The Foundery Opens Cohort 2, Expands Search for India’s Next Entrepreneurs

The Foundery has opened applications for Cohort 2 of its 90-day residential venture build, seeking operators, repeat founders and experienced builders ready to create their own ventures. Founded by Kishore Biyani, Nikhil Kamath and Ronnie Screwvala, The Foundery is a venture builder that creates new companies alongside the entrepreneurs who will run them. Cohort 2 will begin on January 15, 2027, at The Foundery Sanctum in Alibaug.

Unlike a pitch competition, The Foundery does not require founders to arrive with a fully formed business plan. Co-founders explore opportunities from The Foundery’s Idea Vault and are matched based on experience, strengths, conviction and category fit, then build from thesis to product, consumer validation and an operating business, supported by capital, practitioners and shared infrastructure from day one.

In its first cohort, matched co-founders moved from early theses to 18 companies over 90 days in Alibaug, presenting to investors at The Foundery FWD event in Mumbai in July 2026. The residency involved entrepreneurs, investors and cultural figures including Santosh Desai, Rajan Anandan, Prasoon Joshi, Harsh Mariwala, Rana Daggubati, Ranveer Singh, Falguni Nayar and Anil Agarwal. At FWD, the 18 companies generated more than ₹550 crore in non-binding expressions of investment interest, with indicated valuations exceeding ₹1,400 crore. Cohort 1 companies are now moving toward market, with launches planned through the remainder of 2026.

“Capital alone has never built anything that lasts. Founders can lose their first year assembling all the pieces they need to get moving. At The Foundery, those pieces are around them from day one, a head start that helps them move faster, get to market sooner and keep pace with how quickly the world is changing,” said Ronnie Screwvala, Co-founder, The Foundery.

“India is changing fast, and so is its consumer. After three decades of building consumer businesses, one thing I have learnt is that understanding the Indian consumer cannot be inherited as instinct, it has to be relearned continuously,” said Kishore Biyani, Co-founder, The Foundery.

“Everyone in China says ‘ecosystem, ecosystem, ecosystem.’ Foundery is a small attempt at trying to build that for consumer brands in India. It’s not about how many of the 20 brands per batch succeed, but about the fact that, in 10 years, we would have built the rails by attempting to create 200 Indian brands with the potential to sell globally,” said Nikhil Kamath, Co-founder, The Foundery.