New Founders Start Here

Which program should I apply to?

If you have an idea and want to build a company, apply to the FI Agentic Program: 10 sessions plus Demo Day, a program generated for your startup (your Playbook), practice pitching an AI investor at any hour (Pitch Gym), Frank and AI Assist on every deliverable, and weekly feedback from mentors. It runs in 200+ cities; apply to the chapter nearest you or to an online cohort. If you want a short, focused course first, FI Bootcamps (Startup Ideation, Vibe Coding, OpenClaw AI Productivity) are short, focused courses of a few weeks with no equity component, and enrolled Agentic founders get one bootcamp free and 50 percent off the others. See the program or see the bootcamps.

How much does it cost?

Entrance fee varies by city and deadline; your chapter page shows the exact figure. It is fully refundable before Kickoff and 75 percent refundable before Session 3. Payment plans are available through Partial.ly (5 percent service fee). Teams of 2 to 3 founders pay 1.5 times the fee and teams of 4 to 5 pay 2 times; the 2.5 percent Equity Collective pledge is per company, not per founder. See your chapter.

Is there an equity component?

Yes. About two-thirds of the way through the program, not at enrollment, founders pledge 2.5 percent of future equity to the Equity Collective as a warrant: 0.5 percent to mentors, 1 percent to local leaders, 1 percent to FI. It activates only at a qualified equity financing of $100,000 or more from outside investors ($25,000 if you join a qualifying program such as Y Combinator after graduating), carries no board seat or voting rights, is not a revenue share, dissolves if the company fails, and 60 percent of returns go back to the local ecosystem that helped you. Bootcamps have no equity component. How the Equity Collective works.

Where can I see the agreements?

All program agreements are public at fi.co/agreements, including the Entrance Agreement, the only document you sign to enroll, and the Warrant you sign later in the program. Both are summarised in the Equity Collective section below.

Can I talk to someone about the program?

Yes. Come to a free event in your city or online at fi.co/events, where local leaders and mentors take questions, or write to us at fi.co/support. Local leaders are listed on your chapter page.

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