FounderPassion Foundation

Choosing the right programme

• Early-stage ideas: the bootcamp helps you refine and validate an idea. The incubation page is written for infant ideas that need care and commitment.
• Agri start-ups ready to pitch to investors: AgInvest is the summit for that. Its 2026 edition has passed.
• Students and makers: the AgriTech Hackathon was built for teams like yours. Its 2026 edition has passed.

Sector fit

• The About page says the foundation works only with agri tech and agriculture and sustainability start-ups.
• The homepage describes start-ups from idea to growth with no sector limit.
• Confirm fit before applying from outside agriculture.

How applications work

• AgInvest: use the Apply Now button on its page, which sends you to an F6S form.
• Hackathon: register on MakersHub.
• Bootcamp and incubation: their pages do not say how to apply. Use the contact form and choose the matching reason to connect, Bootcamp/Hackathon or Incubation/Mentoring.

How selection works

• The pages do not describe how AgInvest, the bootcamp or incubation choose start-ups.
• AgInvest states its investment focus at three stages, then lists four. Ask which stages apply to your company.

Before you apply

• The AgInvest page does not state a closing date.
• Neither the AgInvest page nor the bootcamp and incubation pages state cost or equity terms. Ask before you commit.

FounderPassion Foundation is a Coimbatore-based foundation that supports start-ups and early-stage founders. Its investor event, AgInvest, is a pitch summit for agri start-ups. It also runs a bootcamp, an agri hackathon and incubation for early-stage ideas.

Who it works with

Its About page says it works only with agri tech and agriculture and sustainability start-ups. Its homepage describes support for start-ups from the idea stage to the growth stage and names no sector limit. The two pages do not agree, so the sector limit is unresolved.

Its About page says its focus is on start-ups from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, which it expects to have a larger impact on the rural economy. It also says it joins start-ups to acquire grants, and it lists a guide on grant, seed and angel funding.

Programmes

The 2026 editions of the pitch summit and the hackathon have passed. The bootcamp and incubation pages do not give dates for a batch.

AgInvest is a pitch summit for start-ups in the agriculture sector, held at the foundation in Coimbatore. It invites applications from start-ups across the country. The 2026 edition was dated 26 September 2026. Its 2020 edition, on 5 and 6 March 2020, brought together 150+ agri start-ups and 50+ investors, according to its page. The 2026 page says its investment focus is at three stages and then lists four: Early/Seed Stage, Seed, Angel and Venture Capital. The page does not say whether investors take equity or whether start-ups pay a fee.

The AgriTech Hackathon is a 48-hour innovation challenge, where students and young innovators work on real agricultural problems using AI, IoT, robotics, automation and data science. The 2026 edition ran on 21 and 22 February at MakersHub in Goldwins, Coimbatore, with Niagara Automation as its industry partner.

The bootcamp is a hands-on, interactive programme, steered by the foundation's team, entrepreneurs and mentors. It helps participants refine their start-up ideas and learn how to validate them. Its bootcamp page describes a three-day programme, while its homepage gives a range of about two to three days. The page does not state cost, equity, batch dates or location.

Incubation is for infant ideas that need care and commitment. Its page says incubation helps founders get help early, avoid common product development mistakes and remove a false sense of security. The homepage says the foundation takes start-ups from the idea stage to the growth stage and collaborates with several incubators. The page does not state cost, equity, batch dates or location.

Facilities

The foundation's own facility in Coimbatore is around 7,500 square feet. Its About page lists dedicated internet bandwidth, power backup, parking and video conferencing.

Track record

Its About page says it has worked with 75,000 farmers through farmer producer organisations since 2015. Its 2020 AgInvest page gives the 150+ start-up and 50+ investor counts above. These are the foundation's own figures, and they have not been verified.

Its CSR work includes setting up makers labs in rural schools and communities. It also donated science kits to Corporation Middle School in Masakalipalayam.

Who runs it

Its About page names N.R.R. Vijayakumar, whom it describes as a serial entrepreneur, angel investor and educator with over two decades of experience shaping entrepreneurial ecosystems.

How to apply

The contact form offers reasons to get in touch: incubation or mentoring, bootcamp or hackathon, investments and others. The AgInvest page sends applicants to an F6S form. The hackathon registers participants on MakersHub. The bootcamp and incubation pages do not say how to apply.