Nikhil Kamath and Kishore Biyani Launch The Foundery to Build Early-Stage Startups

Nikhil Kamath and Kishore Biyani have together launched The Foundery, a new residential platform designed to support and build early stage startups in india.

The initiative aims to find people with a founder mindset and help them turn ideas into investible companies through a structured, immersive programme.

The Foundery works as a co-founder factory and offers a 90-day residential programme.

During the programme, participants work on developing ideas, checking market demand, building products, and finding the right market fit. The Foundery combines aspects of a school, an accelerator, and a venture studio, with a strong focus on learning by doing rather than classroom teaching.

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Participants work closely with experienced operators, investors and industry experts who guide them on product building, company setup, and early business strategy. Those selected to build ventures can keep up to 25% equity in the startups they create. Startups that meet internal goals may receive seed funding of up to ₹4 crore along with ongoing strategic support after the programme.

The programme is open to aspiring founders, early-stage entrepreneurs, and mid-career professionals. Selection is based on problem-solving skills, clear thinking, creativity, and resilience, rather than degrees or polished pitches. Applicants go through multiple rounds to test their ability to execute and adapt.

“Most of what we call education was built for a world that doesn’t exist anymore. It teaches people to fit in when progress comes from those who don’t. MBAs create managers. We need people who can build, break, fail and rebuild. The Foundery is for them — the ones who’d rather make their own path than follow someone else’s,” said Nikhil Kamath.

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“This isn’t a classroom or an incubator,” added 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,” he said. 

“We’re looking for people who combine imagination with intent — those who can think differently and act decisively,” said Santosh Desai, who helped conceptualise The Foundery.

Mentors at The Foundery include Vijay Shekhar Sharma, Kunal Bahl, Mithun Sacheti, Varun Berry, Rama Bijapurkar and Aakrit Vaish.

Each cohort ends with a demo day where startups pitch to a selected group of investors. Along with startup building, the programme also offers a “School of Life” track focused on decision-making, mental strength, and founder mindset.

The campus-based programme plans to run multiple cohorts every year.

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