The incubator math doesn't work for Tier-2 founders
We filed RTIs instead of trusting brochures. Here's what the economics of government-backed incubation actually look like, and who they leave behind.
Every state has an incubation story. Ribbon-cuttings, MoUs, a press release with a big number. What almost none of them have is published outcomes.
So we asked
Under the Right to Information Act, we requested disbursement timelines, seat utilisation, and follow-on rates from a sample of government-backed incubators. The picture that came back was consistent: slow money, thin support, and a survivorship story that quietly omits the founders who didn't make it.
The incubator's incentives are to fill seats and report activity. The founder's incentive is to survive. Those are not the same thing.
None of this means incubation is worthless. It means the default is not built for a founder three states away from the nearest operator. Pretending otherwise costs founders quarters they don't have.
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