In a first-of-its-kind collaboration, Accenture, the Consulate General of Israel to South India, and the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM) have jointly launched ‘scalerator,’ an exclusive program that aims to enhance the collaboration between Israeli and Indian startups to create innovative solutions for global markets.

With support from Accenture Ventures’ Open Innovation initiative, scalerator will identify growth-stage Israeli startups with deep expertise in emerging technologies -- particularly cybersecurity, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, automation, the Internet of Things, blockchain and extended reality -- and connect them with India’s startup community through NASSCOM’s 10,000 Startups initiative.

Commenting on the launch of scalerator, Rekha M. Menon, chairman and senior managing director, Accenture India said, “Enhancing the relationship between India and Israel is an opportunity to bring disruptive, advanced technology innovations to the world. The innovation ecosystems in both countries share common talent and technology traits and we are proud of our role in bringing them together.”

Dana Kursh, Consul General of Israel to South India, said, “The industry environment in Bengaluru – the Silicon Valley of India – and in so many other places in India, is the perfect match to the Israeli technology sector. Through this collaboration with Accenture and NASSCOM, we can further connect our two ecosystems and enable Indian and Israeli startups to develop cutting-edge technological solutions that benefit all.”

Accenture Ventures will provide guidance to scalerator participants, leveraging its open innovation expertise and global reach to help startups build and bring to market innovative solutions that help address business challenges of Accenture’s Indian and global clients.

Avnish Sabharwal, managing director, Accenture Ventures India, said, “Building a rich open innovation ecosystem is critical for meeting the strategic business objectives of our Global 2000 clients and we are delighted to debut the scalerator as our latest milestone.”

The Consulate General of Israel to South India will work with Accenture Ventures to oversee the process of selecting startups for the program. The Consulate will also provide business development support to the selected startups from Israel, and facilitate an understanding of the available local funding channels.

Startups in the scalerator program will be hosted at the NASSCOM Startup Warehouse in Bengaluru, as part of NASSCOM’s 10,000 Startups initiative. NASSCOM will provide mentorship opportunities for participants and involve them in market access forums including industry events and customer engagements.