The LABH Startup Readiness Score
The LABH Startup Readiness Score is a 100-point score across nine dimensions that shows how ready an early-stage startup is for grants, incubators and investors. A total of 70 or more, with the minimum gates met, is Grant & Incubator Ready; 85 or more is Investor Ready. The gates stop a high total from hiding one weak area. LABH Advisory uses it in every engagement, at the start and at the end.
The nine dimensions
| Dimension | Points | What it looks for |
|---|---|---|
| Founder & Team | 20 | Domain knowledge, commitment, a complete team |
| Customer Validation | 15 | Real conversations, intent to buy, pilots, revenue |
| Innovation | 13 | Something new, and defensible |
| Problem Evidence | 12 | Costly, frequent, evidenced beyond your own experience |
| Solution Maturity | 10 | Concept → prototype → product in users’ hands |
| Market Opportunity | 10 | A bottom-up market you can actually reach |
| Business Model | 10 | How it makes money, and a price that holds |
| Structure & Compliance | 5 | Right entity, founder agreements, IP, DPIIT-ready |
| Execution | 5 | You ship: commitments met, decisions made |
Founder & Team and Customer Validation together carry 35 of the 100 points, the two largest weights.
The five bands and their gates
A band needs both the total and its minimum gates. If a gate is missed, the startup stays in the highest band whose gates it does meet.
| Band | Total | Minimum gates |
|---|---|---|
| Investor Ready | 85+ | Customer Validation 12+ of 15 · Business Model 8+ of 10 · Founder & Team 16+ of 20 |
| Grant & Incubator Ready | 70+ | Customer Validation 9+ · Founder & Team 13+ · Innovation 8+ of 13 · Structure & Compliance 3+ of 5 |
| Structured | 55+ | Problem Evidence 7+ of 12 · Customer Validation 6+ · Business Model 6+ |
| Foundation | 35+ | Problem Evidence 6+ |
| Restart | Below 35 | None |
Example: a startup with 74 points but Customer Validation at 7 has the total for Grant & Incubator Ready, not the gate. If it meets Structured’s gates, it stays at Structured until validation reaches 9. That is what keeps the score honest.
Claimed or proven
“Claimed” means you believe it. “Proven” means you could show someone the evidence tomorrow: notes from customer conversations, a signed pilot, a working prototype, a bank statement. Assessors score what they can see, so the Readiness Score does too.
Two ways to get your score
| Free self-check | Startup Diagnostic | |
|---|---|---|
| Time | About 60 seconds | One week |
| Questions | One per dimension | About 40, with evidence |
| You get | An indicative band, on the homepage | Your score, a five-page report and a 45-minute call with Saksham |
| Price | Free | ₹4,999 + GST |
In the six-week Startup Launch Program, you are scored at the start and again at the end.
Questions founders ask
What is the LABH Startup Readiness Score?
A 100-point score across nine dimensions, created by LABH Advisory, that shows how ready an early-stage startup is for grants, incubators and investors. 70 or more with the minimum gates met is Grant & Incubator Ready; 85 or more is Investor Ready.
What are the nine dimensions?
Founder & Team (20), Customer Validation (15), Innovation (13), Problem Evidence (12), Solution Maturity (10), Market Opportunity (10), Business Model (10), Structure & Compliance (5) and Execution (5).
Why does the score have gates?
So a high total can’t hide one weak area. Grant & Incubator Ready, for example, also needs Customer Validation 9+, Founder & Team 13+, Innovation 8+ and Structure & Compliance 3+.
How do I get my score?
Take the free 60-second self-check on the LABH Advisory homepage for an indicative band, or book the Startup Diagnostic (₹4,999 + GST) for a scored assessment with evidence, a written report and a call.
Where does your startup stand?
Score yourself free in 60 seconds, or get the real score with evidence in one week.
Saksham Agarwal is the founder of LABH Advisory in Mohali, a Registered Mentor on BHASKAR (Startup India’s national registry, run by DPIIT) and a member of TiE Chandigarh. LinkedIn