Bengaluru CEO who lost ₹2 crore, was paralysed, gets Nikhil Kamath’s backing: ‘They called me Elon Musk’ | Trending

Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and CEO of ReferRush, took to his official X (formerly Twitter) account to express his gratitude to Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath’s WTFund after his startup was selected for its grant programme. A Bengaluru-based entrepreneur thanked Nikhil Kamath’s WTFund.(X/@vpai100) (Also read: US millionaire Bryan Johnson leaves billionaire Nikhil Kamath’s interview midway: ‘I did end this podcast early due to…’) Sharing his turbulent six-year entrepreneurial journey, Vikram Pai detailed the highs and lows he faced before achieving success. “Six years. Five failed businesses. ₹2 crore earned and lost. They called me Elon Musk. Half my body got paralysed. I went down to my last ₹4,000 and couldn’t pay my co-founder’s salary. Here’s the screenshot before I sent him ₹36,000 for the month. He had responsibilities. Everyone told me to quit. Even my grandma questioned me. I was called delusional. Dad said I was ‘playing business’. Aunties gossiped about my career. My mum lost belief. My best friend betrayed me. I cried. But I always believed. I always had food and a home. That’s all I needed.” A turning point: WTFund’s backingPai revealed that ReferRush was among just nine startups selected from over 2,400 applicants for the WTFund grant. He highlighted the company’s growth, stating: “It took us four months to generate ₹1 lakh for our customers. Today, we’re generating ₹1.5 lakh a day. We’re profitable. And we’re just getting started.” Acknowledging the people who stood him, Pai added: “The first five years aren’t where you win. It’s where you get good. Grateful for my parents. For Rohan. For this opportunity. For this life. Never give up. Believe in yourself. Every e-commerce brand in the world will use @ReferRush. We are inevitable. A big thanks to @harnidhish @Suchetkm @nikhilkamathcio @TheWTFund Arshia Vivek and Piyush.” Check out the post here: WTFund’s mission to empower young entrepreneursWTFund, led Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath, has launched its second cohort, featuring 22 founders across nine startups. The initiative provides up to ₹20 lakh in grant funding, along with mentorship and strategic support, helping early-stage startups scale their impact. Kamath, explaining the fund’s vision, stated: “Entrepreneurs can build at any age, but there’s something about being young—the audacity, the relentless energy, the willingness to take risks before the world tells you otherwise. With Cohort 2, we’re backing founders who aren’t just dreaming of change but are actually building it.” Startups making an impactThe second cohort features entrepreneurs from over 50 cities, including Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 locations, spanning diverse sectors such as Tech/SaaS, D2C, EdTech, FinTech, HealthTech, AgriTech, and CleanTech. Notably, six of the selected startups focus on AI-based solutions. (Also read: Billionaire Nikhil Kamath’s ‘hooked on makhana’ remark goes viral after Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech. Here’s why) Learnings from the first cohortLast year’s first cohort included 13 startups that received early-stage support, helping them refine their business models, expand teams, and attract further investments. Some of these founders have now transitioned into mentors for the new batch, reinforcing WTFund’s commitment to fostering a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem.