Ashar Group launches Urban Futures Lab, commits ₹25 crore to back urbantech startups
Ashar Group, on 16 March, said it had launched Ashar Urban Futures Lab (UFL), India’s first venture studio for urbantech, proptech, and constructiontech, committing ₹25 crore to support 10–15 startups over the next 24 months, with ₹50 lakh initial investment per startup to bridge the funding gap in urban innovation.
As per the company, Ashar UFL follows a three-phase framework—identifying real industry problems, rapidly building and testing solutions in real-world conditions, and preparing startups for market traction and fundraising, creating a structured pathway from concept to commercial success within 12 months.
As applications open for its first cohort, Ashar Group said it aims to reshape India’s urban future by supporting startups across urbantech, proptech, construction tech, climate resilience, and material innovation—bridging innovation with real-world implementation to build smarter cities for tomorrow.
"We have launched the Ashar Urban Futures Lab (UFL), a structured 300-day build program in which we will work with our entrepreneurs to co-build their startups, giving them direct access to a live, operating real estate ecosystem from day 1," said Ayushi Ashar, Director of Ashar Group and Founder of Ashar UFL.
Ayushi further added that traditional venture capital often prioritises rapid scaling and quick returns, which do not align well with the longer development cycles of urban tech solutions. As a result, urban tech startups struggle to access real-world testing environments, industry systems, and long-term partnerships needed to develop and scale their innovations.
“Urban innovation often fails not because of limited opportunities, but because founders remain disconnected from the systems they aim to revolutionise. By positioning itself as a co-builder rather than a passive investor, Ashar UFL ensures that 5-6 startups per cohort don't just receive funding - they receive the operational understanding and real-world integration that traditional support systems cannot provide,” said Harnidh Kaur, Founding Strategic Partner of Ashar UFL.
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