The committee reviewed and evaluated applications submitted under the Seed Capital Grant Scheme of the Goa Startup Policy 2025. The meeting was chaired by Dr. Pramod Sawant,  Chief Minister of Goa and co-chaired by Shri. Rohan Khaunte,  Minister for IT, Electronics & Communications and members including Shri. Asvin Chandru A., IAS, Director, Department of Industries, Shri. Shailesh Zingde, Director, Directorate of Education, Shri. Kabir Shirgaonkar, Director, DITE&C, Shri. Praveen Volvotkar, Managing Director, ITG, Smt. Pratima Dhond, President, GCCI, Shri. Mangirish Salelkar, President, GTA and Shri. Deelip Menezes, MD, 3D Systems India.

“The level of innovation we witnessed today reaffirms that Goa is rapidly emerging as a serious contender in India’s startup landscape. Through the Seed Capital Grant Scheme, we are ensuring that founders receive the crucial early support they need to transform ideas into scalable businesses. Under the leadership of our  Chief Minister, we are committed to nurture an ecosystem where startups can innovate, grow and make Goa their home for long-term success,” said Shri. Rohan Khaunte,  Minister for IT, Electronics and Communications.

The Seed Capital Scheme, a key initiative under the Goa Startup Policy 2025, provides one-time financial assistance of up to Rs 10 lakh to startups that have developed a Minimum Viable Product. The Startup and IT Promotion Cell  received 27 applications under the Seed Fund Scheme, which were duly scrutinised by the Expert Committee. After detailed evaluation, 16 startups were recommended to the Empowered Committee.

During the meeting, the selected startups spanning sectors such as information technology, artificial intelligence, health tech, tourism tech, OTT, media tech, edtech, e-commerce and fintech showcased their innovative solutions developed in Goa. These shortlisted applications were assessed on parameters including feasibility, innovation, scalability, revenue model and long-term sustainability.

Through consensus the committee selected 8 startups; Home Health Healer, providing home-based healthcare services and remote patient monitoring; Reverse Infinity Pvt. Ltd., offering an AI-driven proactive healthcare and early detection platform; Dumfries Vision, developing AI-enabled retinal screening solutions for early disease detection; Vishkar Modernizing Construction, delivering VR and AI-based immersive walkthroughs for the construction industry; Incluseer, an AI-powered digital accessibility platform promoting inclusivity; Sevaco, a micro-task marketplace connecting citizens with students for everyday services; Buraa, a tourism discovery platform for dining, activities and events; and Vindaloo Entertainment Private Ltd., a regional OTT platform featuring curated short-form content.

Besides the evaluation, cheques amounting to Rs 50,000 each were also presented to 10 student projects under the newly launched Campus Innovation Scheme at the hands of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Goa and the Hon’ble ITE&C Minister.

Each college received support for two projects: Shree Rayeshwar Institute of Engineering & Information Technology received funding for a next-generation femur implant using optimised conditions of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V scaffolds for superior biocompatibility and an industrial safety compliance system using real-time computer vision; Goa College of Engineering received support for an analysis using a Konkani LLM and an agriculture bot for smart farming.

Padre Conceicao College of Engineering received funding for Colony One, a residential management platform and AEROVISION, an autonomous edge-powered drone for predictive intrusion defence; Don Bosco College of Engineering received support for Synapse-Connect, a neuro-muscular signal sentimental integration framework, and processing and testing of recyclable material for 3D printing applications; and Agnel Institute of Technology and Design received funding for Smart Wear, an assistive jacket for obstacle detection and navigation for the blind, along with Wingman, an assistive wearable device that translates sign language into text in real time.

The consistent rise in startup applications reflects Goa’s growing status as an emerging innovation hub. Through initiatives such as the Seed Capital Grant Scheme, the Government of Goa continues to demonstrate its commitment to nurturing a vibrant startup ecosystem by offering early-stage support and creating an enabling environment for high-potential founders to build, scale and succeed.