PhysicsWallah - School of Startups

The PW AI Startup Challenge is PW School of Startups' flagship yearly event, held at PhysicsWallah's headquarters in Noida. It runs two tracks side by side, plus a non-competitive AI conference for investors, institutions and policymakers.

What you get

• Startup track (top 10): funding for shortlisted startups, access to a PW AI Growth Accelerator programme, a grant referral under the Uttar Pradesh government's StartinUP scheme, possible market access through PW, hiring access to interns from PW's IOI campuses, and mentorship from PW's leadership.
• Student track (top 10): a cash prize for the top three, a shot at incubation at PW's Lucknow or Noida centres, a grant referral under StartinUP, a free seat in the next Aarambh cohort, product-building support through LeapX, and — for standout teams — admission with a partial scholarship into MBA or B.Tech programmes at IOI campuses.

Who can apply

• Startup track: a registered Indian startup with DPIIT recognition (or equivalent) preferred, an AI-first or AI-enabled product, revenue stage from seed to Series A, and at least one Indian founder.
• Student track: teams of one to four, with at least one member currently enrolled as a student, working on an AI-first idea in edtech, fintech, defence technology, or healthcare.
• Neither track charges an application fee.

How selection works: shortlisted teams in each track (up to 10) go through to the final event.

How to apply: through the Apply Now link on the programme page, or email namaste@schoolofstartups.live with questions.

SeedX is PW School of Startups' seed-funding track, open for applications now, for founders who are already building and generating early revenue.

What you get: seed funding support for qualifying founders.

Who can apply: early-stage founders with some existing revenue.

How to apply: through the Apply Now link on the programme page.

PW School of Startups is an approved incubator under StartInUP, the flagship startup initiative of the Government of Uttar Pradesh. Through this accreditation it runs incubation centres in Noida and Lucknow.

What you get: government-backed funding access, state-wide networking, mentorship, and regulatory assistance over a 12 to 24 month incubation period. PW SOS takes 2 to 5 percent equity as part of this track.

Who can apply

• Startups recognised by DPIIT or registered under the StartInUP scheme
• Registered or actively operating in Uttar Pradesh
• Full compliance with applicable Indian law

How to apply: through the Enroll Now link on the programme page.

Aarambh is PW School of Startups' entry-level bootcamp: a 5-day residential immersion that has run cohorts in Bengaluru, Noida, and Deoria. It's a fee-based enrolment rather than a competitive application — paying the programme fee is the main requirement.

What you get: a structured curriculum covering orientation, market and customer research, an ideation camp, taking an idea to a first product, company registration and compliance, go-to-market and sales strategy, a business model canvas, a pitch deck, digital marketing basics, fundraising, and a final pitch on demo day, plus a completion certificate.

Who can apply: aspiring entrepreneurs and founders — school students, college students, and early professionals. No selection process beyond enrolling and paying.

How to apply: enrol through the Aarambh page and choose a city cohort.

Samadhan is PW School of Startups' one-on-one mentoring programme. You don't need a startup idea to join — it's built to help you find and validate a real problem in a domain you care about first, then plan a minimum viable product.

What you get: personalised mentoring sessions, drawn from a pool the programme describes as 100+ mentors across domains.

Who can apply: anyone exploring a problem or business area, with or without a startup idea already.

How to apply: through the Apply Now link on the programme page, or join the Samadhan community to be notified of the next session.

LeapX is PW School of Startups' execution arm: instead of teaching, its team builds. It covers web and MVP development, data analytics and visualisation, applied AI and chatbots, backend and systems integration, and technical infrastructure planning.

What you get: product-build support at what the programme describes as a subsidised development cost and faster production time than going to market alone.

Who can apply: founders who need a product built rather than a programme to join — this is a paid service, not a competitive application.

How to apply: book a call through the LeapX page.