Skip to content
Apply

The Founders Fellowship Program

An 8-week fellowship to build an investor-ready plan, narrative and deck, backed by 12 months of fundraising support after you graduate.

Apply Now

Cohort starts 20 Nov 2026 · 25 seats

Anshul Gupta presenting to a room of founders
Duration
8 weeksplus 12 months of fundraising support
Format
Hybrid3-day residential Orientation in Gurugram, live online Wednesday and Saturday, 2-day Demo Day in Bangalore
Cohort size
25 founderskept small on purpose
Fee
₹1,50,000 + GSTStay, food and 12-month support included. Scholarships up to 30%.
Starts
20 Nov 2026
Applications
Open nowreviewed on a rolling basis

Who It's For

For aspiring founders who want to build something fundable.

How we select

We read every application personally. We look for a real problem, the commitment to solve it, and why you're the person to build it. At idea stage, we care more about why this idea than about metrics.

This Fellowship is for you if:

  • You want to start something, but haven't found the right problem.

    In the Fellowship: stress-test your ideas against what VCs look for, and zero in on one market and customer worth building for.

  • You have an idea, but haven't tested it.

    In the Fellowship: put your idea in front of real customers, find out what holds up, and build a working prototype with AI tools. No technical background needed.

  • You're a second-generation entrepreneur building something new.

    In the Fellowship: pressure-test the idea, build the plan and narrative, and take it to investors on its own merits.

  • You've started building, but you're not fundable yet.

    In the Fellowship: get your narrative, deck, memo, financial plan and investor shortlist ready, and start real conversations with investors.

This Fellowship is not for you if:

  • You want a guarantee of funding. Funding is never guaranteed: the decision is always the investor's.
  • You're looking for a coding bootcamp, or a course to watch passively.
  • You're not ready to put your idea in front of the room and have it pressure-tested.

Support Doesn't End at Demo Day: 12 Months of Fundraising Support

Included in the fee, running for a full year after the program ends.

12 months of fundraising support
Starts 20 Nov 2026One year after graduating

620+active investors, with thesis data

Investor Intelligence

TrueAlpha's database of 620+ active investors with thesis data, matched to your business, with their connection details.

  • Relevant investor identification

    A shortlist of the investors who fit your stage, sector and thesis.

  • Narrative and deck review

    As your raise progresses and feedback comes in.

  • Deck templates

    Investor-ready and reusable for every round.

  • Mentor office hours

    Direct time when you have a real investor conversation or decision.

  • Community and events

    The Fellowship community and its events.

  • Masterclasses

    On subjects like building with AI, identifying GTM options for your sector (D2C, fintech, deep tech, AI), and the updated investor landscape: which theses are doing well and where capital is going.

By the End of the 8 Weeks, Every Fellow Has

  • A startup plan stress-tested for scale and fundability
  • One defined customer and market, with the unit economics behind them
  • A working prototype, built with AI and tested with real users
  • A GTM plan for their first 100 customers
  • A simple, powerful narrative, ready to tell
  • A completed investor memo and deck
  • A financial plan and the KPIs investors will expect to see
  • A clear communication plan
  • A shortlist of all active VCs who are a strong fit
  • A LinkedIn communication plan built to establish them as an authority in their space
  • YC and Shark Tank application-ready, if that's part of their path
  • Five real investor conversations driven before Demo Day

The Journey, Week by Week

Weeks 2 to 7 run live online every Wednesday evening and Saturday, 2 hours each, led by Anshul with guest founders and investors.

  1. Week 01

    Orientation

    Gurugram · 3 days · residential · stay and meals included

    • Day 1, Connect

      Meet the rest of your cohort and the mentors, over pickleball sessions and dinner together.

    • Day 2, The kickoff

      You introduce your idea to the group and run the first pressure test of what you need to work on. Then come fireside chats with founders who have raised and investors who have backed them, followed by an evening party.

    • Day 3, Set up for takeoff

      Set your goals for the program, walk through the resources, process and logistics, and get ready to start.

    Deliverable

    A cohort you know, your idea pressure-tested, and clear goals for the program.

  2. Week 02

    Stress-test your idea

    • How the VC ecosystem works and what VCs look for: team, market, insight, traction, model, timing.

    • Why VCs pass, and where your idea is exposed.

    • Score your startup on a VC scorecard, then red-team each other like an investment committee.

    Deliverable

    VC scorecard, gap list and a sharper thesis.

  3. Week 03

    Zero in on your market and customer

    • Customer discovery: structured user conversations and how to read the answers.

    • Bottom-up market sizing and choosing your wedge.

    • Unit economics and the KPIs investors expect at your stage.

    Deliverable

    One defined customer, a market and unit-economics sheet, and a revised thesis.

  4. Week 04

    Build fast with AI

    • Go from idea to working prototype in days with AI-native and no-code tools.

    • Decide what the first version must prove, and cut everything else.

    • Put it in front of real users and collect feedback.

    Deliverable

    A working prototype and your first user feedback.

  5. Week 05

    Marketing and go-to-market

    • GTM frameworks through teardowns of B2C and B2B businesses: ICP, channel, pricing, sales motion.

    • Set up your marketing: positioning, channels, first campaigns, measurement.

    • Build your LinkedIn communication plan to become an authority in your space.

    Deliverable

    A GTM plan for your first 100 customers, a marketing setup and your LinkedIn plan.

  6. Week 06

    Build your fund narrative (5C principle, part 1)

    • Core Narrative

      Problem, insight, why you, why now and vision, in one line, one paragraph and one page.

    • Collaterals

      The deck, memo and financial plan, taught through teardowns of decks that raised.

    Deliverable

    Your narrative, deck v1, a memo draft, and a financial plan with KPIs.

  7. Week 07

    Your fundraising playbook (5C principle, part 2)

    • Communication

      Pitch craft, handling investor questions, follow-ups.

    • Connections

      Shortlist investors by thesis from the Investor Intelligence database and build your outreach plan.

    • Closure

      How much to raise, valuation, dilution, instruments, term-sheet basics and diligence. Optional YC application clinic.

    Deliverable

    Investor shortlist and outreach plan, round plan, and a final deck and memo.

  8. Week 08

    Demo Day

    Bangalore · 2 days · stay and meals included

    • Day 1, Rehearse

      Pitch rehearsal, teardown and a mock investor panel.

    • Day 2, Pitch

      You pitch to a panel of founders and investors who critique your company live, and who can invest where a company is ready.

    • To pitch

      Your idea and plan are ready, and you've driven five real investor conversations. Pitches go to serious investors only.

Anshul Gupta teaching a room of founders

Lead Mentor

Anshul Gupta

Anshul is a three-time founder (YellowClass, Fastfox, PrivilegeCorner) who has raised ~$15M from investors including Elevation Capital, Lightspeed, Blume and India Quotient, with two cash exits. Over the last few years he's personally mentored 20+ startups, more than 90% of whom went on to raise from top-tier VCs. He now spends his time teaching founders the same fundraising discipline he had to learn the hard way.

“The rules of the game for building large business & raising capital are simple but not intuitive. TrueAlpha exists to demystify it for top founders.”
Anshul
Know more About TrueAlphaAnshul on LinkedIn
Time founder: YellowClass, Fastfox, PrivilegeCorner
3×
Raised from venture investors
~$15M
Cash exits
2
Startups personally mentored
20+
Went on to raise from top-tier VCs
90%+

TrueAlpha Mentors & Guest Speakers

  • Ashish Munjal

    Ashish Munjal

    Sunstone Eduversity

  • Ashish Meena

    Ashish Meena

    Babynama

  • Mukul Singhal

    Mukul Singhal

    Pravega VC

  • Abhishek Shah

    Abhishek Shah

    D2C Insider

  • Ankur Agrawal

    Ankur Agrawal

    Rio Health

  • Puneet Gupta

    Puneet Gupta

    Clensta

  • Mayank Goel

    Mayank Goel

    Innerbhakti

  • Utkarsh Singh

    Utkarsh Singh

    BatX

  • Mayank Gupta

    Mayank Gupta

    Social Pillow

  • More to come

    The roster grows with every cohort.

Fee & What's Included

One fee covers the eight weeks, your stay and food at both in-person legs, and the full year of fundraising support after.

Scholarships of up to 30% are available on merit and need. You can ask to be considered when you apply.

You can also bring up to two team members into the online sessions.

Founders Fellowship, one cohort

₹1,50,000+ GST

per person

Apply Now

Included

  • The full 8-week curriculum, live online
  • Stay and food for the 3-day Orientation in Gurugram, in double occupancy
  • Stay and food for the 2-day Demo Day in Bangalore, in double occupancy
  • Mentor access, and fireside chats with founders who have raised and investors who have backed them
  • Templates and tools
  • Access to the 620+ investor database
  • A place at Demo Day
  • 12 months of post-program fundraising support

Not included

  • Travel to and from Gurugram and Bangalore, including local commute and airport or station transfers
  • Tools, AI subscriptions, hosting, APIs and services for your own venture
  • Your laptop and working setup
  • Incorporation, legal, tax and accounting costs
  • Personal expenses, and meals outside the scheduled program

The ₹199 application fee and the program fee are non-refundable. See our Refund & Cancellation Policy.

Apply to the Fellowship

We read every application personally, on a rolling basis.

  1. 01Apply: pay the ₹199 application fee and tell us what you want to build.
  2. 02Call: a conversation with our admissions team about your goals and the Fellowship.
  3. 03Detailed form: share your background, your business idea and your experience.
  4. 04Team interview: your first interview, with the TrueAlpha team.
  5. 05Interview with Anshul: a short second interview with Anshul himself.
  6. 06Offer: selected founders receive an offer and onboarding details, including the Orientation date.

Cohort starts 20 Nov 2026 · 25 seats Reviews on a rolling basis

Frequently asked questions

Still unsure about something?

Ask us on WhatsApp

Is the Fellowship online or in person?

Both. A 3-day residential Orientation in Gurugram, six weeks of live online sessions, and a 2-day Demo Day in Bangalore.

Do I need to quit my job?

No. Online sessions are two a week (Wednesday evening and Saturday, 2 hours each), plus the work on your own venture. The two in-person legs need full days.

Do I need an idea already?

Yes, an idea or a problem you want to solve. It can change as you stress-test it, and you introduce it to the cohort on Orientation Day 2. You don't need a company or revenue.

Do I need a technical background?

No. In Week 4 you build a prototype with AI-native and no-code tools.

Can I apply with my co-founder or team?

Yes. The fee is per person. You can bring up to two team members into the online sessions.

Are scholarships available?

Yes, up to 30%, on merit and need. You can ask to be considered when you apply.

Where will I stay, and is food included?

Yes, stay and food are covered for the 3-day Orientation in Gurugram and the 2-day Demo Day in Bangalore, in double occupancy. Travel to and from both cities is not included.

Is funding guaranteed?

No. We get you ready and put you in front of serious investors, but the investment decision is always theirs.

Who pitches at Demo Day?

Fellows whose idea and plan are ready and who have driven five real investor conversations during the program.

Do I need to bring a laptop?

Yes.