The FI Network is celebrating 15 Years of empowering entrepreneurs worldwide! Learn more.

Great Founders Start Here

The Founder Institute is the world's most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses.

Without Founder Institute, Udemy may have never raised any money.

Gagan Biyani Profile Image
Gagan Biyani
Co-Founder of Udemy (Silicon Valley FI Alum)

A Lifetime of Direction Starts Here

Whether you just have an idea, are building an MVP, or already have a startup with early revenues, we can help. Since 2009, our highly-structured programs have given entrepreneurs clarity on their next steps, critical feedback on their decisions, and a global network to support their growth.

7,500+

Alumni Companies

$1.85BN+

Funding for Alumni

200+

Chapter Cities

100+

Chapter Countries

35,000+

Mentors & Advisors

$20BN

Estimated Portfolio Value

FI Core Program

It all starts with our renowned Core Program, which pushes founders at the idea and pre-seed stages to reach the milestones needed for investment and sustained growth.

Founder Lab

After completing FI Core, Alumni get free access to a series of additional virtual advisory programs to guide them towards their next major business milestones.

FI Venture Network

When ready, Alumni get featured on events and syndicated to a diverse pool of investors actively participating in a startup's first or second round of funding.

Build a fundable business with us

FI Core Programs are accepting applications in 70+ cities and verticals worldwide.

Connect to an Unparalleled Global Network

We live in a global economy, so FI connects you to entrepreneurs, advisors, and investors across 200+ cities and 6 continents.

FI-MAP

Founder Institute Columbus

Apply Now

Apply to the next Columbus Core program and build your business alongside top investors, advisors, and mentors.

Jason Jacobsohn

Managing Partner, Propellant Ventures

Over $1.85BN in Funding Raised by FI Alumni

The Founder Institute’s global scale and number of successful Alumni is truly unprecedented.

Join a Free Startup Event

We exist to help founders, so we run nearly 1000 free startup events per year where you can meet local entrepreneurs, network with investors, learn from advisors, and connect with co-founders.

100% free events to get direction for your startup

Perks

Over $2M in discounts and freebies from AWS, Google, Zendesk, Stripe and more.

See our perks package

The Global FI Ecosystem

Our mission is to empower talented and motivated people to build businesses that matter, no matter their location, gender, or race. This mission requires a strong global community of entrepreneurs, ecosystem leaders, advisors, and investors... and we have built just that.

Building
Startups

Building Ecosystems

Accelerator to empower leaders to build strong ecosystems.

Learn more

Building
Funds

Accelerator to help new fund managers launch venture funds.

Learn more

Frequently Asked Questions

It all starts with our Core FI Program. Apply to the Columbus program here, or check FI.co/enrolling for other options.

There is a one-time Entrance Fee to start the FI Core Program, with ZERO fees thereafter. This fee is 100% refundable before the 'Revenue & Business Models' session (Apr 02, 2025), so you can make an educated decision on whether or not FI is right for you. According to geolocation we think you are in the Columbus region, which has an Entrance Fee of $599 USD by Feb 02, 2025 ($799 USD after Feb 02, 2025).

When incentives are aligned, great things happen. That is why FI developed a groundbreaking 'Equity Collective' where your program Leaders, Mentors, and FI HQ are vested in the success of your business - for the long term.

Learn more about the Equity Collective at FI.co/equity.

Our agreements have always been public and freely available at FI.co/agreements.

Yes! Please attend an upcoming Info Session to hear an overview of our programs and chat with our team.

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Apply to FI Core

Join the world's largest pre-seed startup accelerator

The Founder Institute is the world’s most proven network to turn ideas into fundable startups, and startups into global businesses. Since 2009, our structured accelerator programs have helped over 7,500 entrepreneurs raise over $1.85BN in funding. Based in Silicon Valley and with chapters across 100 countries, our mission is to empower communities of talented and motivated people to build impactful technology companies worldwide.


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