Marwari Catalysts

Pick the right door

Marwari Catalysts runs two very different tracks, and applying to the wrong one is the easiest way to be a poor fit:

• Thrive is for a founder running their own early-stage company who wants mentorship, an investor network and structured milestones over three to four months.
• The Venture Studio route is for an existing business, often one that needs a turnaround, where Marwari Catalysts becomes a working co-founder and takes a stake -- not a fit if you just want mentorship and a cheque into your own cap table.

How applications work

Thrive runs on a rolling cohort basis. Apply through the "Pitch to Us" link on the site, which routes to the current open cohort's application form. There is no fixed application window stated -- check the site for the live cohort link before assuming a date.

What to have ready

The site's own framing of who it wants gives a good checklist: a real problem you are solving (not just an idea), evidence you are "growth-ready" rather than pre-idea, and a founder story that fits its Tier 2/Tier 3 focus. First-time founders are explicitly welcome.

Where the team comes from

Marwari Catalysts' advisory board includes operators and investors who have built or run companies such as Daily Hunt, Airmeet and Myntra, alongside finance and governance partners -- useful context for the kind of mentorship conversations to expect once you're in.

Marwari Catalysts is a startup accelerator founded in 2019 and based in Jodhpur, Rajasthan, with additional offices in Jaipur, Mumbai and Bengaluru. It sits inside the wider Marwari Catalysts Group, which also runs a venture studio for turning around existing businesses and a SEBI-registered AIF Category-I fund. The accelerator focuses on founders from Tier 2 and Tier 3 Indian cities, an audience it says is underserved by the metro-centred startup ecosystem.

How programmes work

The flagship programme is Thrive, a structured acceleration track that runs three to four months. It is built around monthly themes: onboarding and an ecosystem health check in month one, strategy and KPI work in month two, mentor matching and community building in month three, and pitch readiness and investor connections culminating in a demo day in month four. Founders get one-on-one mentorship from industry experts and entrepreneurs, a structured growth playbook, business workshops, pitch and KPI coaching, and access to Marwari Catalysts' investor network and co-investors. Applications for Thrive are accepted on a rolling cohort basis through the site's pitch form.

Alongside Thrive, the group runs a venture studio model for businesses that need a turnaround rather than a first accelerator. Here Marwari Catalysts steps in as a co-founder, takes a stake, and works on operational restructuring and leadership gaps alongside the existing team, with funding released against milestones. This is a fundamentally different relationship from Thrive: Thrive mentors and invests in a founder's own company, while the venture studio model has Marwari Catalysts becoming a working co-founder inside the business.

The group's AIF Category-I fund is the capital vehicle behind these programmes. It is positioned for family offices, HNIs, angels and institutional investors who want structured, governance-led exposure to the same pipeline of early-stage, Tier 2/3 and impact-driven businesses.

Marwari Catalysts also runs Startup Exchange, an annual flagship networking event plus a rolling calendar of smaller ecosystem events through the year, bringing together founders, investors, family offices and mentors. The first two editions were held in Jodhpur, the next two in Jaipur, and a fifth edition took place in Dubai, with a further Jodhpur edition planned. Separately, the group's Foundation runs a free monthly pre-incubation session for early-stage social entrepreneurs and students, alongside elder-care initiatives, positioning community work as a second track alongside the for-profit accelerator and fund.

Who can apply

Thrive is open to pre-seed and early-stage, growth-ready founders across sectors, including first-time founders. The site describes support for startups from across India, with hybrid (virtual plus in-person) participation. The venture studio route is aimed at founders or business owners of an existing, often distressed, company looking for a hands-on turnaround partner rather than a first-time accelerator relationship.

Facilities

Marwari Catalysts' Jodhpur base sits within an IT Park that has operated since 2011, hosting more than a thousand IT professionals alongside other incubators, accelerators and small and mid-sized businesses in the same building.

Who runs it

Marwari Catalysts Group is chaired and was founded by Sushil Sharma, who also holds roles including Executive Director of BRICS CCI and Convenor of the Rajasthan chapter of the Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council. The core team includes a finance lead, two partners, and a vice-president for admin and government affairs, backed by an advisory board that draws on founders, investors and operators from companies including Daily Hunt, Airmeet and Myntra.

Locations

The group's main office is in Jodhpur, Rajasthan (Cyber Park, Heavy Industrial Area), with further offices in Bengaluru (HSR Layout), Jaipur (Durgapura) and Mumbai.