Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Future Group founder Kishore Biyani have joined hands to launch Foundery, a residential business launchpad aimed at identifying, mentoring and co-building the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs.
Positioned as a co-founder factory, the Foundery combines elements of a school, accelerator and venture studio, and is designed to compress the early-stage startup journey into an intensive 90-day programme. Participants will work on taking business ideas from concept to investment-ready ventures, supported by mentors, investors and industry operators.
“Most of what we call education was built for a world that no longer exists. It teaches people to fit in, whereas progress comes from those who don’t,” Kamath said. “MBAs create managers. We need people who can build, break, fail and rebuild. The Foundery is for those who want to create their own path.”
Biyani said the initiative is meant to be a hands-on business-building environment rather than a conventional incubator. “Entrepreneurs learn here by creating, testing, failing and evolving. We are forging founders through experience, not theory,” he said.
At The Foundery, participants will work closely with the in-house team and mentors to develop businesses, with selected founders retaining up to 25% equity in the ventures they help build. Successful startups can receive seed funding of up to Rs 4 crore, along with continued strategic support after the programme.
The programme is open to aspiring entrepreneurs, mid-career professionals and early-stage founders. The selection process focuses on problem-solving ability, creativity and resilience, rather than polished pitches, with multiple rounds designed to assess founder mindset and execution capability.
“We are looking for people who combine imagination with intent—those who can think differently and act decisively,” said Santosh Desai, who was involved in conceptualising the initiative.
The mentor pool includes Vijay Shekhar Sharma (Paytm), Kunal Bahl (Snapdeal, Titan Capital), Aakash Chaudhry (Aakash Educational Services), Mithun Sacheti (CaratLane), Varun Berry (Britannia), Haresh Chawla (True North, Viacom18), Aditya Sehgal (former FTSE 20 COO), Garima Deveshwar Bahl, Jacob Mathew, Ireena Vittal, Rama Bijapurkar and Aakrit Vaish, among others.
Each cohort will culminate in a Demo Day, where participants pitch to a curated group of investors. Selected ventures will receive seed capital and access to The Foundery’s broader ecosystem. The programme also includes a School of Life component focused on the emotional and human aspects of entrepreneurship, such as resilience, curiosity and purpose.