Karnataka’s IT, BT and e-governance department is launching the K-Combinator Startup Accelerator in Mangaluru under the state’s LEAP programme, with Priyank Kharge saying the project will involve more than Rs 9.5 crore in investment.

Karnataka’s IT, BT and e-governance department is setting up the K-Combinator Startup Accelerator in Mangaluru under its Local Economy Accelerator Programme (LEAP), in a move aimed at strengthening the startup pipeline in coastal Karnataka.

Minister Priyank Kharge said the project will involve an investment of over Rs 9.5 crore. The accelerator is slated to operate from WrkWrk in Mangaluru, with TiE-Mangaluru named as a collaboration partner.

What the project includes

The announcement positions the accelerator as a state-backed push to build startup infrastructure outside Bengaluru. The stated focus is the wider Udupi-Mangaluru cluster, which has been increasingly framed by local ecosystem players as an emerging innovation corridor.

The available details show the initiative as part of LEAP, but not yet as a fully operational programme. The exact launch date, application window, cohort size and funding breakdown have not been formally detailed in the reporting reviewed so far.

Why it matters

The project brings public money into a new accelerator at a time when Karnataka is continuing to approve startup and biotech initiatives. That makes the Mangaluru accelerator part of a broader state effort to decentralize innovation support and seed activity in regional hubs.

For founders in coastal Karnataka, the significance will depend on execution: tenant selection, mentor access, startup outcomes and the extent to which the programme can create a durable local support system.

What to watch next

A formal government release or departmental note would be expected to clarify the programme structure, launch timing and selection criteria. Further details are also needed on whether the Rs 9.5 crore figure covers capital expenditure, operating costs or a multi-year budget.

Ecosystem reactions from founders, investors and industry groups may also show how much demand there is for the accelerator and whether LEAP will expand similar hubs elsewhere in the state.

Revision note

Initial automated publication.