Carve Startup Labs: Vishnu Nagaraj on Building a Global Support Network for Founders
The path from a student dorm room to a global startup ecosystem is often paved with more mistakes than successes. Vishnu Nagaraj, the Founder of Carve Startup Labs, knows this better than most. After starting his first IoT company in college and facing the harsh realities of unguided entrepreneurship, Vishnu turned his "failures" into a mission to help others. Today, Carve Startup Labs is a global network of incubators and accelerators that has impacted over 15,000 students and entrepreneurs across India and beyond.
Vishnu's journey began in a Tier 3 city in Kerala. "When I started, I didn't even know the meaning of the word 'startup'," Vishnu admits. A NASSCOM bootcamp changed everything, leading to an initial investment from a UK-based angel investor. However, the subsequent journey was a "bumpy ride" involving internal conflicts and a decision to quit his first venture. "That was the most difficult period of my life," he recalls. "But I didn't want to go back to a job. I wanted to build something that would reduce the mistakes for the next generation of founders."
The WhatsApp Group that Went Global
Carve Startup Labs started as a simple WhatsApp group. "I just wanted to share opportunities and connect people for mentoring," Vishnu explains. "It grew organically because there was a massive lack of awareness in the ground level. Today, we've done over 150 programs globally, partnering with governments and universities to strengthen the ecosystem."
Universities as Innovation Hubs
Vishnu is a vocal advocate for starting early. "The college years are the most risk-free period of your life," he asserts. "The society doesn't question you yet, and you have access to cheap resources—your friends! I want to change universities so that they aren't just teaching outdated syllabi, but acting as R&D centers where students can build market-ready products before they even graduate."
He points out the "5G industry need vs. genius college teaching" gap. By launching the Carve Startup School, Vishnu aims to bridge this divide, providing a structured one-year program that takes an idea from a dorm room to a global milestone. His focus is particularly on Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, where the "local Steve Jobs" often lack the platform to compete with their metropolitan counterparts.
Breaking the 'Parental Threat'
In a candid moment, Vishnu addresses one of the biggest hurdles for Indian entrepreneurs: the family. "In the name of love and care, parents often become the biggest threat to entrepreneurship," he says. "They've struggled to reach a certain level and they don't want to see their children suffer the uncertainty of a startup. We need to help parents understand that a two-year 'breathing period' for a startup can yield a 10x return compared to a stable job."
He encourages students to prove their "proof of concept" while still in college. "If you show your parents that you are starting to earn or solve real problems while you are studying, the pressure to take a traditional job diminishes. Success is the best way to change the family mindset."
Vishnu's Advice for Student Founders
- Don't Look for the 'Safe Zone': There is no perfect time to start. Life is a journey, and you have to create the situation you want to live in.
- Execution Over Idea: Everyone has a 'Google-like' idea. What matters is how you execute it. Execution is the only thing that separates a dream from a business.
- Strong Foundation: Get your legal papers and equity shares right from Day 1. A wrong investor or a messy cap table can screw your startup before it even launches.
- Marry Your Passion: Entrepreneurship vs. a 9-5 job is like a 'love marriage vs. an arranged marriage.' If you love what you do, the 24/7 grind won't feel like work.
The Vision: A Transparent Ecosystem
Looking ahead, Vishnu aims to launch Carve Startup School in every corner of the world. He is also passionate about bringing transparency to the investor-founder relationship. "We need a system to check the genuineness of investors," he says. "It's not just about money; it's about domain expertise and shared vision." For Vishnu, the goal is a global community where every student founder has the guidance they need to turn their innovation into a sustainable impact.
Carve Startup Labs at a Glance
- Impact: 15,000+ students and entrepreneurs mentored.
- Programs: 150+ hackathons, bootcamps, and acceleration programs.
- Reach: Global network partnering with 60+ countries and various government bodies.
About the Guest
Vishnu Nagaraj is the Founder of Carve Startup Labs. A computer science graduate from the University of Calicut, Vishnu is a serial entrepreneur and a TEDx speaker. He is a recognized leader in the Indian startup ecosystem, particularly for his work in fostering innovation in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Vishnu is dedicated to democratizing access to startup resources and is a frequent mentor to student-led ventures. He is also the founder of Tag Team and a key advisor to various university innovation cells.
Carve Startup Labs is a global network of incubators, accelerators, and government bodies dedicated to supporting early-stage startups. By providing mentorship, funding opportunities, and structured learning through Carve Startup School, the organization helps founders navigate the journey from ideation to scale-up with clarity and confidence.