Bengaluru, November 01, 2026: Masai School has launched the LEAP Founders’ Cohort, an immersive programme designed to help aspiring entrepreneurs build and test their startup ideas through hands-on experience.
The programme follows a three-phase format, beginning with three days of in-person sessions in Goa, followed by six weeks of online product development and concluding with two days in Bengaluru. Teams that meet the qualifying criteria will get an opportunity to pitch their products to investors, including India Quotient, Capria Ventures and Prana Ventures.
Masai will not take any equity or revenue share from participating founders.
The programme brings together experienced entrepreneurs who have collectively raised over $2.4 billion. Participants will learn from founders such as Farid Ahsan of ShareChat and General Autonomy, Ankush Sachdeva of ShareChat, Amit Agarwal of NoBroker, Harshvardhan Lunia of Lendingkart, Ishendra Agarwal of GIVA, Arpita Aditi of Dil Foods and Abhishek Goyal of Tracxn.
Participants will also work in mentor groups of 10-15 founders at similar stages of their entrepreneurial journeys.
The initiative comes at a time when India’s startup ecosystem is increasingly focusing on building sustainable businesses and solving real-world problems. Through the programme, Masai aims to help aspiring founders move beyond theoretical learning and gain practical experience in developing products, engaging with users and understanding market needs.
Prateek Shukla, CEO and Founder of Masai School, said, “Starting a company cannot be learnt in a classroom. Founders need to make decisions with real constraints, build something people will use and learn from those results. The LEAP Founders’ Cohort creates that environment: founders learn alongside people who have built companies in India, test their ideas with users and earn the right to pitch to investors what they have built. Masai’s bet is that the next generation of Indian companies shouldn’t need a famous address, an insider network or a stake given away up front.”
The programme will follow a selective admission process, with applications undergoing a thorough review. While qualifying teams will have the opportunity to present their products to investors, funding is not guaranteed.
