Press Release – The Foundery Launches Cohort 2 of Its Venture‑Building Programme

The Foundery, a venture‑builder founded by Kishore Biyani, Nikhil Kamath and Ronnie Screwvala, announced on 15 October 2026 that applications are now open for Cohort 2 of its 90‑day residential venture‑building programme. The second cohort will commence on 15 January 2027 at The Foundery Sanctum in Alibaug, Maharashtra, and will bring together a new group of co‑founders for an intensive build period.

The programme does not require participants to arrive with a fully formed business plan. Instead, co‑founders are matched with ideas from The Foundery’s “Idea Vault” based on experience, strengths, conviction and category fit. From thesis to product, consumer validation and an operating business, participants receive capital, practitioners, operators and shared infrastructure from day one.

Cohort 1 Outcomes

The inaugural cohort, which ran for 90 days in Alibaug, produced 18 companies that were presented at The Foundery FWD in Mumbai in July 2026. Those companies generated more than Rs 550 crore in non‑binding expressions of investment interest, with indicated valuations exceeding Rs 1,400 crore. The founders benefited from close interaction with a wide range of entrepreneurs, investors, operators and cultural figures, including Santosh Desai, Rajan Anandan, Aakash Chaudhry, Prasoon Joshi, Garima D. Bahl, Aditya Sehgal, Harsh Mariwala, Diipa Khosla, Rana Daggubati, Jonty Rhodes, Ranveer Singh, Falguni Nayar and Anil Agarwal. Cohort 1 companies continue to progress toward market launches throughout the remainder of 2026.

Vision for Cohort 2

Cohort 2 will build on the first cohort’s foundation, bringing a higher concentration of entrepreneurial experience and operating muscle. Kishore Biyani emphasized that understanding the Indian consumer must be continuously relearned, stating that the next generation of entrepreneurs must build for where India is heading, not where it has been. Nikhil Kamath highlighted the ambition to create an ecosystem capable of producing 200 Indian consumer brands with global potential over the next ten years, noting that the aim is not merely the number of successful brands per batch but the long‑term development of the ecosystem.

Ronnie Screwvala added that capital alone does not build lasting companies; the programme’s integrated support structure gives founders a head start, enabling faster market entry and adaptation to rapid change.

Programme Structure

  • Duration: 90 days, residential at The Foundery Sanctum, Alibaug.
  • Selection: Open applications; candidates must have demonstrated ability to build teams, products, categories, communities or businesses.
  • Support: Access to capital, mentors, operators, shared infrastructure, and a curated Idea Vault.
  • Outcome Goal: Transition from thesis to operating company with validated product, consumer traction and go‑to‑market plans.

The Foundery’s model reflects the increasingly non‑linear way modern companies are built, integrating product, consumer insight, brand, distribution, technology, culture and capital from the outset.