Eight years ago, Varun Chawla, co-founder of 91Springboard, one of India’s pioneering co-working startups, made a move that many would have considered professional heresy. He shifted a ₹100 crore ARR business from the chaos of the National Capital Region to the breezy stillness of Goa.

It wasn’t a retreat. It was a recalibration.

And in that decision was the seed of a new movement, build3, a venture studio and accelerator that believes in funding not just startups, but systems, communities, and consciousness-driven founders who want to build lasting, meaningful businesses.

The Great Escape

Back in NCR, the momentum was intoxicating. 91Springboard was riding a wave, fast-growing revenue, a strong team, and a central role in India’s co-working boom. But as Chawla recounts, life was grinding them down.

Commutes lasted hours. Air quality levels were hazardous. Illnesses like chikungunya and typhoid were disturbingly common. And despite outward success, burnout loomed.

That’s when the team launched a different kind of research project, not into markets or product features, but into life itself. They listed out what truly mattered: clean air, fresh food, nature, affordability, and the ability to live, not just survive, while building.

Goa, once seen as a vacation spot, emerged as a serious contender.

Despite resistance from family and team members, Chawla made the move. And today, he says, “It’s clear: this one decision shifted everything.”

A New Kind of Venture Platform

Born from that space to slow down and reflect, build3 is Chawla’s answer to the question: What if we could build startups without losing ourselves in the process?

At its core, build3 isn’t chasing unicorns or quarterly hype cycles. It’s a platform grounded in the “Three Cs”: Consciousness, Community, and Creativity.

• Consciousness is about founders who align inner presence with outer impact. Mental clarity. Physical wellness. Planetary care.
• Community is the antidote to the lone wolf founder myth. At build3, entrepreneurship is collaborative, rooted in ecosystems of support, shared learning, and real connection.
• Creativity is more than just speed or scale. It’s about building with depth. Designing thoughtful, resilient businesses. And making customer joy, not investor FOMO, the north star.

“We’re not just funding businesses. We’re co-creating the systems they’ll live in,” says Chawla.

What Kind of Businesses Get Funded?

Build3 has a clear bias: real ventures solving real human problems, not trend-chasing startups chasing inflated valuations.

They prioritize businesses meeting essential needs, food, health, sustainability, over fleeting wants.

Take wellness and nutrition, for instance. Build3 is actively exploring startups working on:

• Ancient-meets-modern health systems that boost immunity and longevity
• Regenerative agriculture powered by drones, AI, and heirloom seeds
• Sustainable supply chains, from local markets to reusable packaging
• Biofeedback tools and wearables that empower personal health decisions

In all cases, there’s a strong focus on unit economics, sustainability, and customer-first design.

“We fund founders who think in decades, not funding rounds,” says Chawla. “Sometimes that means slower growth. We’re okay with that.”

More Than Capital

Build3’s real differentiator isn’t just money, it’s intentionality. The accelerator cohort isn’t a quick 12-week blitz. It’s a living, breathing ecosystem where founders walk together, reflect, and refine.

And the bet is long-term. With five cohorts already behind them and applications open for the sixth, Build3 is slowly but steadily creating a new archetype of Indian entrepreneurship, less hustle, more harmony.

Goa: Not Just a Backdrop

The move to Goa was more than geographical. It was philosophical. And for many who follow Chawla’s journey, it’s emblematic of a larger shift in India’s startup story, away from the metro madness, toward decentralised, grounded innovation.

Chawla often quotes Naval Ravikant: “What you do, who you do it with, and where you live are the three big levers in life.”

Most entrepreneurs obsess over the first two. Build3 is here to remind us that the third shapes everything else.

Goa may not be perfect, as Chawla admits. But for Build3, it was where work and life finally aligned.

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