HyKr has announced the launch of its venture studio with a ₹100 crore commitment to co-build up to 20 early-stage startups by FY27, positioning itself as an institutional co-founder rather than a traditional investor.
India’s early-stage startup ecosystem is getting a new institutional builder. HyKr has announced the launch of its venture studio, scheduled to go live in March 2026, with a mandate to fundamentally change how startups are built at the pre-seed and seed stages.
Backed by an initial capital commitment of ₹100 crore, HyKr plans to co-build up to 20 high-growth ventures across two cohorts by FY27, focusing on Deep Tech, Health and Bio, and Construction and PropTech. Unlike accelerators or early-stage funds, HyKr positions itself as an institutional co-founder, embedding deeply into the company-building process from day one.
Addressing the execution gap in early-stage startups
The launch comes amid rapid expansion in India’s startup ecosystem, where access to capital and mentorship has improved significantly, but execution beyond the idea stage remains a persistent challenge. Many early-stage founders struggle to translate initial traction into scalable, resilient businesses.
HyKr has been created specifically to address this gap. Rather than providing capital and advisory support at arm’s length, the studio operates as a long-term operating partner, helping founders navigate the complexity of building companies with greater speed, structure, and discipline.
A co-creation–led studio model
At the core of HyKr’s approach is a structured co-creation model. The studio works closely with pre-seed and seed-stage startups, deploying capital in the range of ₹2 crore to ₹4 crore per company, while simultaneously providing hands-on execution support.
Founders gain access to shared capabilities across:
- Product and engineering
- Operations and finance
- Go-to-market strategy and execution
This model is designed to allow founders to remain focused on solving customer problems, while HyKr supports the foundational work required to build durable, scalable businesses.
From idea to investor-ready in six months
HyKr has defined clear expectations for its engagement with founders. Within the first six months of collaboration, startups are expected to progress from a promising idea to an investor-ready business.
This includes:
- Building a working product
- Validating demand with early users
- Setting up core legal and financial systems
- Assembling an initial operating team
By compressing these early learning cycles, the studio aims to improve survival rates and long-term outcomes for early-stage companies.
Leadership and ecosystem partnerships
HyKr is led by Krishna Dunthoori, Founder and CEO of Apty, along with a leadership and advisory network of experienced operators.
The studio is supported by strategic partnerships with global technology platforms including AWS, Google Cloud, and Nvidia, strengthening its ability to support technically complex startups from inception.
Sharing his perspective on the launch, Krishna Dunthoori said:
“India is entering a phase where ambition is widespread, but consistent execution is what truly separates enduring companies from short-lived ones. Many founders are forced to solve product, organisation, and scale challenges simultaneously, often without the operating depth required at that stage. HyKr has been built to partner closely with founders as builders, bringing structure and shared accountability into the early journey, and helping convert strong ideas into resilient companies designed to scale responsibly and meet global standards.”
Evergreen structure and sector focus
HyKr follows an evergreen model rather than a traditional fund structure and typically takes a co-founder–level equity stake in the startups it builds. While operating with an India-first mandate, the studio intends to support founders with global ambitions as their companies mature.
Its sector focus reflects areas with strong talent density and long-term structural tailwinds:
- Deep Tech, driven by AI and enterprise software
- Health and Bio, targeting access, affordability, and efficiency gaps
- Construction and PropTech, aimed at improving productivity and sustainability in the built environment
The HyKr Build Challenge
As part of its launch roadmap, the studio has also announced the HyKr Build Challenge, a national initiative designed to identify founders with strong execution capability.
Unlike traditional pitch competitions, the challenge requires teams to build real, working products. The first edition is expected to attract over 1,000 team registrations and offers ₹35 lakh in total prize money, with winners eligible for direct consideration into the HyKr venture studio.
A different bet on early-stage company building
HyKr’s launch reflects a growing belief that capital alone is no longer sufficient at the earliest stages of company creation. As India’s startup ecosystem matures, venture studios that combine funding with deep operational involvement may play a larger role in shaping the next generation of scalable, globally competitive companies.
