FounderX C3 - Program Handbook

LIVE & HYBRID

COHORT 3 STARTS ON 3RD AUGUST 2024

BRING YOUR STARTUP IDEA TO LIFE IN 12 WEEKS!

The Great Indian Entrepreneurship Dream

Startups will play a massive role in making India the 3rd largest economy in the world From less than 1000 startups in 2014 to having over 1.8 Lakh startups by 2030 – Indian entrepreneurship dream is just starting. SOURCE: INC42

Success Stories Of Entrepreneurship

Dreams Do Come True In The Indian Startup Ecosystem

• Coming from the small town of Harduaganj near Aligarh, Vijay started playing with software and internet technologies back in 1997. He started indiasite.net while in college and sold it two years later for US$1 million.

• He then started One97 Communications in 2000 and launched Paytm in 2010 which went on to become the star product of One97.

• Toiling for over a decade, he turned Paytm into a household brand, employing 10,000+ people.

• Born in Tamil Nadu’s Thanjavur, Sridhar started his schooling from a tamil-medium government school and later went on to study at IIT Madras & then at the prestigious Princeton University.

• Vembu started AdventNet in 1996 which was later rebranded to Zoho in 2009 when he started building a phenomenal team in Chennai.

• Today Zoho employs 12000+ people, has 75+ products & generates annual revenues of INR 6,711 Cr+

• Nithin was always a curious kid with an inclination towards entrepreneurship. He began managing his father's trading account at the age of 17.

• After managing a franchisee of Reliance Money for 6 years, he started Zerodha in 2010 which is now India’s largest stock broker firm with over 1 Cr clients and clocking revenues of INR 5000 Cr+

Vijay Shekhar Sharma | Founder & CEO At Paytm

Sridhar Vembu | CEO Of Zoho

Nithin Kamath | Founder & CEO At Zerodha

The Opportunity In The Indian Startup Economy

With such a low probability of success, new age founders need to equip themselves with the right skills, network and the mindset required to flourish as a first-time startup founder.

21 Publicly Listed Tech Startups

111 Unicorns In India

800+ Startups Funded In CY 2023

5,600+ Startups Funded To Date

68,000+ Tech Startups Launched To Date

Top 5 Reasons Why 95% Of Startups Fail

Reason 1: Lack of Market Demand

Reason 2: Flawed Business Model

An incredible idea is worthless if it doesn't meet the market's genuine needs. Your belief in your product should be reflected in your target audience too.

A startup's business model is the blueprint for how it creates, delivers, and captures value. A flawed or non-existent business model invites challenges like difficulty in attracting investors, inability to scale, or failure to generate sustainable revenue.

Reason 3: Incorrect Go-To-Market (GTM) Strategy

With the right GTM strategy, you can reach your target customers in the right place, at the right time, and in the right way. Without it, you risk wasting resources and missing opportunities.

Reason 4: Unable to Raise Money

Capital is the lifeblood of any business and that’s why many startups fail in its absence. To raise capital, you need a deep understanding of various funding avenues, a compelling business idea backed by a solid pitch, and a robust business plan.

Reason 5:

Building A Wrong Team

A startup is as good as its team. You need to carefully select individuals who not only have the required skills and experience, but also share the startup's vision and values.

A 12-week fellowship program designed to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills, mindset and network to flourish as a first-time startup founder.

Fellows

Speakers & Mentors

50+ Startup Ideas Decoded

10 Startups To Be Launched

Live Sessions

Build your startup idea under the guidance of India's top founders and pitch it to a room full of investors to win an equity-free grant of ₹2.5 Lakh.

FounderX Past Fellows Profiles

Work Experience

FounderX Past Fellows Profiles

Top Sectors Of Interest

The FounderX Experience Through The Eyes Of Our Fellows

Thanks for making the cohort engaging, enlightening and an eye-opening experience. I'm definitely taking away a new perspective towards building businesses and meaningful relationships that'll help me level up at ever step of my journey.

Apoorv Goyal Orocorp

Thanks to the Inc42 team for creating this program which was filled with new learnings and knowledge every weekend!

Thanks for arranging such a great initiative. I'm now more aware of the startup ecosystem and how to think like an entrepreneur.

Anushka Gupta The Whole Truth Foods

The whole process helped me think through some elements in great detail than before and reinforcing the things I did right the first time. Really appreciate the intention & effort Inc42 has put into this!

Sarthak Madan Playground Outdoors LLP

Krishnakumar Maurya Bigiota Analytics LLP

In such a short span of time FounderX added a lot of value in terms of knowledge, relationships and growth. It was 100% one of the best learning experiences I've had. The memories from the course will always remain with me.

Lavanya Tallury Neev Systems

What Sets Founderx Apart?

Develop your startup idea under the guidance of India’s top 1% founders and stand a chance to win ₹2.5 Lakh.

Build & Showcase Your Startup Idea

Ditch theory, build a real-world business! Validate your idea, talk to real customers, and refine your strategy with our hands-on approach.

Top teams get the exclusive chance to showcase their startup ideas to India’s top investors and win an equity-free grant of 2.5 Lakh at the Convocation.

Impress Investors, Win ₹2.5 Lakh

Get a unique opportunity to pitch your startup idea to a room full of investors at our grand Convocation and win an equity-free grant of 2.5 Lakh.

Build valuable connections with the who’s who of the Indian startup ecosystem at the exclusive networking event hosted at the Convocation.

Hands-On Learning Experience

Dive into 25+ practical sessions and hands-on workshops designed to equip you with everything you need to know about starting up.

From ideation to validation, business modeling to fundraising, FounderX ensures you master every crucial aspect of entrepreneurship.

Essential Skills With Real Impact

We believe in efficiency. Our 80/20 approach prioritises the 20% of knowledge that drives 80% of results. Learn what truly matters for your startup journey.

Learn from the experiences and mistakes of India’s top 1% founders so you can build high-growth businesses.

Taught By India's Best Founders

Meet past speakers and mentors of FounderX

Siddhartha Ahluwalia Cofounder & Managing Partner Neon

Ashish Kashyap

Nitya Sharma Cofounder & CEO

Simpl

Cofounder Cashfree Payments

Huddle

Digital Strategy Works

WEEK 1 Understanding The Startup Journey & The Founder's Mindset

REGISTRATIONS

3RD AUGUST

SATURDAY

WELCOME NOTE

Registration + Meet & Greet

Welcome Address By Inc42

FIRESIDE

Behind the Scenes: Exploring Founder's Journey

PANEL

Uncovering The Hard & Ugly Truths Of Founder’s Journey

NETWORKING

Open Networking (Structured + Unstructured)

WEEK 2 Market Research & Decoding Opportunities Across Hot Sectors

MASTERCLASS

10TH AUGUST

SATURDAY

WORKSHOP

MASTERCLASS

11TH AUGUST

SUNDAY

MASTERCLASS

Idea Genesis: How To Find Startup Ideas

Mastering Market Research For Your Startup

Decoding India's Fintech Potential

Cracking India's Consumer Market

MASTERCLASS

Unlocking The Growth Of Sustainability & Cleantech

WEEK 3

17TH AUGUST

SATURDAY

18TH AUGUST

SUNDAY

WEEK 4

24TH AUGUST

SATURDAY

25TH AUGUST

SUNDAY

Validating Your Startup Idea Internally & Externally

MASTERCLASS

How To Litmus Test & Validate Your Startup Idea

Building SaaS From India PANEL

WORKSHOP

User Research 101: Turning User Feedback Into Gold

MASTERCLASS

Tapping Into The Generative AI Boom

Designing Your Business Model & GTM – Part 1

WORKSHOP

Discovering The Right Business Model For Your Startup Idea

MASTERCLASS

Leveraging The Power Of Product-Led Growth

WORKSHOP

The GTM Blueprint: Developing A Winning Go-To-Market Strategy

WORKSHOP

Mastering The Art Of Storytelling For Founders

WEEK 5

Designing Your Business Model & GTM – Part 2

31ST AUGUST

SATURDAY

1ST SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY

WEEK 6

7TH SEPTEMBER

SATURDAY

8TH SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY

Developing A Solid Customer Acquisition Plan

The Challenges Of B2B & B2C Sales In GTM Strategy PANEL

NETWORKING

MASTERCLASS MASTERCLASS

Working Session

MVP & Product Development With No-Code

Understanding User Experience & Designing Human-Centric Solutions

MASTERCLASS WORKSHOP

Unlocking Growth: Product Engagement And Retention

No-Code Mastery: Crafting Your Startup

MVP Without A Single Line Of Code

NETWORKING

Internal Mentorship Session

WEEK 7

Fundraising & Pitching 101

PANEL

14TH SEPTEMBER

SATURDAY

MASTERCLASS

MASTERCLASS

15TH SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY

MASTERCLASS

Solving The Dilemma Of Bootstrapping vs Fundraising

The A To Z Of Term Sheets

Seal the Deal: Perfecting Your Fundraising Strategy

How To Make A Winning Pitch Deck

WEEK 8 Developing Core Founder Skills

PANEL

21ST SEPTEMBER

SATURDAY

22ND SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY

MASTERCLASS

The Dos & Don'ts Of Building A Strong Initial Team

Legal & Finance 101 For Founders

NETWORKING

External Mentorship 1

WEEK 9 Developing Core Founder Skills – Part 2

WORKSHOP

28TH SEPTEMBER

SATURDAY

MASTERCLASS

NETWORKING

29TH SEPTEMBER

SUNDAY

WEEK 10

Mentorship Week

MASTERCLASS

5TH OCTOBER

SATURDAY

NETWORKING

NETWORKING

6TH OCTOBER

SUNDAY

Mastering The Art Of Communication For -1 to 0 Founders

How To Build Your Personal Brand

Working Session

Maximising Efficiency Through Processes, Automations & AI

Working Session

Working Session

WEEK

11

Final Practice Week

NETWORKING

12TH OCTOBER

SATURDAY

13TH OCTOBER

SUNDAY

NETWORKING

Mock Pitch Session

Working Session

WEEK 12 The Convocation Week [In-Person]

NETWORKING

17TH OCTOBER

THURSDAY

NETWORKING

Registration + Meet & Greet

Group Huddles To Prepare For Pitching Session

WORKSHOP

Decoding Storytelling Hacks & Secrets Of A Powerful Pitch

PITCHING

Internal Demo Day

NETWORKING

Networking Dinner

18TH OCTOBER

FRIDAY

FIELD TOUR Startup Tour

NETWORKING

19TH OCTOBER

SATURDAY

CONVOCATION

Registration + Meet & Greet

Welcome Note

FIRESIDE

Uncovering The Mistakes & Learnings From The Founder's Journey

FIRESIDE

The Journey Of Building A Disruptive Startup

CONVOCATION

Investor Pitch Session (Demo Day)

CONVOCATION

Group Photo

CONVOCATION

Exclusive Networking

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