herSTART 4.0

herSTART 4.0 is a flagship GUSEC initiative dedicated to empowering women entrepreneurs through mentorship, funding, and networking. Inaugurated by the Hon’ble President of India, this edition supported 50 high-potential startups to drive innovation and nationwide impact.

Fourth Edition Launch

Empower. Incubate. Scale.

On October 23, 2024, GUSEC, in collaboration with UNICEF and SBI Mutual Funds, launched the fourth edition of herSTART. This edition focuses on founders from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities across India.

Shri Amit Thaker MLA of Ahmedabad (Chief Guest)

Mr. Prasanta Das CFO, UNICEF Gujarat Office

Mr. Chiranjiv Patel MD, PC Snehal Group

Mr. Srinivisa Rao Sureddi CEO, GUSEC

Our Impact

Women-Led Startups Supported

Women Sensitised

0Cr+

Revenue Generated By Startups

Jobs Created By Startups

IPR Filed

Empowering Innovation

herSTART

Launched in 2019, the program provides women-led startups with mentorship, funding opportunities, and networking platforms. The platform was inaugurated by the Hon'ble President of India, Smt. Droupadi Murmu, in 2022.

Fostering the next generation of women entrepreneurs.

Through targeted support and a robust ecosystem, herSTART bridges the gap between ambitious ideas and successful market ventures.

2019

Foundation Year

Phase 01

herSTART Bootcamp

A power-packed journey of learning, collaboration, and inspiration began with 279 shortlisted participants. The initiative brought together industry experts and successful entrepreneurs to share valuable insights.

Founders focused on refining critical business pillars including Business Models, Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Legal Aspects, and Pitching, transforming raw ideas into investor-ready ventures.

Phase 02

Virtual Accelerator Program

Commencing in January with 50 shortlisted women-led startups, this six-month intensive journey features expert-led sessions, one-on-one mentoring, and investor-readiness grooming.

Founders gain practical insights into product scalability, GTM strategy, finance, and leadership to accelerate growth and build unwavering investor confidence.

Key Stats

50 Startups Participated

65 Mentors Involved

180 Mentoring Sessions

90 Hours Dedicated

Phase 03

Accelerator Program

3-days Engagement

The herSTART Accelerator Program – Offline Edition was organized as a focused three-day event from 9th to 11th July 2025, hosted at Gujarat University.

The program witnessed enthusiastic participation from around 40 women-led startups from the cohort, selected under the ongoing fourth edition of the herSTART Accelerator. This high-impact engagement provided startups with valuable opportunities to interact with investors, gain insights into fundraising, and connect with industry leaders.

Through a curated lineup of expert-led sessions, panel discussions, and workshops, founders explored crucial aspects of building and effectively pitching their ventures. The offline format enabled deeper conversations and practical takeaways tailored to the needs of early-stage women entrepreneurs.