Build Your
AI Startup.
In the Hills.
An exclusive, in-person AI company-builder for ambitious founders in Northeast India — mentored by engineers and operators who've shipped real products at scale.
An accelerator built
for builders.
Weekly Intensive Sprints
No theory. No slides. Each week you ship something real — a pitch, a product, a validated customer conversation. Step-by-step company-building with full accountability.
Mentorship from Operators
Real feedback from people who've shipped production AI, raised capital, and scaled teams. No theory — mentors tell you the truth, not what you want to hear.
AI Toolkit from Week One
Replit, Claude, vibe-coding pipelines — you'll build faster than you thought possible. AI agents deployed across sales, ops, product, and growth from day one.
NE India Founder Network
Connect with the most ambitious founders in Northeast India. This isn't a meetup — it's a tightly-knit cohort that holds each other accountable and builds together.
Demo Day
Every cohort ends with Demo Day — a structured pitch event to investors, industry leaders, and potential customers. You'll present a working product, not a prototype.
Invite Only
We don't run public applications. Every founder is personally selected. If you're reading this, someone thought you were worth reaching out to. Don't waste the invite.
Learn from people who've
actually done it.
Aashis is one of India's sharpest production AI engineers. As Staff MLOps Engineer at Quillbot, he designed and launched 5+ AI products — including neural TTS, a Gemini-powered search engine, and cross-cloud inference infrastructure serving millions of users.
Before that, as CTO and COO of BusRestro, he raised $53K in seed funding, scaled the company to a $5M Series A valuation, and delivered a $300K government IoT contract for the Uttarakhand Transport Corporation. Selected as one of just 180 Google DSC Leads across India.
Built something real?
Help the next generation do the same.
The Shillong Startup Residency is actively recruiting mentors — operators, founders, and engineers who want to give NE India's best founders the access they've never had.
We're looking for people who:
Mentors commit to showing up for one cohort — a few sessions, honest feedback, and the chance to help a founder avoid a mistake you already made. No equity, no consulting. Just impact.
You don't need a team.
You need the ambition.
Ambitious Founders
You have an idea or a domain problem. You're ready to build something real — not talk about building something.
Working Professionals
Deep domain expertise in any industry. You see how AI can transform your field and want to be the one who builds it.
Engineers & Builders
You can build, but haven't built a company. You need the business, fundraising, and GTM frameworks to match your technical skills.
Northeast India Natives
You're from NE India or want to build here. You believe world-class startups can come from Shillong — and you want to prove it.
8 weeks. No filler.
Only execution.
Kickoff Sprint
Set up your AI toolkit, meet your cohort, and craft your first One-Sentence Pitch. Identify the specific AI capability shift that creates your timing window. Configure Replit, Claude, and your full vibe-coding stack.
Vision & Problem Sprint
Identify and validate customer problems worth solving with AI. Brainstorm three AI-native problems, interview at least 5 potential customers, and stress-test market demand and competitive density.
Model Sprint
Select your One Customer Problem and develop a revenue model that can scale. Test pricing with real customers, build a landing page to validate messaging, and map which functions need humans vs AI agents.
Build Sprint — Vibe Code Your MVP
Your product takes shape. Build a working tool in Replit that solves your customer's problem. Conduct 10+ customer interviews and put the product in the hands of real users.
Validation Sprint
Deep customer validation. Refine your Buyer Persona, assess defensibility of your AI approach, and identify proprietary advantages — data, workflows, network effects.
Pitch Development
Build a compelling 3-minute pitch with deck. Use AI tools to evaluate delivery and slide quality. Practice with your cohort acting as skeptical investors. Mentor review session.
Growth & GTM Sprint
Define your Go-To-Market motion. Deploy AI agents for outreach and sales. Identify your first 10 customers and your most important early hire. Build your weekly accountability system.
Demo Day
Present to investors, industry leaders, and potential customers. Every founder ships a working product — not a prototype. Post-Demo Day: introductions, network, and next steps.
Frequently asked.
Ready to build
your AI startup?
This program is exclusive and invite-only. If you're here, you were referred. Reach out directly on WhatsApp — every message is read personally.