Investor Profile: NetApp Excellerator — Thesis, Cheque Size & How to Apply

Intro

Run by data-infrastructure giant NetApp out of Bengaluru, NetApp Excellerator is one of India's longest-running corporate startup accelerators. Since launching in 2017, it has supported 90 startups across 14 cohorts, whose alumni have raised more than US$600 million in follow-on funding. If you are wondering how to get funding from NetApp Excellerator, the answer is founder-friendly: it is equity-free. NetApp takes no stake and leaves IP entirely with the startup, awarding a US$15,000 equity-free grant on graduation, alongside a proof-of-concept track that can carry another US$15,000 grant.

Thesis and sweet spot

NetApp Excellerator is a deep-tech, data-centric accelerator. Its sweet spot is B2B startups working in cloud, Internet of Things, big data and analytics, machine learning, virtualisation, data security, storage and data management — in NetApp's own words, anything adjacent to data infrastructure. Recent cohorts skew toward AI: Cohort 15 (announced October 2026) focuses on AI-powered software engineering, generative AI security, business automation and intelligent data infrastructure, with founders from India, the US and Israel, plus 20+ Ph.D. founders among its alumni.

Cheque size and fund

NetApp Excellerator is not a venture fund and does not write equity cheques. Every graduating startup receives a US$15,000 equity-free grant, and the PoC track carries a further US$15,000 grant. Downstream: the 90 alumni have raised over US$600 million collectively, with 30 PoC engagements and six commercial contracts inside NetApp.

Notable portfolio

The first cohort (graduated 2018) included Adya (later acquired by Qualys), Scalend Technologies, Vaultedge, Vitacloud, LightMetrics and Enclouden. The second cohort added ArchSaber (later acquired), SigTuple Technologies, Nanobi Data and Analytics, Data Ken Technologies, BlobCity and Anlyz. Later cohorts brought SecurelyShare alongside Koinearth, Sentra and Curl Analytics. Cohort 15's five startups are LightSprint AI, Wald.ai, Lasso Security, Cogover and QUIPU AI.

Partners

The programme has been led from NetApp India by Ajeya Motaganahalli, Director of Engineering Programmes, and Vasanthi Ramesh, VP of Engineering and Site Leader, who fronted the Cohort 15 announcement. Each startup gets technology and business mentors from NetApp's engineering ranks, plus entrepreneurs, investors and industry leaders. ExcellerateHER backs women-founded deep-tech startups — 23 women-led companies, including Cohort 15's Cogover and QUIPU AI.

Programs, credits and perks

Each cohort is a multi-month residency at NetApp's Whitefield campus in Bengaluru: co-working space, tools, and access to NetApp platforms and technologies. Support covers HR, marketing, legal, technology, learning modules, and networking with investors and customers. The centrepiece is a paid PoC model that lets startups prove their solutions inside a real enterprise environment, refine their MVPs with NetApp teams, and build a go-to-market strategy from the results.

How to apply for funding

Applications open in registration windows ahead of each cohort. Founders apply at startup.netapp.in; NetApp experts and mentors weigh idea, product, team and traction, picking five or six startups per cohort. Expect to work from the Whitefield co-working space for much of the cohort, with at least a co-founder on premises. For queries, NetApp lists [email protected] as the contact.