All you need to know about Kamath & Biyani’s entrepreneurship programme, The Foundery

Zerodha cofounder and angel investor Nikhil Kamath and Future Group CEO Kishore Biyani have launched The Foundery, a residential entrepreneurship programme.

Here is everything you need to know about it.

What is The Foundery?


Foundery is a 90-day, residential entrepreneurship programme, based in Alibaug, backed by Kamath’s investor firm WTFund and Biyani’s Think9. The programme is expected to see collaboration with other leading Indian entrepreneurs, including founders and CEOs from companies such as Paytm, Peak XV, and Caratlane.

The programme positions itself as an alternative to traditional MBAs and accelerators.


This comes just months after Kamath made a statement about MBA programmes becoming obsolete at one of his podcast appearances.


In a post on X, Kamath wrote, “So, an idiot I know said high-priced MBAs might be a bad idea, so here's something different, and if you are amongst the lucky few that get admitted, not only do you get everything you need to build a consumer brand, you don’t pay any college fees, instead you get the capital and know-how to start the brand.”

The premise for the programme is that instead of classroom learning, participants live and build together, and launch ready-to-scale consumer businesses. Instead of paying tuition, they receive capital, infrastructure, mentorship, and equity participation in their ventures.

For the first cohort, a set of 30 cofounders or 20 businesses are set to be chosen. They will be guided on brand and design, AI and tech, operations, legal, finance, fundraising, and talent support, and mentored by experts from their startup’s domain.

Who is eligible?


The programme is open to aspiring founders above the age of 18 from diverse backgrounds, including creators, strategists, operators, leaders, etc., who are willing to relocate for three months.

How to apply?

Candidates have to pay a non-refundable fee of Rs 5,000 and fill a detailed application. Following which, shortlisted candidates will be screened via a multi-stage process of interviews and a workshop / bootcamp. Around 75 candidates may reach the final interview rounds.

A cost of Rs 10 lakh per participant has been estimated, apart from other variable costs during the residency. But candidates do not have to pay this.


Applications open today and will go until mid-January 2026, with interviews to follow in February. The programme will begin from April.


The announcement for the programme on social media came about three days ago. The Foundery has close to 26,000 followers across platforms.


The online application takes around 40-60 minutes, with questions on personality and one’s professional background. It also includes questions around unconventional experiences (“trial by fire”), execution history, business judgement under stress, comfort with AI tools, views on Indian and international consumer markets, and requires the applicants to submit a self-introduction video of up to two minutes.


This is not the first time a Kamath brother has pushed free, hands-on learning at scale. Recently, Nithin Kamath shared that more than 60,000 people have attended Zerodha’s Varsity Live online classes in English and Hindi on trading, investing, taxes, and related topics.