Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Cohort 11 of NetApp Excellerator programme launched

Bengaluru, India: NetApp, a global cloud-led, data-centric software company announced the launch of cohort 11 of its flagship accelerator programme – NetApp Excellerator. With Cohort 11, NetApp Excellerator brings to light the growing relevance of India as a technology hub with an increasing number of global startups that are building from India, for the world.

Cohort 11 welcomes six new startups : Zluri, AppSenitels, RapL, PrivaSapiens, Firefly, and Squadcast. They have been selected based on their affinity to data, technology prowess and problem-solving abilities. Five of these startups are headquartered in the US and Israel, besides being operational in India. This cohort represent the deep tech sector across the spectrum in verticals such as cybersecurity, data privacy, SaaS and IT services- globally. Firefly, which is an Israeli startup is looking to establish operations in India, further validating India’s tech capabilities.

Through the NetApp Excellerator, startups can enjoy access to resources, mentors, and industry experts across geographies to help them gain maximum exposure and knowledge. Through the last six years, NetApp has mentored 25 global startups.

PrivaSapiens, a company that builds privacy technologies and products, will be mentored under NetApp ExcellerateHER – a dedicated initiative that promotes women founders. NetApp has mentored 11 women-led deep tech startups so far.

Ravi Chhabria, Managing Director, NetApp India, said, “To increase the impact of the program, we will be having deeper conversations and longer engagement with startups, facilitating accelerated innovation. With over 45,000 startups and more than 100 unicorns, the Indian startup ecosystem’s journey is one paved on data. A recent NASSCOM report states, data is growing at over 40% CAGR over the last four years. This speaks volumes of the potential and innovation that data-centric startups are bringing to the table. Over the years, we have seen inspiring ideas emerge through every cohort. Our experience and expertise in data services and solutions put us in a unique position to further enable these startups. Collaborative innovation is one of our core values and we are proud to be a part of these startups’ growth journeys.”

The new cohort has been curated to promote increased engagement between startups and their mentors. Over the course of the cohort, NetApp will share their expertise and experience in data management to empower participants and help build a strong data strategy.

Keeping pace with developments in the dynamic technology ecosystem, the NetApp Excellerator program has evolved over the years. With a shared vision, NetApp mentors and leaders, along with startups have made huge strides in transforming the deep-tech industry. Their success can be seen through their alumni who have gone on to raise over 330 Mn USD collectively, including five startups who raised close to 160 Mn USD in 2022 alone.

Having come a long way since its inception in 2017, NetApp Excellerator was declared to be one of the top five accelerator programs in India on corporate innovation by NexTT Awards. The award-winning program now includes a proof of concept (PoC) model that provides startups a platform to demonstrate the efficacy of their solutions in the real-world. They work in tandem with NetApp to refine their minimum viable products (MVPs), identify possibilities and additional use cases, which is then used to chalk out their go-to-market strategies. Participating startups can also enjoy access to NetApp products like SPOT that bring in cost-effectiveness in their hybrid cloud environment.