The Digital India Foundation (DIF) today announced the launch of Phoenix Hub, a first-of-its-kind de-acceleration programme designed to enable the productive redeployment of underutilised intellectual property, applied innovation, and specialised talent emerging from startups and research ecosystems that are no longer operational or are preparing to shut down.
Unlike traditional accelerators, incubators or venture-led programmes, Phoenix Hub does not deploy capital, take equity, or acquire ownership of assets. Instead, it functions as a neutral, non-capital platform that helps valuable innovation find renewed relevance in enterprise, institutional, or applied contexts-at a stage where conventional options such as venture funding, spin-outs, or standard licensing have stalled.
“Startup India, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Prime Minister, has built a vibrant innovation ecosystem over the past decade. Phoenix Hub is inspired by this vision and is focused on ensuring that the value created by startups, founders continues to circulate, even when ventures slow down or conclude,” said Dr Arvind Gupta, Co-Founder and Head, Digital India Foundation.
Phoenix Hub is relevant for startup founders whose ventures have reached a strategic dead-end but where intellectual property or specialised teams continue to hold value. It also enables corporates and enterprises to explore access to dormant IP, applied innovation and technical talent without early-stage venture exposure, while offering universities and research institutions an additional pathway to redeploy research outputs that have not translated into sustained commercial use. The platform is also open to IP-focused institutions such as technology transfer offices, public IP facilitation agencies and applied research organisations.
Engagements through Phoenix Hub are private by default, and startups or founders are not publicly referenced without explicit consent. Non-selection is based on alignment with the platform’s mandate and priorities, and does not constitute an assessment of technical merit or founder capability. All intellectual property rights remain with the originating rights holders unless separately agreed between the transacting parties.
The platform does not endorse or validate startups, technologies or IP, nor does it negotiate commercial, legal or employment terms. Phoenix Hub is positioned as a complementary mechanism, working alongside existing institutional governance frameworks, technology transfer processes and market-based arrangements, rather than replacing them.
Engagement with Phoenix Hub typically begins with a structured intake or referral, followed by an initial alignment discussion to assess relevance. Participation beyond this stage remains voluntary and non-binding unless separately agreed by the parties involved.
