ICICI Bank launched iStartup as an initiative to support emerging entrepreneurs within its existing branch network.
EuMo designed a dedicated in-branch environment that was attractive to young founders, enabling collaboration, discussion and early-stage business thinking.
ICICI Bank
Banking & Finance
Customer Experience
Retail Experience
Retail Strategy
Service Design
Signage & Wayfinding
Hardware & Fixtures
The ambition was to reposition the bank’s role from a transactional financial institution to a startup enabler, from formal banking spaces to approachable, collaborative environments and from service provider to early-stage partner in entrepreneurial journeys.
The goal was to create approachable, collaborative environments within existing branches that would attract entrepreneurs, support early-stage thinking and establish a scalable system across locations.
Strategic Interpretation & Spatial Experience Design
EuMo’s process started with a creative and strategic interpretation of the brief. The startup audience is fundamentally different from traditional banking customers. They seek informal, open environments with flexibility in how they use space
The space must feel like the beginning of a startup, not an extension of a bank. This led to inspiration from garage startups, where some of the world’s most successful ventures began.
The design needed to signal possibility. The environment was designed to embody frugal innovation and entrepreneurial energy with planned, informal layouts that reduce hierarchy, open, approachable seating arrangements and a tone that encourages interaction.
Modular System Thinking
A highly adaptable furniture system was developed. Configurations for individual work, group discussions and presentations with corner desks that could be reoriented into central meeting tables, the flexibility to respond to changing user needs within limited space.
Design becomes responsive to behaviour. The system enables multiple modes of engagement as required by start-up teams. One-on-one advisory conversations, peer discussions among entrepreneurs and small group presentations and idea sharing were enabled through design.
The environment supports both solitude and collaboration.
Stronger Engagement with Startup Audience
Entrepreneurs across sectors actively can use the space to initiate and build their ventures.
Repositioned Brand Perception
ICICI Bank is seen as an accessible and supportive partner for early-stage businesses.
High Utility Through Simplicity
The intuitive, flexible design enables diverse use cases without complexity.
Scalable Innovation Model
The system can be replicated across branches, extending the initiative’s reach.
Why the investment mattered
The intervention transformed the bank’s physical presence into a platform for engagement with the startup ecosystem, shifting perception from service provider to early-stage partner. By embedding collaborative environments within branches, ICICI Bank created new opportunities for interaction, relationship building and long-term customer acquisition.
The scalable system allows the bank to extend this positioning across its network while remaining adaptable to space constraints. The project moves ICICI Bank closer to its ambition of becoming a meaningful participant in India’s entrepreneurial journey rather than a transactional endpoint.
