The Indian Institute of Technology Madras’ (IIT Madras) Centre for Research on Start-ups and Risk Financing (CREST) has, on Nov.4, launched the ‘Startups for All’ initiative, a groundbreaking project aimed at democratizing access to critical information on the Indian startup landscape.
The initiative, developed in collaboration with IIT Madras-incubated startup YNOS, was officially launched by Dr. Palanivel Thiagarajan, Minister for Information Technology and Digital Services, Government of Tamil Nadu, during the ‘TN Global Startup Summit’.
India’s Most Comprehensive Startup Database
CREST has created India’s only exclusive independent digital platform on startups, which has become the nation’s largest resource. It currently hosts over 275,000 start-ups, 15,000 angel investors, 5,500 venture capital firms, and details on numerous incubators and government schemes.
Prof. A.Thillai Rajan, Head of CREST, stated that the goal is to “level the playing field” by providing every entrepreneur and citizen—irrespective of location or background—equal access to critical, actionable data.
The platform addresses the information asymmetry often faced by early-stage founders by offering:
- Free Initial Access: Registered users receive complimentary credits to explore profiles and data.
- Affordable Model: A ‘pay-as-you-go’ micro-payment model allows continued access after initial credits are used, eliminating the burden of heavy subscriptions.
- Actionable Tools: Features include investor recommendations, comparative analytics, and tools for personalised outreach.
The initiative is positioned as a critical step toward realising the Nation’s ‘Viksit Bharat 2047’ vision by empowering founders from all segments of society, especially those from smaller towns and institutions.
