Founding cohort 01 · Applications open

Know where you stand before you raise.

A four-week working programme where active investors review your raise, your numbers, and your documents. They tell you exactly what is broken, in writing, so you don't waste the next six months guessing what went wrong.

Stop practising on live investors. Get the hard questions in private, fix the gaps, and go to the market ready.

Apply for Cohort 01 Free briefing, 9 Oct

₹25,000 flat · 8-10 startups · 26 Oct - 21 Nov 2026 · apply by 15 Oct

Readiness review · example sheet WEEK 01

The raiseFix

> amount not tied to a milestone an investor can check

The storyReady

> clear problem, explains in one line

The numbersFix

> runway and burn don’t match the plan on slide 9

OwnershipFix

> code written by a freelancer, not assigned to the company

A sample of the feedback loop, not an assessment of your company.

01 / THE PROBLEM

The silent "No".

Here is what usually happens when you start fundraising:

You build a deck. You tap your network. You get a meeting.
You pitch. The investor nods, smiles, and says, "This is interesting. Let us review it internally and get back to you."

Then, nothing.

When they finally pass, they give you a polite, generic reason. They rarely tell you the truth: that your cap table is a mess, your valuation is a joke, or they didn't understand how your product makes money.

So you take the exact same broken pitch to the next investor. Every month this happens, your runway burns.

The solution: Stop practising on live investors. Bring your pitch, your numbers, and your documents here first. Get torn apart in private, fix the gaps, and go to the market ready.

02 / THE MECHANISM

How the reviews actually work.

You don't just get generalized advice. You go through a strict weekly loop:

THU

Submit

Your weekly deliverable: a deck, financial model, or data room.

SAT

Review

A 30-minute one-on-one review with a practising early-stage investor.

SUN

Verdict

A written verdict stating exactly why they would pass on you today.

MON—WED

Fix

Use the feedback to rebuild the case before the next review.

03 / THE FOUR WEEKS

Four weeks. 6-8 hours a week.

01
Week 1Begins 26 Oct
The raise
How much are you raising, why now, and what exactly does the money buy?
Investor reviewWould they take a second meeting based on your round mechanics?
02
Week 26-7 Nov
The story
Your pitch and your deck.
Investor reviewSlide-by-slide teardown of where your narrative falls apart.
03
Week 313-14 Nov
The numbers
Traction, financial model, cap table, and company ownership.
Investor reviewA mock due diligence session focusing on the legal and financial questions that usually kill deals late.
04
Week 420-21 Nov
The plan & final verdict
Who to talk to, in what order, and your 90-day outreach pipeline.
21 Nov / Final reviewYou present the rebuilt company. You receive a final written verdict.

04 / TIMELINE & SELECTION

A fast, transparent process.

As applications come in, we review them. If there is a fit, we invite you to a short 20-minute video call.

09 OCTFree Founders' Briefing · 4:00-5:00 pm IST
15 OCTApplications close
16 OCTFinal decisions announced. Every applicant receives a yes or no.
20-21 OCTOnboarding. Selected founders get their workspace and document folders set up.
26 OCTCohort launches. Week 1 begins.
21 NOVProgramme concludes.

05 / WHO RUNS IT

Reynold O'Connor.

Over the last 10 years working with founders and investors at T-Hub's MATH AI Centre of Excellence and Deshpande Startups, I watched good companies lose momentum. Not because their product was bad, but because the hard questions about their numbers and ownership only appeared after they started taking meetings.

I built this programme to move those questions to week 1. I review every application and run every cohort session myself.

The investors

The reviewers are active venture investors who write early-stage cheques. They are here to give honest feedback. The panel for Cohort 01 will be introduced by name at the Founders' Briefing on 9 October.

View Reynold's LinkedIn ↗

06 / WHO IT IS FOR

The hard filters.

This is for you if

You're an early-stage AI or tech startup with early traction
You're planning to raise ₹25 lakh to ₹3 crore in the next 3-6 months
At least one founder is working full-time
You're willing to share real numbers, cap table, and customer data with the reviewing panel

It isn't for you if

You're still at idea stage
You want someone else to raise for you
You're looking for guaranteed funding or introductions

Selection reality: we cap this at 8-10 startups. We select founders whose early traction means four weeks of focused work can make a difference to their readiness.

07 / FEE & GUARANTEE

₹25,000 flat.

₹25,000FOUR WEEKS · COHORT 01

No equity taken.

No success fees on your raise.

The guarantee: Full refund if your Week 1 one-on-one investor review does not take place.

Apply for Cohort 01 ↗Applications close 15 October 2026

NOT READY TO APPLY YET?

Join the free Founders' Briefing.

Friday 9 October · 4:00-5:00 pm IST · Online (1 hour)

Come to the briefing to meet the investors, see exactly what a written review looks like, and walk through how the four weeks operate before you commit.

08 / FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What founders ask.

Is this a venture fund? Will you invest in my startup?

No. I do not invest, and the reviewing investors have zero obligation to invest. This is an educational and preparation programme, not a funding vehicle.

Do you guarantee investor introductions or funding?

No. Funding and introductions are not guaranteed. The programme offers reviews by active investors and focused work on your case for a raise.

Will you or the investors sign an NDA?

No. Just like standard venture capital meetings, we do not sign NDAs to review pitches. However, your data room and financials are kept strictly confidential within the cohort's reviewing panel.

What if I miss a Saturday one-on-one review?

Because the investor panel is booked for specific time slots, if you miss your Saturday session, you forfeit that week's review.

Is this only for startups in a specific city?

No. The entire programme is run online. You can join from anywhere, provided you can attend the live sessions in IST.

FOUNDING COHORT 01