Frugal Founder's Fund
Empowering ambitious founders with equity-free grants to build impactful products.
Our founders are backed by
Companies making bold moves
A snapshot of teams building in underserved markets, from climate to community infrastructure.
Grant Programs
Different ways to get a promising idea moving, from first experiments to projects ready to grow.
Eligibility Criteria
- Student founders, recent graduates (1-2 years), or dropouts under 25
- Functional prototype or detailed project timeline required
- Wild card projects eligible for base stipends of ₹10k per month
Founder voices
In their own words
What building with 3F VC has meant to the founders we back.
“Our engagements within the operational discourse of the 3FVC process, have been intuitively fulfilling and enriching. The process was quite seamlessly curated and provided...
“3F VC offers one of the best early-stage grants you can get in India, without asking for equity or placing expectations or pressure on...
“3F VC grills you before and after the funding, and that’s what I like about them. You’re not a one-off case; you’re part of...
“I was just a third-year CS student passionate about building things when 3FVC gave me the opportunity to become a founder. They believed in...
“I received a non-dilutive grant from 3F VC when LiteFold was just a small prototype. They were among my earliest believers. The great part...
“Applying to 3F VC and speaking with Yash was a great experience. The process was short, and the application questions and interview helped us...
Reports
High-signal market views and tactical insights from the 3F VC network.
Fresh from the founder desk
Weekly notes on funding, community, and tactical moves for early teams.
Blog
Articles
A founder knowledge bank you can talk to.
Ask the Eklavya chatbot about grants, startup credits, pitch decks, and the questions that come up while building a company.
Try Eklavya
Ask a question. Find your next step.
Product demos
See Eklavya in action
A quick look at how to use the chatbot and the kinds of founder questions it can help with.
Demo 01 / 03
Find grants to apply for
Masterclass
Learn directly from operators and investors. Start with our pitch deck deep dive with Dhruv Sane.
3F VC x Malpani Ventures
Your Pitch Deck Has 2 Minutes 42 Seconds
Speaker: Dhruv Sane
Investors spend an average of 2 minutes and 42 seconds on a deck. This session explains how to earn more time with clarity on problem, solution, timing, traction, and a story investors can repeat in 30 seconds.