India's Next Unicorn
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India's Next Unicorn

$6 Million Funding Opportunity for Founders under 30

Description

India’s Next Unicorn, powered by Venture Catalysts (VCats) and Chandigarh University, and brought to you by Apna, Campus Tank is a high-stakes startup funding opportunity designed to identify and fund the most promising young founders across India.

We invite applications from founders under 30 who are solving real-world problems with scalable, innovative solutions to apply, pitch, and get funded from a pledged pool of $6 million.

Whether you're building your first startup or ready to raise your next round, this is your chance to pitch to India's top early-stage investors, gain incubation support, and take your startup to the next level.

Why Apply:

  • Get Funded: Pitch for investment from a pledged fund of $6 million, led by VCats, Chandigarh University, and others.
  • Incubation Support: Selected teams receive support from Cube Founders Space by Chandigarh University
  • Live Demo Day: Pitch in person to top investors at Chandigarh University
  • Visibility: Get featured across Apna’s YouTube and social media platforms
  • Founder Learning: Access masterclasses and mentorship from top startup leaders
  • Winner Spotlight: Stand out with special features and recognition

Founders under the age of 30 can represent their startup in one of the following stages:

  • Cohort 1: Idea Stage
     For individuals/teams with an innovative idea and (optionally) an MVP. No startup registration required.
  • Cohort 2: Student Startups
     For college students running early-stage startups (registered or in the process of getting registered). One or more founders must be currently pursuing their college education and must collectively own ≥33% equity.
  • Cohort 3: Non-Student Startups
     For young founders running registered (or in the process of getting registered) startups. One or more founders under 30 must collectively own ≥33% equity.

This is your opportunity to build with intent, pitch with purpose, and scale with capital.

By registering for this contest through any of the official portals, you agree to these terms and conditions.

Campus Tank is also live on F6S. You can apply on F6S through this link.

Eligibility

Campus Tank is open to founders under 30 years of age with a startup idea or an early-stage venture — including those in the prototyping, pre-revenue, or early traction phase.

Additional Criteria (For Registered or soon-to-be Registered Startups)

If you’re applying under the Student Startup or Non-Student Startup cohort with a registered (or soon-to-be registered) startup and wish to be considered for investment, your startup must:

  • Be registered or in the process of registering as a legal business entity in India, and be ready to convert to a Private Limited Company if selected
  • Be incorporated within the last 10 years
  • Be at the pre-revenue, MVP, or product-market fit stage
  • Have not exceeded ₹100 Cr in revenue in any financial year
  • Have (or apply for) DPIIT recognition before receiving any funding

Startups in sectors like alcohol, non-vegetarian food products, leather goods, gambling, and betting are not eligible.

Rounds

Idea Submission
29 Jun'25-9 Oct'25

Idea Submission

Participants will be required to submit a detailed pitch deck. Along with the deck, they can also upload an optional 90-second video that clearly explains the concept and vision behind the venture. The application form takes ~15 minutes to fill out. Download the Submission Guide for more details.

Note: Evaluations are in process. Results will be communicated soon.

Exclusive Masterclass Series

Exclusive Masterclass Series

Shortlisted startups will be invited to an exclusive pitch refinement masterclass series conducted by industry experts. These sessions will help participants polish their business model, storytelling, and presentation in preparation for the next round.
Online Pitch

Online Pitch

Shortlisted startups from the Idea Submission round will pitch virtually to an investor panel for further evaluation. These sessions will help identify the most promising ventures for the final demo day.
Offline Pitch

Offline Pitch

The Top Startups will pitch live to investors in the offline demo day to be held at Chandigarh University. The event will feature industry keynote, live evaluations, and potential funding announcements (subject to due diligence).