The Co-Founder Programme. The technical co-founder you could not find.
You have an Indian private limited company, a real market and nobody to build the product. We build it with you, carry 50 to 70 per cent of the build cost and take a minority stake in return. The next cycle starts in January 2027.
One product. One dedicated senior team. Four months to launch.
- Build window
- January to April 2027
- Places
- 1 product this cycle, 3 a year
- Apply by
- 31 December 2026, or sooner if the place is filled
- First reply
- Within five working days
We co-found three products a year. One every four months.
You bring an Indian private limited company, a real idea, 30 to 50 per cent of the build cost and a marketing budget of at least half the build cost, kept in a separate bank account before we start. We bring a senior engineering team and sixteen years of shipping, cover the rest of the build cost and take 10 to 15 per cent equity. We are not a fund. We are not an accelerator. We are the technical co-founder you do not have, with a track record to show we can build.
Why only three a year? Because co-founding is a commitment, not a service tier. Each product gets a dedicated senior team for a full build cycle, then ongoing technical support from us as a shareholder. Three places keep us honest. We cannot afford to build things that fail, because we own part of them.
Applications are open for the January 2027 cycle.
One new product starts every four months. Here is exactly where the next one stands, and what happens between your application and launch day.
Kick-off in January, launch by the end of April. Apply by 31 December 2026.
Apply now to be considered early. You hear where you stand within five working days.
Apply now to be considered early. You hear where you stand within five working days.
Key dates for the January 2027 cycle
Apply now- Applications
- Open now
- First reply
- Within five working days of applying, with reasons either way
- If shortlisted
- A one-hour evaluation call under a mutual NDA
- Before kick-off
- Feasibility review, term sheet, then checks on the company's MCA records and the directors' DINs
- Apply by
- 31 December 2026, or sooner if the place is filled
- Kick-off
- January 2027
- Launch
- April 2027
- After launch
- Our shares are allotted, then quarterly roadmap reviews with us as shareholders
What you bring. What we bring.
Four months, kick-off to launch.
If you are selected for the January 2027 cycle, this is your calendar.
Selection and terms.
Your application, an evaluation call, a feasibility review, the term sheet and checks on your company's MCA records.
Read the standard term sheetFoundation, approved first.
Product definition, a signed scope, design of the main screens and the architecture. You approve all of it before any code is written.
Build, in weekly slices.
A demo of working software every week. The product takes shape slice by slice: real features, real data, real payments.
Launch, and first customers.
Hardening, a security review, analytics, structured data, and the app store or web launch. Your marketing plan goes live the same week, funded from your separate marketing budget and run by your team or your agency.
Support, as shareholders.
Once the MVP is accepted, your company allots our shares, with a registered valuer's report. Then quarterly roadmap reviews, technical support and priority access to further development at partner rates.
What you are signing up for. No surprises later.
Co-founding only works when both sides do their part. These are the commitments that matter most. The term sheet sets out every one of them in full.
One product gets built next. It could be yours.
Applications close on 31 December 2026, or sooner if the place is filled. A senior team member reads every application and replies within five working days.
How we choose the three.
Five criteria, equally weighted. There are only three places a year, so we choose carefully, and we tell you why either way.
The term sheet, published.
Frequently asked questions.
When does the next cycle start, and when do applications close?
The next cycle starts in January 2027, with launch in April 2027. Applications for it close on 31 December 2026, or sooner if the place is filled, because selection, terms and your marketing deposit all have to be settled before kick-off.
What if the place is filled before I apply?
Apply anyway. Strong applications are considered for the next open place, which is the May 2027 cycle, and we tell you exactly where you stand within five working days. An early application also gives you more time to incorporate the company and set aside the marketing capital.
How many products does Digitechnique co-found each year?
Three. One new build starts every four months, so each product gets a dedicated senior team for its whole cycle. We would rather build three products properly than ten badly, and as shareholders we stay involved with each one long after launch.
How much equity does Digitechnique take?
Between 10 and 15 per cent of the fully diluted shares, set in the final agreement based on scope, risk and our share of the build cost. You remain the controlling founder. Our stake rises only if the marketing commitment is not kept, as the term sheet explains, and never above 25 per cent.
How much do I pay for the build, and when?
Your company pays 30 to 50 per cent of the build cost, plus GST, in milestones. The first is due when the scope is signed, before kick-off, and each later one when the work it covers is shown working. We carry the rest as our investment, in exchange for shares.
How much marketing budget do I need?
At least half the build cost, or more if the scope calls for it. It sits in a separate company bank account before kick-off, is used only for winning customers, and is spent on an agreed plan: at least a quarter within 60 days of launch and all of it within 180 days.
Who runs the marketing?
You do, with your own team or any agency you choose. We build in analytics, tracking and search-ready structure, review your marketing plan with you and watch the numbers as fellow shareholders. We do not run the campaigns, and we do not promise commercial results.
What happens if the marketing budget is not spent?
We send written notice and you have 30 days to put it right. If it is not fixed, we can pause our support. We can then require you to transfer shares that raise our stake by 5 percentage points per default, up to 25 per cent, or to buy our shares at the build value we funded.
What happens if you fail to deliver?
If we miss the delivery deadline, plus a 30-day grace period, we receive only half the shares agreed for the build, and we still finish the product at no extra cash cost to your company. Delays you cause, and changes you ask for, extend the deadline fairly.
When and how do you receive your shares?
After the MVP is accepted, because Indian law requires these shares to be fully paid when allotted. It is a preferential allotment for consideration other than cash: a special resolution, a registered valuer's report, stamp duty and MCA filings such as Form PAS-3. Your lawyer and CA handle it with us.
What other costs should I plan for?
Hosting, domains, software licences, paid services and app store fees, which the company pays from day one. GST on the build. Your own legal and tax advice, which we insist on. The registered valuer's fee, stamp duty and MCA filing fees for issuing our shares. None of these are part of the build cost.
How much of my time does it take?
A weekly product session during the four-month build, and answers and approvals within three working days. After launch, you run the company and its marketing, and send us a short monthly report for a year. Founders who cannot give this time should wait for a later cycle.
Do you take ideas without a private limited company?
No. Incorporate a private limited company through the MCA's SPICe+ form first, with at least two directors, each holding a DIN. An LLP or a One Person Company would need to convert. A company shows commitment and keeps the share structure clean. If incorporation is under way, give the expected date on the application.
Do we need DPIIT startup recognition?
It is not required, but we encourage it. DPIIT charges no fee, and private limited companies up to 10 years old with turnover below ₹200 crore can apply. Recognition opens most government startup schemes, the route to the startup tax holiday and more freedom on ESOPs. Ask your CA to check your eligibility.
Can I raise investment later?
Yes, and we hope you do. Our stake dilutes in line with every other shareholder, with no special protection. We may take part in new rounds in proportion to our holding, but we are never obliged to invest more. Angels and venture funds will check our allotment paperwork, so we keep it complete.
What happens if I want to leave the company?
Your shares vest over four years with a one-year cliff. If you leave early, you transfer the shares that have not vested to a new founder, an employee or an ESOP trust: at fair value if you are a good leaver, for example through ill health, and at face value otherwise. They never pass to us.
What happens if the product still fails?
If both sides did their part and the market said no, we share the loss: you lose your contribution, and we lose the build cost we carried and our time. That is what having our own money at stake means, and why we choose carefully.
Do you sign an NDA before hearing my idea?
We sign a mutual NDA before any detailed session. Your application should describe the problem and the market without the secret parts. The confidentiality section of the term sheet then binds both sides for five years, and anything you share stays with the people working on your product.
Which founders can apply?
Indian founders with a private limited company incorporated under the Companies Act 2013, with the founder in control and the idea their own. The company should not be a subsidiary of another company. We have worked with clients for sixteen years, and we choose the three products a year on the five criteria above.
Who owns the intellectual property?
The company does. We assign it to the company in a signed written assignment, worldwide and for the full term of copyright, as each build milestone is paid. The code lives in accounts held in the company's name from kick-off. Our own pre-existing tools are licensed to the company permanently and royalty-free.
Still have a question? Call +91 99966 88404 and speak to an engineer.