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

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.

29 Jun'25-9 Oct'25

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

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

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).

Rewards

About the organizer

About apna:

Founded in 2019, apna.co is India's Largest Early Talent Hiring platform connecting over 6 Cr+ job seekers, 7 Lakh+ employers across 900+ cities pan India

Trusted by India's leading enterprises such as Teleperformance, Zomato, HDB Financial Services, Bluestar, TVS, and more. We specialise in enterprise hiring solutions for sectors Retail, BFSI, BPO, Staffing, Hospitality, Healthcare, Education, Manufacturing, Energy, IT & more

Backed by the best - Tiger Global, Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed, GSV Ventures, Rocketship, Insight Partners, Owl Ventures, Maverick Ventures & Greenoaks

In addition, apna has also partnered with India's leading public & government organisations such as NSDC, Ministry of Defence, UNICEF Yuwaah, Ministry of Minority Affairs of India, to provide better skilling and job opportunities to candidates across the country.

apna powers AICTE's career portal enabling over 3 Million students across 13,000 colleges in 2,500+ cities to find opportunities.

About Venture Catalysts:

Founded in 2016, Venture Catalysts (VCats) is India’s leading early-stage investment firm and the country's first integrated incubator. With a mission to back exceptional founders from idea to scale, VCats offers a powerful combination of capital, mentorship, industry connections, and incubation support.

Backed by a nationwide network of investors and domain experts, Venture Catalysts has helped build over 400+ startups across sectors such as fintech, healthtech, consumer, and deep tech. With a presence in 50+ cities across India and international chapters in the Middle East, UK, and the US, VCats continues to play a pivotal role in shaping India’s startup ecosystem.

Their approach is founder-first, combining early capital (from pre-seed to Series A) with strategic guidance to help startups grow sustainably and at scale.

FAQs

Who can participate?

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Any founder can represent the startup, who is a current student or graduate of Undergraduate (UG), Postgraduate (PG), Diploma, Ph.D., or Professional Courses.

Does my startup need to be a registered entity?

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Not for everyone. If you're applying under Cohort 1 (Idea Stage), no official registration is needed. However, for Cohorts 2 and 3 (Student and Non-Student Startups), your startup must be registered or in the process of registration as a recognized legal entity — this includes a Partnership firm, Private Limited Company, LLP, or any other valid business structure under Indian law.

Can my startup be pre-revenue or at the MVP stage?

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Absolutely. Startups from the idea stage to Product-Market Fit (PMF) are welcome.

What funding is available?

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Selected startups can raise investment from a pledged pool of $6 million, covering pre-seed to Series A stages. Top investors have pledged a combined fund of $6 million for Campus Tank. However, please note that this is not a guaranteed or committed investment. Funding will be considered only for startups that align with investors' investment thesis and successfully clear their due diligence process. Final investment decisions rest solely with the investor panel.

What do I need to submit?

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A detailed pitch deck is required. We highly recommend adding a 90-second video explaining your startup idea.

When will I pitch live?

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Finalists will pitch in person at the Demo Day at Chandigarh University, in front of top investors.

What happens at the Demo Day?

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Top startups pitch live, get feedback, and may secure funding. One winning startup will be declared.

Will I receive mentorship or support?

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Yes! Shortlisted teams will receive pitch training, expert mentorship, and VC interactions. The Top startups will also receive incubation support from Cube Founders Space by Chandigarh University.

What are the evaluation criteria?

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Innovation & creativity
Market potential
Feasibility & scalability
Team strength

Is there a fee to apply?

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Nope—it’s completely free to participate.

Can I apply if I’ve already raised some funding?

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Yes, as long as your startup hasn’t exceeded ₹100 Cr in revenue in any financial year.

Are all sectors eligible?

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Most are—but startups focused on alcohol, non-vegetarian products, leather goods, or gambling are not eligible.

Is the program remote or in-person?

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The program includes virtual phases followed by an in-person Demo Day at Chandigarh University.

Results

The final results will be communicated to you by the organiser directly

Support

compete@apna.co