Startup CEO who won Nikhil Kamath's backing, says he had 5 failed businesses with a loss of Rs 2 crore
Vikram Pai, a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur and CEO of ReferRush, an e-commerce referral sales platform, recently opened up about his past business failures, financial setbacks, and health struggles while expressing his appreciation for Zerodha co-founder Nikhil Kamath.
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Pai conveyed his gratitude to WTFund, a grant initiative led by Nikhil Kamath, after his startup was selected for the funding program. Reflecting on his entrepreneurial journey in a post on social media platform X, Pai detailed his six-year struggle, which included five unsuccessful ventures.
«Six years. Five failed businesses. Two crores earned and lost. People jokingly called me Elon Musk. Half my body was paralyzed. I was left with just ₹4,000 in my account and couldn’t afford to pay my co-founder’s salary. Here’s a screenshot of my account before I transferred Rs 36,000 to him—he had responsibilities. Everyone advised me to give up. Even my grandmother doubted me. I was labeled delusional. My father dismissed my efforts as ‘playing business.’ Relatives gossiped about my career. My mother lost faith. My best friend betrayed me. I broke down in tears,” wrote Pai, CEO of ReferRush, on X.
He further revealed that ReferRush was one of nine startups selected from over 2,400 applicants for WTFund’s grant initiative.
«But I never stopped believing. I always had food and shelter, and
