India’s fast-growing startup ecosystem just got a powerful boost with Nikhil Kamath’s WTFund, a groundbreaking initiative that is changing how young entrepreneurs access funding. The co-founder of Zerodha, India’s leading retail stock brokerage, has launched a non-dilutive grant fund to support innovative founders aged 25 and under.
What makes it stand out is that WTFund offers capital, mentorship, and access to a strong community without taking any equity from the startups it supports.
According to NDTV and Entrepreneur India, WTFund was born from Kamath’s popular WTF Podcast, a platform where he discusses business, innovation, and ideas with India’s leading thinkers and creators.
The fund takes those conversations beyond the mic, turning them into real-world opportunities for young Indians who want to build something meaningful.
The idea for WTFund came from Kamath’s podcast interactions with founders and industry leaders. Through these conversations, he noticed a recurring challenge: young entrepreneurs often struggle to find investors who believe in their ideas without demanding ownership stakes. That inspired Kamath to create a fund that would remove this barrier completely.
WTFund provides grants of up to ₹20 lakh to founders under the age of 25. According to YourStory and CNBC TV18, the initiative also connects these startups with mentors who have real operating experience, helping them navigate early-stage business challenges.
The program is not limited to major cities like Bengaluru or Mumbai. It actively encourages participation from Tier II and Tier III towns, ensuring that talent from across India gets equal access to opportunities.
WTFund is not a traditional venture capital fund. It does not seek returns through ownership or shares. Instead, its goal is to empower entrepreneurs with the right ecosystem to help them grow. Along with the grant, selected founders receive tailored mentorship, access to beta testing studios, and collaboration opportunities with established business leaders.
Speaking to Storyboard18, Kamath said that entrepreneurship should be about solving problems, not worrying about equity dilution. “Entrepreneurs can build at any age,” he shared. “WTFund exists to fuel that spirit.” This focus on empowerment rather than control makes the fund unique in India’s competitive startup environment.
Since its launch, WTFund has attracted thousands of applications and already funded startups from more than 50 Indian cities. According to Digital Health News and Entrepreneur India, the supported startups come from a wide range of sectors, including technology, fintech, healthtech, edtech, agritech, cleantech, SaaS, and direct-to-consumer brands.
In early 2025, the fund announced its second and third cohorts, together backing more than 40 startups. These include projects working on artificial intelligence tools, sustainable agriculture models, and digital platforms designed to make information accessible in regional languages.
Industry experts have praised WTFund’s grant-based model for allowing young entrepreneurs to experiment freely without worrying about losing control of their companies. It also encourages bolder innovation by removing the fear of financial risk that often discourages early-stage founders.
WTFund is currently accepting applications for its third cohort, known as C1/25, which will place special focus on healthtech startups and other socially impactful ventures. As reported by Forbes India and YourStory, Kamath’s long-term goal is to strengthen India’s entrepreneurial culture by combining funding, education, and mentorship into one unified ecosystem.
He believes that true innovation happens when ideas are supported by guidance and access, not just money. This philosophy continues to shape WTFund’s evolving mission of building a more sustainable and inclusive startup network in India.
Nikhil Kamath’s WTFund is more than a financial initiative. It represents a shift in how India views entrepreneurship. By giving young founders a fair chance to experiment, fail, and grow, it is helping transform the mindset of India’s youth from risk-averse to risk-ready.
As reported by NDTV, CNBC TV18, and YourStory, the success of WTFund shows that young innovators are ready to build if they get the right support. With Kamath’s vision leading the way, the next generation of entrepreneurs has a chance to dream big and execute fearlessly, without worrying about giving away a piece of their vision.
