The energy was electric at Draper Startup House in Gachibowli as India’s very first 12-day Draper Founders Program wrapped up with a dynamic Demo Day. The highlight? Two rising stars of India’s startup ecosystem—Rushikesh Chavan of Finstone AI and Shubham Sharma of Xaults—walked away as the first Draper Heroes, each earning a $15,000 scholarship to attend the prestigious Draper University in San Francisco.
What is the Draper Founders Program?
Organized by Draper Startup House India, this 12-day residential program brought together 16 promising founders from 14 startups across the country. The goal? Equip early-stage, bootstrapped entrepreneurs with global mentorship, investor access, co-living, and pitch training—all under one roof. It’s the first program of its kind by the Draper network in India and part of Silicon Valley investor Tim Draper’s global mission to back bold founders.
Meet the Draper Heroes
Rushikesh Chavan – Finstone AI
A student at IIT Hyderabad, Rushikesh, built an AI-powered autonomous trading platform aimed at outperforming market benchmarks.
Shubham Sharma – Xaults
A fintech founder from Bengaluru, Shubham’s startup Xaults is creating next-gen blockchain-based financial tools for institutions and governments.
Both founders earned full scholarships to Draper University’s intensive one-month Hero Training Program in the US, a rare opportunity for Indian entrepreneurs to plug into the global startup scene.
Highlights from Demo Day
The final pitch session featured diverse startups, including:
- Medscore – A healthcare metrics startup
- Salaah Shots – Career guidance for medical students
- Weez.AI – AI tools for everyday productivity
- Brick Pay, Reoxide, ALGOXIA, Neuralcraft, Spaecs, and more
Each pitch was reviewed by a powerful panel of investors and mentors, including:
- Sanjay Nekkanti (Dhruva Space)
- Pras Hanuma (Next Unicorn Fund)
- MSR (Former CEO, T-Hub)
- Vikranth Varshney (SucSEED Innovation)
- Ratnakar Samavedham (Hyderabad Angels)
- And many more from the Indian startup ecosystem
What’s Next for Indian Startups?
This initiative marks a major step forward in supporting India’s startup ecosystem beyond just metro cities. Draper Startup House’s co-living + co-working model is designed to offer a vibrant, community-driven space where founders can focus on building, learning, and scaling their ideas.
Key Takeaways:
- India’s startup ecosystem is buzzing with untapped talent.
- International programs like Draper’s are bridging global mentorship with local innovation.
- Hyderabad is rapidly emerging as a major startup hub in India.
Final Thoughts
With programs like this, India’s entrepreneurs are no longer limited by geography or funding gaps. The Draper Founders Program is helping turn bold ideas into global ventures at a time.
