Bengaluru, August 6, 2026: Newton School of Technology (NST) is enabling engineering students to develop, test, and commercialize technology ventures while still in college through Startup Foundry, its structured student incubation program. The initiative supports students through the journey from problem identification and product development to market validation, revenue generation, and potential early-stage funding.
Startup Foundry also provides a pathway to StartX, NST’s ₹1 crore seed fund for student entrepreneurs. The fund was launched by Pratik Poddar, Partner at Nexus Venture Partners and one of the early investors in Newton School, along with entrepreneur Varun Mayya.
The program was established to address a common gap in technical education, where students may have strong technical capabilities and promising ideas but limited access to structured mentorship, market validation, product support, and early-stage capital needed to build sustainable businesses.
Through Startup Foundry, selected student founders work through stages including idea validation, prototype and minimum viable product development, business-model formulation, user testing, and go-to-market planning. The program culminates in formal pitches to industry experts, venture capitalists, and angel investors.
Eligible ventures are evaluated at different stages of development and receive feedback from mentors and the StartX Fund committee. Selected startups can access pre-seed funding of up to ₹10 lakh, based on factors including user adoption, revenue, market opportunity, growth potential and team strength.
From Campus Ideas to Commercial Ventures
NST’s broader entrepreneurship ecosystem has engaged more than 500 students and provides access to a network of more than 100 mentors. Students receive support through workshops, technical infrastructure, product and marketing assistance, founder-led sessions and individual mentorship, helping them progress from identifying a problem to developing and pitching a working business.
“The most exciting part is not simply that these students are starting early; it is the standard at which they are building. They are tackling real problems, winning customers and creating businesses with the potential to scale far beyond campus. Startup Foundry is designed to turn that ambition into disciplined execution and help build globally competitive technology companies from India,” said Siddharth Maheshwari, Co-founder, Newton School of Technology.
Several ventures from the current Startup Foundry cohort have already progressed beyond the concept stage.
NavisLabs, an AI-powered productivity platform, has been selected for Y Combinator Startup School 2026. In.culcate, an AI-powered storytelling platform that transforms mythology and history into short-form dramas, has received funding from ISB at a reported valuation of ₹5 crore.
Kixar, a booking platform for sports grounds, turfs and courts, has generated ₹30 lakh in revenue and onboarded cricketer Jitesh Sharma as its brand ambassador. CarbonCraft, which produces laser-engraved metal credit cards, has generated ₹55 lakh in revenue.
Meanwhile, Campus Connect, a platform enabling college aspirants to book paid one-on-one sessions with verified current students, is operating with paying users and mentors across multiple colleges. Vyapaar Express, a WhatsApp-first B2B logistics marketplace serving SMEs and transporters, has reported freight-cost reductions of approximately 15% in early pilots across the Maharashtra industrial corridor.
Collectively, ventures from the Startup Foundry cohort have generated more than ₹1 crore in revenue, highlighting the commercial potential of student-led technology businesses developed before graduation.
Mentorship from Industry Leaders
The programme brings students into direct contact with experienced technology and startup professionals. Mentors include Vivek Sridhar, CTO, Microsoft for Startups, and Udit Goyal, COO and Head of Early Stage Startup Ecosystem, Google Cloud India.
Their involvement provides student founders with practical guidance on technology development, product strategy, market readiness, customer validation and the challenges associated with building early-stage companies.
“At NST’s Startup Foundry, young engineering students, some as early as their second or third year, are doing more than just learning in classrooms. As a mentor, I’ve seen these students take on real-world challenges with remarkable curiosity and determination, finding creative solutions to problems that would challenge even experienced business leaders. Startup Foundry is giving these students the tools, mentorship, and confidence to turn their ideas into real businesses. I believe Startup Foundry is laying the foundation for startups that can compete on the global stage,” said Vivek Sridhar, CTO, Microsoft for Startups, and Mentor, NST’s Startup Foundry.
The wider Startup Foundry cohort spans sectors including fintech, AI developer tools, AI security, technology-enabled B2B logistics, sports, student guidance and admissions, automated solutions for small and medium-sized businesses, and financial literacy for young Indians. The ventures range from early-stage ideas and prototypes to market-ready and revenue-generating businesses.
Building a Long-Term Student Entrepreneurship Pipeline
Unlike short-duration hackathons or campus business competitions, Startup Foundry is designed as a sustained incubation pathway for students pursuing technology ventures. The program combines technical education with product development, market exposure, mentorship, and access to potential early-stage capital.
Through Startup Foundry and the StartX Fund, NST aims to establish a repeatable pathway through which student-led ideas can progress from campus projects into investment-ready technology companies capable of competing in both Indian and international markets.
More information about Startup Foundry and NST’s entrepreneurship ecosystem:
Startup Foundry – Newton School of Technology
