Masters’ Union Launches ₹100 Cr MU Ventures Fund for Under-25 Founders

Business and technology school Masters’ Union on Thursday announced the launch of MU Ventures (MUV), a ₹100 crore early-stage investment platform focused on backing entrepreneurs under the age of 25.

The fund will invest between ₹5 lakh and ₹50 lakh per founder, with the average initial cheque expected to be in the range of ₹10–20 lakh. Funding decisions are typically made within 10 days, enabling founders to move quickly from idea to execution.

With this initiative, Masters’ Union becomes one of the first Indian business schools to establish a dedicated venture fund targeting founders at the “–1 to 1” stage of their entrepreneurial journey.

MU Ventures will operate through four distinct tracks tailored to different founder profiles. The Dropout Fund will support school, undergraduate, and postgraduate dropouts building startups. The Founders’ Union Fund will deploy founder-first capital, with backing from marquee leaders such as Aman Gupta.

The Bharat Capital Fund will focus on technology startups building India-first products for Tier 2, 3, and 4 markets. Meanwhile, the Content Creator Fund will back businesses led by creators with existing distribution on platforms such as YouTube and Instagram. Across these tracks, cheque sizes may go up to ₹50 lakh depending on the founder profile and business category.

The platform aims to address a key gap in India’s startup ecosystem—the lack of structured institutional support for idea-stage founders. It is sector-agnostic and accepts applications on a rolling basis, allowing founders who are not selected initially to reapply after six months with further progress.

Selected founders will receive access to mentorship, co-working spaces, technology credits, CXO networks, curated introductions to customers and investors, and ongoing support for investor readiness and business model development.

The support ecosystem includes partnerships with companies such as Amazon Web Services, Google, Razorpay, Webflow, and Airtable. Funded startups will also be flown to San Francisco for a dedicated Demo Day, where they can engage with global venture capitalists and founders.

Pratham Mittal, Founder of Masters’ Union, said the initiative is aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs who often struggle to access capital, mentorship, and networks at the earliest stages. He emphasised that the fund seeks to act as an early believer in under-25 founders, helping them transition from ideas to execution with confidence.

Saksham Kotiya, Managing Partner at MU Ventures, highlighted the importance of entrepreneurship in India, where nearly 12 million people enter the workforce annually, far exceeding the capacity of traditional job creation. He noted that startups contribute nearly 30% to India’s GDP and around 45% of exports, underscoring the need to support entrepreneurship from an early stage.

The advisory board includes industry leaders such as Shishir Maheshwari, Arjun Vaidya, and Swapna Gupta. Gupta emphasised the importance of supporting deep-tech startups to build long-term technological capability and economic growth in India, adding that MU Ventures will provide not just capital but also guidance, infrastructure, and market access.

The fund is further supported by a network of prominent angel investors and draws on Masters’ Union’s broader ecosystem, which includes partners such as Microsoft, Amazon, Swiggy, Airtel, and PayPal. Its global faculty includes industry experts such as Elkana Ezekiel, Dr Edward W. Rogers, Satish Krishnan, Naveen Munjal, and Malthi Satish, who will contribute mentorship and strategic guidance.

Several startups, including Sanyark Space, Cryptique, Flourish Foods, Bambaii, Guardex, Bana Roma, and Mom’s Mixes, have already emerged from the Masters’ Union ecosystem. With MU Ventures, the institution is now formalising its support through a dedicated capital platform aimed at nurturing India’s youngest entrepreneurs.