 1 received one crore funding from the co-founder of Bharatpe, Ashneer Grover. He also visited Parul University as a guest speaker at an event.
What PIERC Provides to Student Founders
- PIERC has always remained a guiding tool for the young minds trying to find their way in the startup journey.
- This incubation center helps students to think, ideate, through structured bootcamps, hackathons, and innovation challenge quizzes, trials, and experimentations. This happens through mentorship.
- Mentorship from industry professionals, IAS officers, and successful founders
- Product prototyping through the FabLab (fabrication laboratory)
- There are scorecards and parameters for business model development. Like the Business Model Canvas and the eight-parameter startup evaluation scorecard.
- Next, we have access to funding from the government, like SSIP grants, iHub Gujarat (offering up to 10 lakh), DPIIT recognition, and the Startup India Seed Fund.
- Co-working space and incubation infrastructure on the ground floor of the BBA building (Founders Studio)
- Networking with 50+ venture capital firms and angel investors
- Growth Pad and acceleration programs for startups ready to scale
The Incubation Process
Students submit ideas through the PIERC portal. Phase 1 is a verbal pitch at the incubation center. Phase 2, if selected, requires a formal presentation. Pre-incubation is a phase where 15 days are given to the students for market research, mentor matching, budget creation, and interacting/meeting the real customers for testing the product/service.
After this testing, students are assigned mentors, and they get access to the resources, workshops, and support system for product development, market validation, and launch.
PIERC does not charge students for this support. It is free, government-funded, and designed to remove every barrier between a student with an idea and a student with a company.
Annual Flagship Events
- Vadodara Startup Festival: the largest event, startup ecosystem hub with investors, experts, and student founders
- Vadodara Startup Demo Day: incubated startups pitch to investors for funding
- Vadodara Toycathon: creative toy and game design focused on Indian culture
- Vadodara Kidovation Festival: school students participate in DIY, robotics, and innovation
- Vadodara Healthcare Innovation Festival: healthcare solutions from doctors, researchers, and startups
- Women Startup Meet: dedicated programme for women entrepreneurs (6 editions, 7 founders in latest edition)
International Recognition
Her Excellency Begona Gomez, wife of the Prime Minister of Spain Pedro Sánchez, visited PIERC during a Gujarat tour as part of a delegation hosted by PM Modi. She interacted with founders of 12 student-led startups across technology, healthcare, sustainable energy, and handicrafts. Jay Sudani, CEO of PIERC, described the vision as cultivating an ecosystem where creativity, resilience, and impact-driven innovation can thrive. PIERC also runs a joint credit COIL course on affordable innovation with BFH (Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland). The MBA in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, limited to 30 seats per cohort, provides direct PIERC access, 50+ VC firms, and on-campus mentorship.
FAQ
Does Parul University have a startup incubator?
Yes. PIERC has incubated 230+ startups, generated Rs 30 Cr+ revenue, created 1,100+ jobs, produced Shark Tank India appearances and funded deals. Free incubation, mentorship, FabLab, government funding support, co-working space. Open to students from all faculties.
How many startups from Parul University appeared on Shark Tank?
Rehabveda secured a deal on Shark Tank India Season 5 (Namita Thapar and Mohit Yadav). An e-commerce startup was a Season 2 finalist. A separate PIERC startup secured Rs 1 crore on Shark Tank. Ashneer Grover visited campus for PU Talks.
In how many phases is the startup submission divided?
There are two phases. In Phase 1, the ideators of the startup give a verbal pitch. Phase 2, is where formal presentation begins with pre-incubation.
