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and Funding

with the world’s largest pre-seed accelerator.

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Estimated Portfolio Value

Who we help

The Founder Institute works with both entrepreneurs and teams at the pre-seed stage:

Idea Stage

Aspiring, solo, and even FT-employed founders can use FI to validate ideas, build a team, and launch a business.

Prototype Stage

Entrepreneurs and teams with an initial product can use FI to secure advisors, generate revenue, and begin to raise funding.

Early Company Stage

Established companies at the pre-funding stage can use FI to generate traction, scale their business, and raise funding.

See our Admissions Process

How we help

Our proven methodology has helped thousands of entrepreneurs get to traction and funding since 2009.

Critical Support Network

Join an Equity Collective of helpful startup mentors and founders that are invested in your success.

Structured Methodology

Know what to work on, and when, with our proven business-building sprints and structured process.

Challenging Process

Less than 35% of Founders make it through the program because we challenge you every step of the way.

Lifetime of Support

Get access to a lifetime of support programs and partners that far exceeds any comparable program.

Global Network

Leverage the world's largest network of startup founders and mentors, based in Silicon Valley.

See our Methodology

Featured Alumni

Many of the world’s fastest-growing startups have used FI to raise funding, get into seed-accelerators, generate traction, recruit a team, and more.

Top mobile content distribution platform in Southeast Asia. Series C funding. Hanoi FI Alum.

The world's largest destination for online courses. 40+ students, $173M+ funding. Silicon Valley FI Alum.

Europe's fastest growing service to rent your car. $22M+ funding, acquired 2018. Paris FI Alum.

B2B platform that matches investors with African SMEs. $1M+ Funding. Johannesburg FI Alum.

Software for hotel managers to fill rooms with maximum efficiency. $5M+ funding. Madrid FI Alum.

Enterprise social media platform for brand ambassadorship. $8M+ funding, acquired 2016. Seattle FI Alum.

The leading online real estate capital marketplace. $85M+ already returned to investor customers. $45M+ funding. Los Angeles FI Alum.

Planetary surface robots for space missions. Part of NASA's commercial lunar payload program. Silicon Valley FI Alum.

Inventory management to help restaurants prevent food waste. Winner of 2018 Greetech Challenge. Oslo FI Alum.

App-connected fertility thermometers. $8M+ funding, acquired 2018. New York City FI Alum.

Online platform for receivables discounting with a cryptocurrency. $41M+ in Funding. Manila FI Alum.

Formerly iCarsClub, StartCar is the leading peer-to-peer car rental service in China. $70M+ funding. Singapore FI Alum.

See our Alumni

Are you ready to join the world’s
largest pre-seed accelerator?

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Our Global Network

The Founder Institute operates across 185+ cities and 6 continents. We are #FIworldwide, because great companies can be built anywhere.

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Featured Mentors

Founder Institute Mentors have built or led fast-growth businesses, and are invested in your success through our unique Equity Collective.

Alexandra Wilson

Founder, Investor & Advisor, Gilt Group, Montage Ventures

Kenneth Hogrefe

CEO and Founder, Tech Africa Pte. Ltd.

Heather Harde

CEO, TechCrunch

Scott Painter

Founder, Fair.com, TrueCar, CarsDirect.com

See our Mentors

Our Partners

See our Partners

Are you ready to join the world's
largest pre-seed accelerator?

Join the Program Attend an Event

Get to Traction and Funding