What does the startup ecosystem in Mangaluru look like?

Mangaluru's ecosystem is strongest in SaaS, fintech and IT services, sitting on an industrial base of the port, the MRPL refinery and the fertiliser and processing units around them. Homegrown product startups are still few and mostly early stage. The companies list above shows who is building what, filterable by vertical.

Why is Mangaluru called the cradle of Indian banking?

Because a large part of modern Indian banking started on this coast. Around 22 banks were founded in coastal Karnataka between 1880 and 1935, nine of them in Mangaluru itself, including Canara Bank in 1906, Karnataka Bank in 1924 and Vijaya Bank in 1931. Karnataka Bank is the one still headquartered in the city, at Kankanady, and that history is why Karnataka's tier two push treats Mangaluru as a fintech cluster.

Which are the best known companies from Mangaluru?

Karnataka Bank is the largest company headquartered in the city. Hangyo Ice Creams is the standout consumer brand, having raised about $25 million from Faering Capital in 2024. CodeCraft, Novigo and Tetherfi are the long running local software firms, Daijiworld is the regional media network built here, and MRPL and New Mangalore Port anchor the industrial economy.

Which are the top startup verticals in Mangaluru?

SaaS, fintech and IT services lead, with healthtech close behind on the back of the medical and dental colleges at Deralakatte. Use the vertical chips above to browse the companies in each.

Which incubators and coworking spaces are in Mangaluru?

NITK-STEP at Surathkal is the oldest, running since 1994, and the state backed K-tech Innovation Hub in the city offers a makerspace and desks for product startups. Sahyadri College at Adyar and Yenepoya at Deralakatte run the most active college incubators. Coworking is thin: wrkwrk at Yeyyadi and Cowozo on M G Road are the main operators, and the coworking section below lists them.

Are there investors and VCs in Mangaluru?

No angel network or venture fund is based in the city. Early money reaches founders here through Karnataka state programmes such as ELEVATE and NAIN, through TiE Global Angels via the local TiE chapter, and from investors in Bengaluru, which is about 350 km away. The investors section below lists what is active locally.

Where do founders network in Mangaluru?

Mostly around TiE Mangaluru, which started in April 2023 and reports reaching 400 or more entrepreneurs and 130 or more member founders, and at the set piece events, Mangaluru Technovanza, Coastal Startup Fest and TiECon Mangaluru. The campus incubators at NITK and Sahyadri convene the student and early stage end. The communities section below lists them.

Does eChai run events in Mangaluru?

Not yet. eChai has no Mangaluru chapter, and the nearest ones are Bengaluru and Kochi. eChai is free and open wherever it runs, with no application or membership fee, and if you would like to help start it here, get in touch.

Mangaluru (Mangalore) Startup Ecosystem: Founders, Companies, Investors

eChai Ventures is a slow founder network. It is built by founders showing up at open meetups, demo days and dinners, and this is its page for Mangaluru: what is on here, what has been, and who is here.

Join eChai

What is on in Mangaluru.

Sat 31 Oct 6 pm eChai Startup Demo Day

Every gathering in Mangaluru

Mangaluru's startups, on one map.

The Startup Grid puts Mangaluru's startups on the map where they work, with the city's investors, incubators and coworking spaces beside them, and walks you round them part of town by part of town.

Open the map of Mangaluru

Where founders in Mangaluru build.

Startups

'Cradle of Indian Banking' Dakshina Kannada / Mangaluru region
Canara Bank Mangaluru (founding site)
Infosys Mangaluru Development Center (SEZ, Mudipu) Mudipu (south Mangaluru)
Karnataka Bank Mangaluru (Kankanady / Bank HQ)
Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilizers (MCF) Panambur (north Mangaluru)
MRPL (Mangalore Refinery & Petrochemicals) Katipalla / Kuthethur (north Mangaluru)

All of them

Investors

KDEM BLUE (Startup/Investor Connect) Mangaluru (rotates Hubballi/Mysuru)

All of them

Incubators and accelerators

Atal Incubation Centre Nitte / Mangaluru
Yenepoya Technology Incubator (YTI) / YUHUB Yenepoya (Deemed University), Deralakatte, Mangaluru
NITK-STEP (Science & Technology Entrepreneurs' Park, NITK Surathkal) NITK Surathkal, Mangaluru
K-tech Innovation Hub, Mangaluru (powered by IKP) Mangaluru, Dakshina Kannada
Sahyadri College Incubation Centre (K-tech NAIN) Sahyadri College of Engineering & Management, Adyar, Mangaluru
AIC-Nitte Incubation Centre (Atal Innovation Mission) Nitte, Karkala (Udupi dist.) — flag: outside Mangaluru city (~50 km)

All of them

Coworking

wrkwrk Mindspace Airport Rd, Yeyyadi, Mangaluru 575008
Cowozo (Coworking Zones) Empire Building, M G Road, Kodialbail, Mangaluru 575001 (multi-location)

All of them

Communities

eChai Mangaluru (proposed) Mangaluru (TBD)
Mangaluru Technovanza 2025 TMA Pai International Convention Centre, Mangaluru
TiE Mangaluru Mangaluru–Udupi–Manipal
TiECon Mangaluru 2026 Mangaluru
Coastal Startup Fest 2026 Fiza by Nexus Mall, Mangaluru
ALLCARGO EMERGE 2026 (Startup Beach Festival) Tannirbhavi Beach, Mangaluru

All of them

Neighbourhoods

Kadri, Bejai & MG Road
NITK Surathkal
New Mangalore Port & Panambur
MRPL & the Mangalore SEZ
Mudipu

All of them

Questions about Mangaluru.

What does the startup ecosystem in Mangaluru look like?: Mangaluru's ecosystem is strongest in SaaS, fintech and IT services, sitting on an industrial base of the port, the MRPL refinery and the fertiliser and processing units around them. Homegrown product startups are still few and mostly early stage. The companies list above shows who is building what, filterable by vertical.
Why is Mangaluru called the cradle of Indian banking?: Because a large part of modern Indian banking started on this coast. Around 22 banks were founded in coastal Karnataka between 1880 and 1935, nine of them in Mangaluru itself, including Canara Bank in 1906, Karnataka Bank in 1924 and Vijaya Bank in 1931. Karnataka Bank is the one still headquartered in the city, at Kankanady, and that history is why Karnataka's tier two push treats Mangaluru as a fintech cluster.
Which are the best known companies from Mangaluru?: Karnataka Bank is the largest company headquartered in the city. Hangyo Ice Creams is the standout consumer brand, having raised about $25 million from Faering Capital in 2024. CodeCraft, Novigo and Tetherfi are the long running local software firms, Daijiworld is the regional media network built here, and MRPL and New Mangalore Port anchor the industrial economy.
Which are the top startup verticals in Mangaluru?: SaaS, fintech and IT services lead, with healthtech close behind on the back of the medical and dental colleges at Deralakatte. Use the vertical chips above to browse the companies in each.
Which incubators and coworking spaces are in Mangaluru?: NITK-STEP at Surathkal is the oldest, running since 1994, and the state backed K-tech Innovation Hub in the city offers a makerspace and desks for product startups. Sahyadri College at Adyar and Yenepoya at Deralakatte run the most active college incubators. Coworking is thin: wrkwrk at Yeyyadi and Cowozo on M G Road are the main operators, and the coworking section below lists them.
Are there investors and VCs in Mangaluru?: No angel network or venture fund is based in the city. Early money reaches founders here through Karnataka state programmes such as ELEVATE and NAIN, through TiE Global Angels via the local TiE chapter, and from investors in Bengaluru, which is about 350 km away. The investors section below lists what is active locally.
Where do founders network in Mangaluru?: Mostly around TiE Mangaluru, which started in April 2023 and reports reaching 400 or more entrepreneurs and 130 or more member founders, and at the set piece events, Mangaluru Technovanza, Coastal Startup Fest and TiECon Mangaluru. The campus incubators at NITK and Sahyadri convene the student and early stage end. The communities section below lists them.
Does eChai run events in Mangaluru?: Not yet. eChai has no Mangaluru chapter, and the nearest ones are Bengaluru and Kochi. eChai is free and open wherever it runs, with no application or membership fee, and if you would like to help start it here, get in touch.

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