India recently ranked third on the Hurun Global Unicorn Index 2025, behind only the US and China. This signals a thriving pipeline of innovation, and among it, a new generation of disruptive startups on the cusp of breakout success. These are founders reimagining healthcare, food, fintech, education, and more. What they need is recognition, reach, and the right networks to fuel their momentum.
Bold ideas shouldn’t just survive but also thrive. Digital payments unicorn Razorpay has always stood as a founder-first brand – empowering startups not just with financial tools, but with the trust and momentum to grow. With The Next Big Thing (NBT), the company is extending that philosophy, giving these disruptive startups the boldest stage to accelerate their journey to scale.
Why visibility matters for early-stage startups
For a founder taking on the growth journey, visibility is often the missing piece of the puzzle. It can mean the difference between securing that first customer, attracting the right investor, or even finding a future co-founder. Yet, most early-stage or even growth-stage startups lack access to premium platforms that can amplify their stories at scale.
Razorpay’s NBT is changing that game by going beyond visibility to create a 360-degree launchpad for disruptive startups. Every month, a curated cohort of 10 startups gets access to a host of initiatives such as:
- Mass visibility – Every month, startups get featured on Razorpay’s 20-foot digital billboard on the façade of its Koramangala headquarters, one of Bengaluru’s busiest startup hubs. Instead of monetising this prime spot, Razorpay has turned it into a permanent free ad space for other disruptive startups. Thousands pass it daily, making it one of the boldest gestures by a unicorn to spotlight the next generation of disruptors.
- The Sketchpad – A creative storytelling format that brings their ideas and journeys to life in compelling narratives.
- The Founders’ Roundtable – An exclusive space for deep-dive discussions on key themes, enabling shared learning and growth among peers.
- Access to partnerships with leading platforms, integration into the Rize community, and support from the full suite of Razorpay products.
- High-value networking opportunities, like the Cohort 1 mixer that brought together ecosystem leaders, creating bridges to capital, mentorship, and collaboration.
Together, these initiatives provide all the fuel, amplification, and ecosystem access needed to power their next stage of growth.
NBT aims to support over 100+ startups every year, giving them a chance to be discovered, recognised, and celebrated on a national scale. It builds on Razorpay’s long-standing startup-first playbook, complementing initiatives like Razorpay Rize, a thriving 1,500+ member community of founders across industries. Together, these initiatives form an ecosystem of support, providing visibility, community, and financial infrastructure to scale.
Impact from Cohort 1
From over 500 applications, eight startups were handpicked to form NBT’s founding cohort, spanning diverse industries like healthcare, fintech, climate tech, and edtech.
- Avay Biosciences (Manish Amin): Using 3D bioprinting to revolutionize the future of medicine.
- Even (Mayank Banerji): Making healthcare affordable with simple, all-inclusive plans.
- Aroleap (Rohit Patel): Redefining home fitness with AI-powered, smart gym equipment.
- StanceBeam (Arminder Thinde): Turning every cricket bat into a smart, data-driven coaching tool.
- Coupl Money (Srinivas Sarkar): Simplifying shared finances for modern couples.
- Fold Money (Akash N and Nishant): Offering a 360°-view of personal finances for better money management.
- Newton School (Nishant Chandra and Siddharth Maheshwari): Training India’s next generation of software engineers with a pay-after-placement model.
- Shaka Harry (Anoop and Ruth): Leading India’s plant-based food movement, making sustainable eating mainstream.
NBT’s very first cohort made India stop and take notice — with over 790,000 impressions, nearly 90,000 engagements, and conversations pouring in across social media. Every single day, startup stories lit up the billboard, sparking curiosity, validation, and belief.
The ripple effect was immediate: investors reached out, new customer pipelines opened, and visibility translated into credibility.
“One of the angels we had been in touch with for a while actually spotted our ad on the NBT billboard and reached out. That single moment became the trigger — it brought in a couple more angels and helped us raise upwards of $50K,” said Srinivas Sarkar, co-founder of Coupl.
The bet Razorpay made has been proven right: when bold ideas are given the boldest stage, the world takes notice.
What’s next for NBT?
With the first cohort making waves, Razorpay has opened applications for the next batch of early-stage startups. The goal is to continue backing India’s boldest ideas and giving them the recognition they deserve.
In a startup ecosystem that’s often defined by survival of the fittest, Razorpay is ensuring that India’s next disruptors don’t just survive but also thrive, grow, and inspire. Because when bold ideas are given the right stage, they don’t just become the next big thing; they become the future.
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