On 6th February 2023, the Samsung R&D Institute, Bangalore (SRI-B) and Samsung R&D Institute, Noida (SRI-N) announced the launch of its Startup incubation program – Samsung Mobile Advance (SMA) 2023, inviting startups to collaborate with Samsung to build meaningful innovations.
ABOUT SAMSUNG MOBILE ADVANCE (SMA)
Samsung Mobile Advance (SMA) 2023 is a program that will help new startups to bring their ideas to life. It will be driven by SRI-Bangalore. It is a grant funding scheme for new proof-of-concept projects that are specifically tailored to collaborate with Samsung Mobile technology.
It is an open call for project proposals from Indian companies and organizations, with three rounds of judging, including a Pitch Day event.
Areas of interest will include, though not limited to, the following domains:
- Camera
- Power
- Audio
- Health
- On-device AI
- Metaverse/AR
- ESG
- Foldable technology
- Wearables
- Sensors
- Advanced Materials
- Connectivity
“The proposals will gain exposure to a wide range of Samsung staff that will evaluate the ideas and select those that have the highest potential. After the completion of the 6-month program, the developed Proof of Concept projects will be evaluated and considered by Samsung Mobile for further partnership opportunities. The ideas can vary from different technologies, like camera, wearable, sensors, ESG, audio & more,” Samsung claims.
PROCESS AND SELECTION
The final date to submit applications would be 31st March 2023, after which, a ‘Pitch day’ will be held in the month of May. The names of the selected companies will be announced in June and the ‘Proof of concept’ program will commence by July.
The winning ideas will receive up to $50K in grant funding from Samsung, along with limited technical and project support and loan devices for a period of six months to enable the winning project ideas to be developed.
The selected startups will also receive mentorship from experts in the required fields and support to build the Proof-of-concept product that can be integrated into Samsung products and services.
Finally, by February 2024 the selected companies will have to be ready with their products to showcase a demo.
The application process has already begun. Those interested are invited to apply at startup.connect@samsung.com.