Mumbai, India, 14th July 2026: Eighteen consumer companies. Ninety days. One room.
That was Foundery FWD, the inaugural investor showcase by The Foundery, the venture builder co-founded by Kishore Biyani, Nikhil Kamath and Ronnie Screwvala.
Foundery FWD is where the companies built through The Foundery’s 90-day residential programme in Alibaug step into the market for the first time. It brings together founders, investors, operators and mentors for a first look at the businesses that have emerged from the residency.
The inaugural edition brought together 18 companies in front of more- than 80+ venture capital firms, funds and family offices, including Peak XV, Blume Ventures, Bessemer Venture Partners, Fireside Ventures, Titan Capital, Unilever Ventures, Sharrp Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, Anthill Ventures, Gruhas, Kedaara Capital, ENAM Holdings, Capri Global, Ananta Capital, Sattva Family Office and others. More than 600+ founders, operators, investors and ecosystem builders attended the showcase over the course of the day, making it one of the largest closed-door gatherings for an early-stage consumer venture showcase in the country.
Every company was designed to be experienced, not just presented.
Before founders stepped onto the stage, investors tasted products, tested prototypes, stepped onto race tracks, asked questions and spent time with the founders. Each company created an immersive brand experience allowing guests to engage with the business before the presentations began. TorqWars, one of the gaming brands, for instance, built a full-scale race track inside the venue, bringing its product to life before the founder walked on stage.
Throughout the day, founders presented their businesses across 18 pitches, while investors remained in the room for more than six hours, engaging with every company from start to finish.
Foundery FWD also introduced a live investor interest platform. As each founder pitched, investors could express non-binding interest in real time, along with an indicative cheque size and valuation range. The platform captured investor conviction as it formed in the room, creating a more structured bridge between the showcase and the conversations that followed.
By the close of the event, the platform had recorded ₹550+ crore in non-binding expressions of investor interest across 18 companies, from 70+ investors, representing ₹1,400+crore in indicated valuation interest.
For founders, it meant leaving the room with more than a pitch behind them. They left with immediate market signal, meaningful investor engagement and a clear sense of where conviction had formed.
Speaking about the vision behind The Foundery, Kishore Biyani said:
“The idea behind The Foundery was never just to build companies. It was to forge entrepreneurs who can build enduring businesses. Foundery FWD is where that philosophy meets the real world. It’s the first time founders present what they’ve built in just 90 days and demonstrate their preparedness to engage with the investor community.”
Nikhil Kamath added: “Not everything has to have the tag AI in it. If there’s a boom in productivity, consumption is likely to go up, and everything Indian selling in the world earns foreign exchange. These brands are built with the world in mind. India has a lot to offer, history, culture, handcrafted goods, royalty.. Packaging it in a palatable manner that the world can consume might have been what’s missing.”
Speaking about the larger ambition behind the initiative, Ronnie Screwvala said:
“The ambition here is larger than building a handful of companies. We want to build a generation of Indian consumer brands that compete on a global stage. That takes more than capital – It takes sharp insight on design, technology, storytelling, distribution & culture and the kind of genuine long-term support that stays with founders well beyond day one. Foundery FWD is where those companies take that first step into the market.The event was hosted by actor and entrepreneur Sahiba Bali.
IDFC FIRST Bank joined Foundery FWD as the Official Banking Partner, Broadway as the Official Launch Partner and Juspay as the Fintech Partner. Together, they supported different parts of the Foundery FWD experience, from banking and payments to helping the inaugural cohort reach the market. Following the showcase, all 18 companies will launch on Broadway, giving the cohort an immediate route to market.
Foundery FWD is designed to become an annual milestone in the journey of every company built inside The Foundery. Each cohort will build towards this room. Each year, a new generation of companies will be introduced to the market for the first time.
