Since launching in San Diego in 2009, the Founder Institute has graduated over 50 companies, including successful local startups like Embarke, Kaliki, DonationMatch, Feetz, Explorence, Green Kid Crafts, and many more.
The San Diego Founder Institute is now accepting applications for the San Diego Fall 2025 Semester. If you could benefit from expert training and advice to launch a technology startup in San Diego, click here to apply today.
Those who apply by the Early Admissions Deadline (Jul 13, 2025) will have their application fees waived (typically $50) and are eligible for Founder Institute Fellowships.
In the Founder Institute's four-month, part-time program, promising startup entrepreneurs “learn by doing” and launch a company through structured training courses and expert feedback from a large network of business mentors. Plus, you are not required to quit you day job to participate, so you can begin building a business around your ideas without putting your livelihood at risk.
In order to celebrate the launch, the San Diego Founder Institute will host a “Pre-Curriculum” of free startup events for the general public:
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Creating Effective Content with AI: 10:00am, Jul 02, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/373266
- Founder Institute Online Information Session: https://FI.co/infosession
- Entrepreneurship Education: Lessons from Startup Accelerators: 10:00am, Jul 03, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/375369
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, Jul 07, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/370393
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Building an MVP with No Coding Skills : 10:00am, Jul 09, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/373396
- Ask an Investor Anything: Q&A with Sonam Velani: 10:00am, Jul 14, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/374705
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using AI to Increase Productivity: 10:00am, Jul 16, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/373523
- Founder’s Guide to AI: Using Agentic Workflows to Automate Repetitive Tasks: 10:00am, Jul 23, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/373656
- Best Practices on Building Innovation Hubs for Universities & Colleges: 10:00am, Jul 24, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/376003
- How to Come Up with Great Startup Ideas: 10:00am, Aug 11, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/374685
- Co-Founder Networking: Find a Business Partner: 10:00am, Aug 18, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/374897
- Startup Pitch Practice: Share Your Idea and Get Expert Feedback: 10:00am, Aug 25, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/375530
- How to Get Investors to Notice Your Startup: AMA with Marta Marrucco: 10:00am, Sep 17, 2025 (America/Los_Angeles): https://FI.co/e/373889
The San Diego Chapter will be led by by longtime Founder Institute Director and San Diego Startup advocate, Jeanine Jacobson.
In only 15 years of operation, over 7,800 graduate companies across 200 cities have used the Founder Institute to validate their idea, develop their plans, refine their product, build an advisory board, prepare for seed funding, and more.
