The Founding Company

Operating team

Four people, clear ownership.

We came up through Cohort 7 of The Residency, Bangalore. In Hyderabad, each host owns a surface of the house so founders know who to go to, what moves next, and where the pressure comes from.

No. 01

Abhi Keerthan Rao

HostHyderabad

OwnsTechnical systems and founder programming

Co-founder of ARoundU AI (AR / VR). UMass graduate. Builds the technical infrastructure of the residency and the founder programming.

Keep the house technically useful, not performatively busy.

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No. 02

Prithvi Reddy Devireddy

HostHyderabad

OwnsSelection and cohort experience

Co-founder of CINIC. Two-time founder in healthcare and wellness. BITS Pilani graduate. Angel in two startups, one exit. Leads selection and the cohort experience.

Select for evidence, pace, and the ability to handle direct feedback.

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No. 03

Bharat Gutta

HostHyderabad

OwnsOperations, capital, and the house backend

Founder of CINIC (Entertainment). Previously founded NPay (Fintech), acquired. Runs operations, capital, and the back end of the residency.

Make the logistics invisible so the operating pressure can stay visible.

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No. 04

Tejas Agarwal

HostHyderabad

OwnsBrand, story, and design

Founder of Odver (Financial Markets). Two-time founder. Owns brand, story, and design for how the residency looks, feels, and reads.

Make the residency legible without turning it into startup theatre.

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Why us

Operators running the room, not performing mentorship.

The Founding is run by operators who have built, designed, sold, managed, and lived through early startup chaos. The role of the team is not to perform mentorship. It is to run the house, create pressure, bring the right people into the room, and keep founders moving.

House and logistics
Founder selection
Investor relationships
Partner relationships
Program rhythm
Demo days
Founder support
Content and storytelling