August 21, 2026:A three-month Meta Startup School programme for 200 early-stage consumer brands in India, has been launched, combining platform education, agency support, AI-powered advertising tools and access to venture capital firms and industry experts. The first cohort begins September 1, 2026.
Meta is stepping up its engagement with India’s early-stage startup ecosystem with the launch of Meta Startup School, a programme aimed at helping consumer brands move from early traction to more sustainable and scalable growth.
The first cohort will bring together 200 startups across funding stages. The three-month programme will combine structured learning with hands-on guidance, including complimentary consultations with agency partners and sessions involving venture capital firms and industry specialists.
For consumer startups increasingly dependent on digital channels for customer acquisition, the programme comes at a stage when understanding how to deploy advertising platforms effectively can be as important as raising capital. Meta is positioning Startup School as a way for founders to build those capabilities while scaling their businesses.
“Early-stage startups are at a critical stage of their journey, and having the right tools, knowledge and guidance can make a significant difference,” said Gaurav Jeet Singh, Director for Agencies and VC Partnerships, Meta, India. He said the programme is intended to help startups better use Meta’s advertising and AI-powered tools while connecting them with agency partners and the wider startup ecosystem.
What the first cohort gets in Meta Startup School Program
Participating startups will receive three months of complimentary agency consultation, without retainer fees. Each business will be paired with agency partners to work on growth and advertising strategies, with the objective of helping founders move from experimentation towards more structured scaling.
The programme will also include webinars and educational sessions covering Meta’s advertising and AI-powered tools, alongside guidance on customer acquisition, campaign effectiveness and business performance.
The first cohort in the meta startup school program will include participation from Fireside Ventures, DSG Consumer Partners and V3 Ventures, with additional venture capital firms expected to join as the programme expands.
The combination of platform training and investor engagement reflects a broader shift in how large technology platforms are approaching startup support. Rather than focusing solely on access to technology, programmes such as Startup School increasingly seek to influence how young companies build distribution, acquire customers and develop repeatable growth engines.
From digital traction to scalable growth
India’s consumer startup landscape has produced a growing number of digital-first brands, but early customer traction does not necessarily translate into sustainable growth. Marketing efficiency, platform expertise and the ability to scale customer acquisition can become significant challenges as businesses move beyond their initial stages.
Meta startup school programme is designed to address that gap by putting founders in direct contact with platform specialists, agencies, investors and industry experts.
The three-month cohort will culminate in a demo day, where participating startups will have the opportunity to connect with venture capital firms, direct-to-consumer founders and other ecosystem stakeholders. Startups will also be able to showcase how they have applied the programme’s learnings to their businesses.
To qualify, startups must not be directly managed by Meta or currently working with an agency. They should also be at a stage where they are beginning to use Meta’s platforms to scale revenue.
Applications for the first cohort are currently open through the Meta Startup School programme page.
