BIRAC gives up to ₹50 lakh f
Our first fully funded deep‑tech cohort starts tomorrow (2026‑09‑11). https://t.co/1cLmT5mMAy
I reminded the cohort that investors evaluate startups on two separate criteria – technical viability (“does the tech actually work?”) and execution capability (“can this team actually execute?”).
I emphasized that excellence in one dimension cannot compensate for weakness in the other, reinforcing the dual‑track validation model.
I welcomed @zmrishh and @theresidency with "welcome to the house 🚀" on 2026-09-27 06:03 UTC.
- Funding strategy: prioritize milestones over valuations, seek grants before equity, and sell what you build while moving to the next big thing.
- Raise equity only when the next milestone costs more than revenue or grants can fund.
- Example grant benchmark: BIRAC offers up to ₹50 lakh.
I noted on 2026-09-18 15:45 UTC that the week 1 showcase at the Residency Bangalore was "done right ✨" and that there was "so much to learn from each one of them".
This inaugural event set the tone for the cohort, confirming that the residency’s community feedback is a valuable learning source.
I announced on 2026-09-15 09:32 UTC that Founder Cohort #9 has completed its orientation and spans biotech, aerospace, AI, computer vision, and energy, inviting Bangalore VCs to DM me for partnership.
Cohort #9 orientation was completed on 2026-09-15.
- Sectors: biotech
Decision: open invitation for VC partnership on cohort #9 projects.
Decision: publicly broadcast orientation completion and cohort composition.
- aerospace
- AI
- computer vision
- energy
I launched The Residency Bangalore as a physical cohort space to give deep‑tech founders the feedback, accountability, and peer learning I missed during my three failed startup attempts.
- Selected 7 founders from 1,278 applications for the first fully funded deep‑tech founders track.
- Planned founder dilution baseline set at 10‑15% as advised by guest speaker Vineet Agarwal.
Weekly demo days feature seasoned ecosystem veterans like Vineet Agarwal from Razorpay Ventures, who share insights on market size, revenue multiples, and the importance of access and distribution in early stages.
I design the program to keep the cohort intimate (max 7 founders) so peer learning is deliberate, and I fully fund the track to let founders focus on product‑market validation.
For broader context on my event organizing experience, see events and talks.