Program targets early-stage student startups with non-dilutive funding and global mentorship support
- Offers equity-free grants of up to USD 5,000 to student-led startups across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East
- Open to third- and fourth-year undergraduates and recent graduates up to four years out of college, supporting both idea-stage and early-traction ventures
- Selected founders gain access to global mentors and operators, with additional scholarship opportunities for Tetr’s MiM-Tech program
DUBAI, January 21, 2026: Pratham Mittal, Founder of Tetr College and Masters’ Union, has announced the launch of the Tetr Emerging Founders’ Challenge (TEFC), a new entrepreneurship initiative offering equity-free grants of up to USD 7500 to student-led startups across India, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East.
The USD 100,000+ grant pool has been allocated from Tetr’s Innovation Fund, and is designed to serve as a first source of capital for young founders and addresses one of the most persistent barriers to student entrepreneurship: access to early, non-dilutive funding that enables ideas to move beyond classrooms and into real markets.
Open to third- and fourth-year undergraduate students as well as recent graduates up to four years out of college, the Tetr Emerging Founders’ Challenge has been designed to support founders at different stages of their entrepreneurial journey. By placing capital at the centre of the initiative, Tetr aims to give students the ability to test assumptions, build early products, and engage real customers without the immediate pressure of fundraising or equity dilution. In doing so, the program reflects a broader shift in how entrepreneurship is being approached within higher education, positioning company-building as a viable, full-time career path for students rather than an extracurricular pursuit.
The launch of the challenge reflects Mittal’s experience evaluating hundreds of early-stage ventures and has been designed to mirror real-world startup assessment. Drawing on this experience, the challenge focuses on market clarity, execution readiness, and founder conviction. It features two tracks, one for idea-stage founders who have identified a compelling problem to solve, and another for early-stage startups that have already demonstrated initial traction or revenue.
Commenting on the initiative, Pratham Mittal said, “While student founders often demonstrate strong ambition and creativity, they frequently lack access to credible feedback and early capital. The Tetr Emerging Founders’ Challenge is designed to provide a serious, professional platform where student ideas are evaluated with rigour, while also offering the encouragement and resources needed to take the first step. Our objective is to help students view company-building as an immediate and realistic option, supported by early belief and financial backing.”
Beyond grant funding, selected participants will gain access to Tetr’s global ecosystem of mentors, operators, and investors, including experienced founders and senior professionals associated with institutions such as Harvard, MIT, and SoftBank, who will provide hands-on guidance across market validation, product development, and go-to-market strategy. Shortlisted founders will also be considered for scholarships to Tetr’s Master’s in Management and Technology (MiM-Tech) program, a global degree designed to enable students to build real ventures alongside their academic journey while living and studying across multiple international markets including Dubai, China, and Europe.
Applications for the Tetr Emerging Founders’ Challenge are now open, with interested founders invited to submit their pitch decks and elevator videos via https://tetr.com/tefc. The deadline for submissions is 31 January, 2026.