Many young entrepreneurs in India, especially those under the age of 25 have groundbreaking ideas but lack the financial support and resources to bring them to life. With a mission to empower the next generation of Indian entrepreneurs, Nikhil Kamath has introduced the WTFund.
This fund is a unique, non-dilutive grant agnostic initiative that is aimed at supporting talented entrepreneurs who are 25 years old and under. The WTFund is among the first of its kind and is designed to identify individuals with the potential to revolutionize their industries through fresh ideas and ambitious visions. This initiative offers a comprehensive platform for founders, and creators, providing them with financial backing and a chance to connect with the startup community.
To support these young founders, the WTFund provides a non-dilutive grant of INR 20 Lakh, allowing founders to maintain full ownership of their ventures. Moreover, the fund offers access to mentorship pods focused on practical guidance, a Go-To-Market (GTM) studio, beta testing opportunities, and valuable feedback channels. Additionally, the fund also has talent acquisition through an internship program, a database for fractional CXOs, and moonlighting opportunities.
Nikhil Kamath of WTF said, “Respecting our elders has been deeply engrained in our culture. But this doesn’t mean we should treat the youth of the country with any less of it. The India of my childhood differs markedly from the country we see today. Back then, the emphasis was on securing stable employment rather than pursuing entrepreneurship and embracing risk. Today, young founders tend to create the most impact within entrepreneurship. At WTF, our goal is to cultivate a culture that encourages young entrepreneurs to embrace risk by providing a comprehensive support system. We are excited to launch the fund and see where it goes.”
The Idea Behind WTFund
The idea for the WTFund began with a podcast hosted by Nikhil Kamath, the founder of Zerodha. Nikhil started this podcast by talking to notable figures from the business landscape and sharing their stories and insights with listeners. These conversations became quite popular, especially among young people looking to start their own businesses.
As the podcast grew in popularity, Nikhil saw how young entrepreneurs in India were looking for guidance and support. This led Nikhil to create the WTFund-a special fund to help young entrepreneurs aged 25 and under. The fund aims to find and support those with exciting and innovative ideas, providing them with everything they need to succeed.
What They Are Looking For
- Innovative & Visionary: WTFund is looking for people who are innovative, driven, and visionary.
- Young & Audacious: Candidates should be 25 years old or under, coming from all corners of India.
- Builders: The fund is looking for founders with the ability to take their ideas from conception to market readiness.
- Problem Solvers: Applicants should present a scalable and innovative idea that has a clear Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
- Visionaries: Have the ability to articulate their vision, strategy, and the impact they aim to achieve
- Collaborative: Are eager to engage in a collaborative, mentorship-driven environment to refine and advance their business model
- Resilient: Demonstrate a strong entrepreneurial spirit and an unwavering commitment to their ventures
Benefits of the WTFund
- Up To INR 20 Lakh Grant: Promote growth with a no-strings attached grant
- Operator-led mentorship: Gain insights from experienced mentors via operator-first mentorship pods
- Access to first users: Leverage the dynamic WTF ecosystem for user connections and access a strategic GTM Studio
- Product Refinement: Leverage the community for beta testing, real feedback, and fine-tuning to take your product to the next level
- Talent pool: Access a pool of talent via an internship program, fractional CXO database, and moonlighting opportunities
- Operational support: Provide support with all essential services including legal, financial, and access to cloud service credits
- Investor Exposure: Opportunity to showcase venture at high-profile demo days with leading investors and syndicates
Selection Process of WTFund
40 entrepreneurs aged 25 or younger will be chosen for funding and mentorship over a one-year period. The aim is to identify the “top 1%” of young entrepreneurs in India. These individuals will go through a thorough selection process and receive personalized support until they secure their first round of institutional funding. Being India’s largest grant program of its kind, WTFund is open to investing in all sectors.
The application process of the WTFunf consists of mainly three steps
- Apply: Fill out the form that is designed to help present ideas cohesively. Application Link: Click Here
- Shortlist: If shortlisted for the grant, the team at WTFund will reach out to the chosen ventures.
- Interviews: Two rounds of interviews and a data room will be done to get a better understanding of the idea behind the chosen startups
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