Meta Startup School: India

Applications open | Cohort 1

Meta Startup School India

A 3-month growth program for early-stage D2C founders — led by India's top founders, VCs and ecosystem partners. Get a partner agency, hands-on support from Meta, and a shot at demo day.

Apply to Cohort 1

Explore the Program

The program

Built for founders in their 0→1 journey

Meta Startup School brings agencies, VCs and brands together to facilitate connections,
learning and product support. You focus on scaling your business.

Learn from operators

Monthly sessions led by top founders, VC partners and ecosystem partners like Shopify, Blinkit and marketplace leaders — designed around real-world founder problems.

Get a partner agency

Matched with one of 12 vetted Meta partner agencies for a 3-month consulting engagement. Weekly cadence calls to help you scale on Meta.

Scale with Meta

Solutioning and product support through Meta's Agency Solutions Managers. Early access to new products before general availability.

Founder benefits

What you get as a startup school founder

Everything below is included in the program.

Growth & consulting

• A Meta partner agency for 3 months

• 1 dedicated growth call per week with your agency

• Solutioning and product support through Meta

• Consulting on Advantage+, Reels, WhatsApp and creatives

Product & learning

• Early access to unreleased Meta products

• Monthly expert sessions from VCs and operators

• In-person events and networking at Meta office

• Peer cohort of 100+ scaling D2C founders

Visibility & recognition

• Top 10 brands featured at demo day

• Best growth stories published as a Meta case study

• Feature on Meta's global success stories page

• Exclusive support from Meta solution partners

Network & ecosystem

• Direct access to India's leading consumer VCs

• Introductions to quick-commerce and marketplace partners

• Cohort alumni community after the program

• Opportunity to pitch at demo day

VC partners

Backed by India's leading consumer VCs

Our VC partners take sessions, refer portfolio companies, and join demo day as mentors.

Partner agencies

Twelve vetted agencies, matched to your brand

Each founder is matched with a Meta partner agency for a 3-month consulting engagement — chosen based on your vertical, stage and growth goals.

Ecosystem Partners

The platforms and programs supporting founders alongside us

Program calendar

Cohort 1 timeline

From launch to demo day.

Date

Milestone

Description

12 August

Launch at Meta Day – VC Edition

Program unveiled in Mumbai alongside India's top VCs,

300+ founders and agency partners.

20 August

Applications close

Last date to register.

Applications reviewed on a rolling basis.

21–22 August

Agency allotment

Selected brands matched with a partner agency based on vertical, stage and goals.

September – November

The 3-month program

Weekly agency calls, monthly expert sessions from VCs and ecosystem partners, and product support from Meta.

December

Demo day

Top 10 brands showcase growth to VCs, agencies and Meta leadership. Case studies published.a.

December 2026

It all culminates in demo day

The top brands from cohort 1 present their growth story to India's leading VCs,

agency partners and Meta leadership.

Present to the ecosystem

Pitch your growth journey to consumer VCs, agencies and Meta leaders.

Published case study

Strongest growth stories become official Meta case studies on our global page.

Continued support

Top brands unlock exclusive support and priority access to future programs.

Eligibility

Who should apply

We're looking for early-stage consumer and D2C founders ready to scale.

Early-stage D2C or consumer brand — building in India, in your 0→1 growth journey

Currently spending on Meta with a goal to scale further

Founder or growth lead commitment — able to join weekly calls for 3 months

Open to testing new products — participate in betas and case studies

Eligibility

Who should apply

We're looking for early-stage consumer and D2C founders ready to scale.

Early-stage D2C or consumer brand — building in India, in your 0→1 growth journey

Currently spending on Meta with a goal to scale further

Founder or growth lead commitment — able to join weekly calls for 3 months

Open to testing new products — participate in betas and case studies

Applications close 20 August

Ready to scale with Meta Startup School?

Register your brand for cohort 1.

Selected founders are matched with a partner agency and onboarded within two weeks.

Register your brand

Note: Takes under 3 minutes | Applications reviewed on a rolling basis

What to expect

Insights. Strategy. Connections.

Hear from Industry Leaders

Gain perspectives from Meta executives, venture capital leaders and growth experts on where India's startup ecosystem is headed—and what brands need to scale successfully.

Learn Proven Growth Strategies

Explore practical sessions covering performance marketing, Advantage+, Conversions API, WhatsApp Business, creative best practices and digital-first growth frameworks.

Build Valuable Connections

Meet venture capital partners, portfolio founders, agency leaders and Meta specialists through curated networking opportunities designed to spark meaningful conversations.

Event agenda

9:00 - 10:00 AM

Registrations and networking

10:00 AM – 10:20 AM

The India Opportunity for Consumer Brands. Session by Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director – Agencies & VC Partnerships, Meta India

10:20 AM – 10:30 AM

Meta Startup School – India Launch

10:30 AM – 11:00 AM

Panel Discussion: The India Opportunity (VC's Perspective).

Ft. Partners from Fireside Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners, V3 Ventures. Panel hosted by Rohant Shyam Rammohan, Agency Partner, Meta India

11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

The Growth Playbook: Creators, Short-Form & AI-Powered Demand.

Ft. Naiyya Saggi (EDT), Alisha Chand (AboVo Media), Jatan Bawa (Perfora), Shivani Kapila (Creator, 1.4M Followers). Moderated by Nitin Nair, Client Partner, Meta India

11:30 AM – 11:45 AM

Networking Break

11:45 AM – 12:15 PM

Beyond Your Own Website: Cracking India's New Distribution Channels.

Ft. Ganesh (MyFreedo), Pawan Chaturvedi (Unilever Ventures), Chandra Bhanu (BeyondAds), Anshuk Aggarwal (AdYogi). Moderated by Hari Mithun Pulipati, Industry Manager – Auto & D2C, Meta India

12:15 PM – 12:45 PM

Chat, Convert, Repeat: The Messaging & Tech Stack Powering Growth.

Ft. Gaurav Mangla (Shiprocket), Vargab Bakshi (GoKwik), Saloni (Traya Health). Moderated by Arzan Singpurwalla, Lead Channel Partnerships – Business Messaging, Meta India

12:45 PM – 13:30 PM

Speed Dating: Agencies, VCs & Founders

13:30 PM – 14:30 PM

Lunch and networking

10:00 - 10:30 AM

The India Opportunity for Consumer Brands

10:30 - 11:15 AM

VC Perspective: How are new consumer brands scaling in India today

11:15 - 11:45 AM

The Growth Playbook: Creators, Short-Form & AI-Powered Demand

11:45 – 12:00 PM

Break

12:00 – 12:30 PM

Beyond Your Own Website: Cracking India's New Distribution Channels

12:30 – 1:00 PM

Chat, Convert, Repeat: The Messaging & Tech Stack Powering Growth

1:00 – 3:00 PM

Lunch & Networking

November

9

,

2021

|

7:00pm

PST

Meta Day – VC Edition, Mumbai

RSVP

our Speakers

Speaker Name

Title, Team

Company

+

Speaker Name

Title, Team

Company

+

Speaker Name

Title, Team

Company

+

EVENT DETAIL

November

9

,

2021

|

7:00PM

PST

RSVP

#HashtagBlock

Meta Startup School – India

Meta India · Agency & VC Partnerships

© 2026 Meta. Meta Platforms, Inc., 1601 Willow Rd. Menlo Park, CA 94025 or where the Meta Products are offered to you by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland

Meta Data Policy - Terms - Cookies

© 2026 Meta. Meta Platforms, Inc., 1601 Willow Rd. Menlo Park, CA 94025 or where the Meta Products are offered to you by Meta Platforms Ireland Limited, 4 Grand Canal Square, Grand Canal Harbour, Dublin 2, Ireland

Meta Data Policy - Terms - Cookies