NXP India Launches Season 6 of Tech Startup Challenge to Boost Deep-Tech Innovation

NXP India has announced the launch of Season 6 of the NXP India Tech Startup Challenge, continuing its effort to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the country’s deep-tech and semiconductor sectors.

The initiative is being organised in collaboration with Startup India Hub and aligns with the Government of India’s Startup India mission to strengthen the national startup ecosystem and boost global competitiveness.

The challenge is aimed at technology startups working in areas such as AI, ML, IoT, 5G, edge computing, functional safety, ultra-wideband and Wi-Fi 6. It is open to startups incorporated in India as Private Limited Companies with at least 51 percent Indian ownership.

The program particularly focuses on intellectual property development, processors, semiconductor fabless ASIC design and embedded product development across domains including automotive, industrial and IoT, smart cities, smart homes, healthcare and energy management.

“Since 2021, the NXP India Tech Startup Challenge has been one of our key engines for fuelling India’s fast-growing deep-tech and semiconductor ecosystem,” said Lars Reger, Executive Vice President and CTO at NXP Semiconductors. “As we kick-off Season 6, our mission stays the same: empower bright minds with the right mix of mentorship, industry connections, and access to global platforms—so they don’t just innovate locally, but compete and collaborate on a truly international scale.”

Under the program, the top three winning startups will receive a total prize pool of INR 10 lakh, to be equally distributed among them. They will also receive exclusive mentorship through three interactive sessions per month for three months with NXP India’s technical leadership team.

The top 10 selected startups will receive equity-free incubation and pre-incubation support from leading institutions. These include Electropreneur Park, Semiconductor Fabless Acceleration Lab, INCeNSE and i-TIC at IIT Hyderabad. Startups will gain access to advanced lab facilities, nanofabrication and characterization infrastructure, FPGA innovation labs, supplier connections, business guidance and reimbursement of prototyping expenses up to INR 50,000 in certain programs. Selected startups will also receive faculty mentorship in semiconductor design for up to six months.

In addition, US-based non-profit Extreme Tech Challenge will present a special “Excellence in Applied AI” award. The winner will be invited to showcase their innovation at XTC’s flagship annual AI conference in California in November 2026 and will gain entry into XTC’s global network of investors and corporate partners.

“Our vision is to build an ecosystem where sustainable development and technology with social purpose are integral to how startups innovate and grow,” said Hitesh Garg, Vice President and India Managing Director at NXP Semiconductors. “Through Season 6 of the NXP India Tech Startup Challenge, we are excited to connect Indian entrepreneurs with global networks, technical expertise, and opportunities that can help transform breakthrough ideas into impactful, scalable solutions.”

Applications for Season 6 open on February 17, 2026, and close on March 20, 2026. Internal evaluations will conclude by April 30, 2026, followed by a virtual grand finale on May 28, 2026.

Previous winners such as Bharat Pi, Deepfacts, Lapa Electric and Adaslabs Technologies have reported increased industry traction and global visibility after participating in the challenge, reflecting the program’s role in supporting emerging technology ventures.