December 23, 2025: Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath and Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani have launched The Foundery, a 90-day programme aimed at helping early-stage founders turn ideas into viable businesses. The initiative combines mentorship, hands-on company building, and seed funding to give entrepreneurs a faster path to launch.
Selected participants will work alongside The Foundery team and experienced mentors to validate ideas, design business models, and prepare for investment. Founders retain up to 25% equity in the startups they help create, and ventures that meet key milestones can receive seed funding of up to Rs 4 crore, along with ongoing strategic support.
“This isn’t a classroom or an incubator,” said Kishore Biyani. “It’s a live business-building environment where entrepreneurs learn by creating, testing, failing, and evolving. We’re forging founders through experience, not theory.”
New Startup Programme by The Foundery Combines Mentorship and Seed Funding
Kamath added, “Most of what we call education was built for a world that doesn’t exist anymore. MBAs create managers. We need people who can build, break, fail, and rebuild. The Foundery is for those who want to make their own path.”
The programme will run as a residential, campus-based experience, with multiple cohorts planned throughout the year. Each 90-day cohort will conclude with a Demo Day, giving startups the chance to pitch to a curated network of investors.
Mentors include Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Titan Capital’s Kunal Bahl, AI entrepreneur Aakrit Vaish, and several other experienced business leaders. Alongside venture-building, The Foundery also offers a “School of Life” track to support decision-making, resilience, and founder mindset, skills often overlooked in traditional entrepreneurship education.
The selection process focuses on problem-solving ability, creativity, and resilience, rather than formal credentials. Applicants go through multiple rounds that test idea clarity, execution thinking, and founder mindset. The Foundery programme is open to aspiring entrepreneurs, mid-career professionals, and early-stage founders looking to accelerate their journey.
