Entrepreneurs Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha, and retail pioneer Kishore Biyani have teamed up to launch The Foundery, a first-of-its-kind residential business launchpad designed to forge India’s next generation of founders. The immersive 90-day programme blends elements of a school, accelerator and venture studio, focusing on hands-on execution rather than classroom lessons to help participants turn early-stage ideas into investible companies.

Set in Alibaug, The Foundery brings aspiring entrepreneurs, early-stage founders and mid-career professionals together under one roof to work intensively with operators, investors and domain experts on concept validation, market fit, product build-out and business model development. Selected participants can retain up to 25 % equity in the ventures they help create, giving them meaningful ownership from day one. Successful startups that meet internal milestones may also receive seed funding of up to ₹4 crore and ongoing strategic support.

The programme emphasises execution, resilience and real-world problem-solving, with a curriculum designed around building viable businesses and not just pitching them. Mentors include prominent industry figures who guide founders through product strategy, scaling and investor readiness. Each cohort concludes with a demo day where founders present to curated investor groups, helping bridge the gap between early development and growth-stage funding.