EDGE Program
Entrepreneurial Development and Growth Experience
Where students launch real businesses under expert guidance
Program Overview
Introduction
EDGE (Entrepreneurial Development and Growth Experience) is a transformative program designed to help students go beyond textbooks and experience what it truly means to build a business. It enables participants to work on real-world startup ideas, understand the entrepreneurial journey, and engage in immersive problem-solving – all within the support system of their college ecosystem.
EDGE is not just another entrepreneurship program; it's an action-based learning lab where students go from ideation to execution, mentored by industry leaders, startup founders, and financial experts.
Vision and Purpose
Vision:
To nurture a generation of student entrepreneurs equipped to take on the challenges of the business world with courage, creativity, and competence.
Purpose:
- To develop entrepreneurial leadership on campus.
- To bridge the gap between academic learning and business execution.
- To instill a culture of innovation, collaboration, and action-oriented thinking.
- To convert colleges into launchpads for sustainable startups.
Who is the EDGE Program for?
- Colleges and universities aiming to strengthen their innovation and incubation ecosystem.
- Campus clubs, entrepreneurship cells, and student communities looking to drive value-based outcomes.
- Undergraduate and Postgraduate students from any discipline with an interest in business, startups, or innovation.
- Students who want to experience real entrepreneurship rather than just learn about it.
Program Highlights
- Work on real startup ideas from Day 1.
- Access to a curated pool of mentors, business experts, and investors.
- Hands-on learning through live business building.
- Integrated modules on design thinking, market validation, business modeling, financial projections, and more.
- Milestone-based progress tracking and demo day for pitch presentations.
Program Structure
The EDGE Program is a structured 6-month experiential journey that can be seamlessly integrated into the college curriculum, either as a credit-based module or a co-curricular initiative over time. The program follows a dual-layered structure that guides participants both vertically through key phases and horizontally through critical entrepreneurial themes.
Vertical Flow: Program Phases
1.Ignite:
- Cultivate entrepreneurial mindset
- Identify real-world problems
- Learn to think like founders
- Form diverse and driven teams
2.Build:
- Go deep into ideation, validation & opportunity sizing
- Conduct structured market research and user interviews
- Create a proof of concept and basic MVP
- Explore business models, revenue streams, and cost structures
- Learn basics of financial planning and projections
- Design a strong go-to-market and branding strategy
3.Launch:
- Prepare a compelling pitch deck
- Practice live investor pitches and Q&A
- Participate in EDGE Demo Day in front of mentors, VCs, and college leaders
- Selected startups get fast-tracked into the HIVE incubation program
Horizontal Flow: Core Themes Across All Phases
These entrepreneurial foundations run across all stages of the program:
| Theme | Description |
|---|---|
| Mindset | Cultivating entrepreneurial thinking – risk-taking, resilience, adaptability |
| Ideation | Discovering problems worth solving, and shaping scalable business ideas |
| Market Research & PoC | Validating assumptions through user feedback, surveys, and early product prototypes |
| Minimum Viability Plan | Building a lean MVP with the least resources, to test core functionality |
| Business Plan | Structuring the venture – business model, operations, finance, and go-to-market |
| Business Launch | Pitch readiness, final presentations, and real-world exposure to investors |
Learning Approach
EDGE is built around the philosophy of experiential learning:
- Action-oriented: Learn by building, not by memorizing.
- Collaborative: Peer-to-peer learning, teamwork, and cross-functional collaboration.
- Mentor-driven: Weekly guidance from startup founders, VCs, and domain experts.
- Iterative: Emphasis on testing, feedback, and business pivots.
- Real-world exposure: Students talk to users, build MVPs, and pitch to actual investors.
- Structured with Tools like the EDGE Seed Sheet: Students use our foundational blueprint to clarify idea, problem-solution fit, and execution path from Day 1.
Outcomes and Deliverables
At the end of the EDGE Program, participants will have:
- A validated startup idea with real user insights
- A working MVP or business prototype
- A refined pitch deck and investor-ready presentation
- Basic financial model and revenue projections
- Certificate of Completion from Manartha Varsity
- Real experience of what it takes to build and lead a business
Integration with College/University Curriculum
- EDGE can be delivered as a credit-based elective, capstone project, or value-added program, aligned with the academic framework of National Education Policy (NEP) and integrated into the respective State Education Policies (SEP).
- Custom timelines and structure can be aligned with academic calendars.
- Faculty champions are engaged for campus coordination.
- Outcomes contribute to NAAC, NBA, and NIRF innovation indicators.
- Colleges receive visibility through EDGE Demo Day (PitchPoint), startup showcases, and MoUs with Manartha Varsity.
Additional EDGE Benefits
- Access to exclusive EDGE community of student founders
- Invite-only sessions with industry leaders and investors
- Internship opportunities in real startups
- Fast-track into Manartha Varsity's FILE Program (Financial Leadership)
- Preferred startup status with Number Leader platform
- Exclusive Discounts on Manartha Solutions Services
- Opportunity to co-build businesses with peers from across campuses
- Recognition for college as an Innovation-Focused Institution
Contact Us
For institutional partnerships, program enrolment, or more information:
- 📧 Email: varsity@manartha.com
- 🌐 Website: www.manarthavarsity.com
- 📍 Address: Manartha Varsity HQ, Bangalore, India