u/Internal_Whereas_522

A founder got SISFS funding in 6 weeks at MVP stage with no revenue,here's exactly how?

Hi, I am a Patent strategist turned Founder currently building SAAply- a platform
to search and apply for the non-dilutive and dilutive funding opportunities.
Sharing this Founder Journey of SISFS because I saw questions from Founders, at
what stage they can apply, do they need to have revenue? This Journey answers
all those questions.

Arjun Sai Kosinepalli is the founder of AatoNovaZ Technologies, a Physical AI startup
building proprietary systems for video post-production, multilingual dubbing,
and autonomous drones. He applied in March 2026 and had Tranche 1 funds
disbursed by mid-April, roughly 6 weeks total.

When he applied, the grant option under SISFS wasn't available at his chosen
incubator. He had to go through the CCD (Compulsorily Convertible Debentures)
route instead, which carries equity implications. This isn't mentioned in most
guides, but the route available to you depends on the incubator and timing.
Always confirm before applying.

What he had going in (this mattered a lot):

-1st place globally at AIU ANVESHAN International Student Research Convention

-Backed by the Ratan Tata Innovation Hub

-Top 25 at Samsung Solve for Tomorrow (AI theme)

-Published AI evaluation framework at ICCIET 2026

-Working MVPs — not just slides

His honest advice:

- Own every technical detail of your product. Committees will probe on things
that seem irrelevant just to test depth.

- Don't pitch an AI wrapper. Proprietary value and a clear fund-to-milestone
roadmap matters more than the deck.

- Apply at MVP stage with external validation, not earlier.

- Clarify upfront which route (grant vs CCD) your incubator offers.

Timeline:

- March 2026: Applied

-~1.5 months later: Final approval

- Mid-April 2026: Tranche 1 disbursed

We documented his full journey including the committee process, compliance, and
what he'd do differently. Here is the link if anyone wants the full read:

https://www.saaply.com/founderjourneys-sisfs-grant-arjun-sai-aatonovaz-technologies

Happy to answer questions if anyone's in the middle of an SISFS application.

 

Hey Everyone,

I run SAAply, a platform that helps founders find and apply for grants in India, US and Globally.

We are now publishing real founder stories and I wanted to share one here because there's a lot of misinformation about how long SISFS actually takes.

Abhinav Chauhan, founder of Promecens Entosystems (deep tech biomaterials — melanin, chitosan from insects), shared his full journey with us.

Real numbers: - Application to pre-approval: 45 days - Due diligence: ~3 months - Disbursement after approval: ~1 month - Total: 4–5 months

Key things he flagged that I didn't see covered elsewhere:

1. Incubator selection is strategic, not random. The incubator you pick becomes your partner for months. He evaluated Venture Center (Pune) and others with the help of CDFD Technology Incubator based on actual facilities and domain fit — not just name recognition.

2. The Rs.50L vs Rs.30L question. Depending on the centre, SISFS support can come as a grant, CCDs, or a mix. This has equity implications and most guides don't explain it.

3. Pre-approval ≠ funding. Build your runway plan around 4–5 months, not 6 weeks.

4. A good CA matters. Not just for tax filing — for grant compliance specifically.

Full story is free to read here: https://www.saaply.com/founderjourneys-sisfs-grant-abhinav-chauhan-promecens

Happy to answer questions about the SISFS process if anyone has them.