Zerodha’s Nikhil Kamath Launches ‘WTFund’ to Empower Young Entrepreneurs with ₹40 Lakh Grants and Mentorship
In a bold move to fuel the ambitions of India’s youngest innovators, Nikhil Kamath, co-founder of Zerodha and a prominent name in the startup and investment ecosystem, has announced the launch of the WTFund (short for ‘What The Fund’). This new initiative is designed to support Indian entrepreneurs under the age of 22, offering them not just funding but also access to valuable mentorship from industry leaders.
The WTFund aims to grant up to ₹40 lakh per startup, focusing on budding founders who are daring to build something unconventional, socially impactful, or disruptive in their respective sectors. More than just a financial boost, the initiative is built around the idea of empowering young people who often lack the capital and networks needed to get their ideas off the ground.
Announcing the initiative on social media and through press interactions, Kamath emphasized the need to bet on younger minds. “We’ve long backed founders in their 30s or 40s. But there’s a whole generation of kids doing incredible things in their teens and early twenties. They just need someone to believe in them early on,” he said.
A Platform for India’s Youngest Disruptors
The WTFund is structured to act more like a grant and mentorship platform rather than a traditional venture capital fund. Startups selected will not be required to give up equity immediately, and the focus is squarely on helping founders experiment and learn without the pressure of quick returns. The mentorship component is a core pillar of the fund, where recipients will be able to learn directly from seasoned entrepreneurs, operators, and investors.
Kamath has previously expressed his interest in redefining the traditional notions of success and wealth. With initiatives like WTFund, he is now putting that philosophy into action, offering resources and guidance to those who are often overlooked in the venture capital ecosystem due to their age or lack of experience.
Democratizing Access to Opportunity
One of the standout aspects of the WTFund is its commitment to democratizing access. The application process is open and relatively straightforward, ensuring that young founders from non-metro cities and less privileged backgrounds are not left out. Kamath and his team are particularly interested in ideas that blend innovation with sustainability, inclusion, or impact at scale.
The fund will also host workshops, startup bootcamps, and demo days where participants can refine their pitches, understand product-market fit, and connect with a broader entrepreneurial network. This ecosystem-oriented approach reflects Kamath’s broader vision for a more inclusive and collaborative startup culture in India.
Early Reactions and Industry Buzz
The announcement of WTFund has generated significant excitement across India’s entrepreneurial circles, particularly among students and young innovators. Industry veterans have lauded the move as timely and necessary, especially in a country where a vast majority of the population is under the age of 25.
“This could be a game-changer,” said a Bengaluru-based startup mentor. “We’ve never had such a high-profile investor come forward to explicitly back founders this young, with no strings attached. It could open up a whole new generation of fearless entrepreneurs.”
Looking Ahead
With the WTFund, Nikhil Kamath is once again challenging the status quo—this time not by disrupting broking or finance, but by encouraging India’s youngest minds to dream big and act early. If successful, this initiative could set a new benchmark for early-stage support and inspire similar models in other parts of the world.
As applications roll in and stories of young founders begin to emerge, WTFund promises not just to fund startups—but to fuel a movement.